What I’m Packing for Paris, France | February 2019 Edition

A part of me feels like it’s premature to talk about what I’m packing for Paris when we don’t leave until next Friday. But the fact is, I’ve been planning my Paris outfits practically since the day before we booked our flights. And I’m scheduled to take a two-day trip to Ottawa for work next week, getting home just about thirty-six hours before we leave, so the reality is, I need to be packed to leave (at least more or less) this weekend.

I’ve talked before about how highly personal packing routines can be. But packing for Paris is an art – one that I have admittedly yet to master, despite years of practice. There have been many lessons learned along the way, the most notable being that Paris will destroy all of your best shoes if you spent any amount time walking in the city. I always pack my sturdy Adidas sneakers to wear on the metro and walks, carrying my beloved shoes in a bag to slip on when I reach my destination. (It sounds like a hassle but trust me, it’s better than the alternative.) But I suspect that by the time I get home again this time, I will have learned still more packing for Paris lessons.

I’ll share those when I’m packing for my next trip. In the meantime, this is what’s in my suitcase for Paris…

Tops
Le Chateau black turtleneck sweater
Sezane white blouse
H&M black batwing sleeve sweater
Gap cream pointelle sweater
H&M beige oversized sweater
Glam Sesh cream mock neck sweater
Gap striped long sleeve tee

Bottoms
Realisation Par leopard skirt
Sezane black jeans
Mavi white cropped jeans
Aritzia culottes
Mavi cropped black jeans
Sezane leather skirt
Paige black skinny jeans

Outerwear
Uniqlo camel coat
Zara brown wrap coat
Garage Clothing teddy coat
Zara camel blazer

Shoes
Jonak mules
Sezane black knee-high boots
Adidas Stan Smith sneakers
Oak + Fort brown mules
J. Crew black kitten heels
Zara python boots

Accessories
Louis Vuitton Speedy handbag
Anthropologie black beret
Zara cat eye sunglasses
Dior hobo handbag
ASOS camel beret
RayBan Wayfarer sunglasses
APC half-moon handbag

This list probably looks a bit short – especially considering that it does include what I plan to wear on the plane. But all of the items on it are super versatile. Plus, part of the art of packing for Paris is knowing how to leave enough room for all of the new things you’re likely to be bringing home with you! (My Paris shopping list is, in a word, ambitious.) Shopping is inevitable or advisable in the French capital, depending on your perspective, and either way, it will happen. I feel my suitcase accordingly.

With our departure now just nine short days away, and I am spending as much time in the Paris of my imagination as I am in the real world. C’est la vie, as they say, because I know that no amount of effort is going to change that fact. Part of the joy of visiting Paris is the anticipation of being there soon, and I am soaking in every bit of it.