Is everyone going to Italy and Paris without me?
I know we're all thinking it!
If your Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/TikTok/Threads (side note: holy crap, now we have to think about another social media platform?!?!)/ time-sucking app of choice is not currently overflowing with pictures of your friends and favorite influencers galavanting all over the coast of Southern Italy or Paris or the South of France, then I would like to know what algorithm or #FYP you are currently on so that I can join you there! Was everyone invited to the destination wedding of a glamorous mutual friend that I don’t know? Or, did they all get the AmEx Platinum card promotion to spend $200 in France and get $40 back up to 10 times a few months before I did? Maybe it’s that they’ve been saving their money for a trip instead of spending all their disposable income on clothes (peering into the mirror)? Did I just miss the memo? Or maybe it’s because I just had a baby and have two other kids under 5 and the thought of going to Europe for several weeks with them all in tow is a) crushingly exhausting and b) exorbitantly expensive. Yeah, it probably is that, actually!
But seriously - it really does feel like everyone — people I know and people I “know” (aka know via the internet) is following their White Lotus-inspired bliss on a picturesque European vacation and I won’t lie that my 5-week postpartum self is just a TEENSY BIT JEALOUS! While scrolling, liking, tapping links and screen shotting names of resorts and restaurants, I have oscillated between wishing that I could be the type of parent who wants to just take my kids on a trip like that and just soak it up because “adventure” and “core memories!" and wishing that I was the type of parent/person who had the childcare in place to support me and my husband going on a week-long adults-only trip (never mind that the actual issue for me is that I just had a baby who is basically still attached to me at all times and not that I couldn’t figure out the childcare if I wanted to - although it would certainly be a juggle!) But alas, this is not my Euro-trip summer!
The irony here is that my husband is going to the Ryder Cup (a golf tournament - I did the google search for you!) in Rome in the fall, and when he first told me he had gotten tickets through the lottery system, I was like - OMG, so fun! A European getaway in the early fall, that’s idyllic. I will totally watch some golf in exchange for that. And we can even bring the baby, she’ll be so portable and easy! The look he gave me in response to my exclamation of excitement told me everything I needed to know — the extra tickets had already been offered to his friends and I was going to be doing the opposite of a European getaway — solo parenting 3 children. Don’t worry, I’ll get my trip!
That hasn’t stopped me from liking every photo and opening just about every link that is served to me. The amount of tabs open in the Safari app on my phone right now would send any type-A person into a straight-up panic attack. Not to mention the variety of things I am “browsing” is startling - everything from the most comfortable postpartum underwear to platform heels and pacifiers to matching skirt sets with coordinating costume jewelry. I’ve been saving tons of style inspiration and thinking about what I would be wearing if I was getting ready for cocktail hour by the ocean followed by a private boat ride to dinner at a restaurant accessible only by boat. Yes, I’m getting that specific - I have a lot of time to create perfect outfits in my head while nursing a very hungry baby!
While a European trip is not part of my summer plans, I’m sharing the pieces I would be shopping for, packing and styling if I was. I’ll also share how I’d style the pieces on my instagram! Fingers crossed it’ll also serve as inspiration for my kid-free trip with some girlfriends that I hope to take to a yet-to-be-determined location this winter! In the meantime, I’m prepping for a trip to the Midwest in a few weeks, and will be sure to share my shopping inspiration for that soon!
If you prefer to browse pieces directly - you can do that here!
1: Silk Floral Scarf / 2: Alex Mill Shirt Dress / 3: Striped T-Shirt / 4: Marin Sweater / 5: Ray Ban Clubmasters / 6: Black Belt / 7: One-sleeve Maxi Dress / 8: Packable Hat / 9: Snake Chain Necklace / 10: Halterneck Top / 11: Longchamp Le Pliage / 12: Blue & White Botanical Dress / 13: Black One-Piece / 14: Woven Straw Tote / 15: Linen-Blend Maxi Dress / 16: Linen Crop Top / 17: Birkenstocks / 18: White Linen Pants / 19: Striped Shirt-Dress / 20: Black Maxi Dress / 21: Bead Necklace / 22: Black Sandals / 23: Tie-Strap Midi Dress
1: Silk Floral Scarf: An essential European accessory. It screams chic. Wear as a top, tie to your purse, tie around your hair as a headband or scrunchy, around your neck, over your shoulders, the list goes on!
2: Alex Mill Shirt Dress: Perfect for a day of sightseeing, or perhaps a nice boat ride!
3: Striped T-Shirt: An essential for your suitcase that you can wear on a travel day and with trousers!
4: Marin Sweater: I consider a stripe a neutral, and if you pack mostly solids and stripes, this sweater will go with everything in your suitcase. I love the blue color-way and the slight crop of this style!
5: Ray Ban Clubmasters: Timeless and chic!
6: Black Belt: Discrete in your luggage, but will work with pants, shorts, skirts + dresses!
7: One-sleeve Maxi Dress: I love the color of this dress and the one-shoulder makes it so interesting, and poplin means it will be perfect for the heat!
8: Packable Hat: Pack this in your luggage and then wear all day everyday of your trip! Another option for less.
9: Snake Chain Necklace: A great wear-alone or layer piece that isn’t too precious to travel with (or swim and sweat in!)
10: Halterneck Top: So chic. Would look great with ecru jeans, safari-style shorts, linen pants, or even denim shorts!
11: Longchamp Le Pliage: All over Europe right now and pretty practical. If you can’t find your Longchamp from yesteryear, then you can jump right in on the trend!
12: Blue & White Botanical Dress: Where better to wear a blue and white beauty that in Italy or France?
13: Black One-Piece: You only need one swim suit and a black one piece that you feel amazing in is it!
14: Woven Straw Tote: In my imagination, I would be carrying this gorgeous and actually practical/functional bag this summer and on this trip, but it’s not in my budget right now (this is a good version of the look for less!). This one hits the woven trend, has multiple strap options and folds up to be packable!
15: Linen-Blend Maxi Dress: Love the cut and color of this dress!
16: Linen Crop Top: I love the embroidered detail on this top and would pair it with wide-leg linen pants, a silk slip skirt, and shorts for daytime.
17: Birkenstocks: I read in Megan’s Substack that everyone in Paris is wearing Birkenstocks - so, here they are!
18: White Linen Pants: The look for less.
19: Striped Shirt-Dress: The perfect day dress. Also imaging that you could wear this open as bathing suit coverup with the belt!
20: Black Maxi Dress: A simple black dress for day and night and even travel days!
21: Bead Necklace: Necklaces like these are everywhere right now - they look great for everyday wear, stacked with your other necklaces, to add interest and layer to a daytime look, as well as more of a statement piece in the evening.
22: Black Sandals: I don’t even think you need a heel, just a dress-upable pair of black strappy sandals like these will work during the day and at night!
23: Tie-Strap Midi Dress: This is a great option for Day-to-night! Perfect with a hat!