Wardrobe Wednesday- Chanel

One of my big enjoyments in life is fashion.  I also personally think that fashion and travel go hand in hand, and that one doesn't have to get on a plane to go and visit a foreign land.  One of the best (and my favorite) examples of fashion travel would be Chanel.  My favorite Chanel collections tend to be the destination based ones like Paris-Shanghai, Paris-Edimbourg, etc.  I love pieces that take elements of different cities and incorporate them into a wearable bit of whimsy that can make you think for a second that you just might be in the location in question.  Today, I'm going to keep things a little more localized and focus on traveling to Paris via Chanel.  

There are many newer designers that I feel capture the essence of Paris through their clothing, but the most iconic encapsulation for me will always be Chanel.  It is because of the simple jersey dresses that Coco Chanel debuted in the 1920's that the Paris aesthetic of today is so sleek and modern.  Typical Parisian dress is always more relaxed and low-key with a palette that tends to lean towards versatile blacks and neutrals.  This is not the land of heavily layering bracelets or rings or any kind of accessory.  Items are carefully chosen to complement the outfit without complicating things and making them too busy and try hard.  It is because of this simplicity that I feel Chanel is so timeless and Parisian.

My other favorite thing about Chanel would be Coco Chanel herself, someone who understood that great voyages could be made without even leaving the comforts of home.  I am obsessed with Coco's apartment and its incredible mix of styles from Asia, Baroque Europe, and modern times.  Her apartment for me epitomizes just how closely related travel and fashion truly are, and how travel can inspire someone to create ethereal pieces of art that allow the owner to take a voyage for themselves, either back in time, or to another world.  I also just love Baroque or Asian-influenced style in general so for me her apartment is like a dream world!

 The Chanel designs for me always capture the opulence of Paris aside from the simplicity.  The designs themselves remain true to Coco's simpler aesthetic, but when Chanel goes ornate, it is with a capital O.  In these designs I can see the history of Marie Antoinette, the Eiffel Tower, the grand avenues, gold plated wrought iron, opulent hotels, the 20's, the 40's, all the elements that so many people seek out in Paris.  I find that fairytale Paris through fashion, since for me, that is the only place that it truly exists, in the artistic world of interpretation and imagination, and sometimes we must call on oracles like Coco Chanel and now Karl Lagerfeld to pull these places into the realm of reality.

 

Travel Style Part 2- What to Pack

Packing.  This is always an area of huge debate between travelers.  I know people who are adamant that they will only bring one carry on bag and nothing more, and I know people who prefer to check everything.  Personally, I'm a check everything girl.  I have a very small carry on for only immediately important plane stuff like skincare, coloring books, books, my phone, passport, etc, but other than that, I check everything. Why?  Because I bring a ton of stuff!  Deciding what to bring is one of the hardest aspects of travel, and is definitely an area that depends on personal preference.  Packing should always be based on what you want to do and the climate of the location you're going to. Here's a few of my tips for how to think about packing: 

1)  If you're going to be doing a lot of walking around, bring comfortable shoes.  For me, that usually means ballerina flats, or flat boots, I'm not a sneaker person. 

2)  Pack for the climate.  For London this year, I'm going to have some t-shirts and dresses, but also bring a few sweaters and pull overs because the UK can tend to get quite windy, especially at night.

3)  Bring enough so that if you cannot find a washing machine or laundromat, you will have enough clean clothing.  Also, try to bring pieces that can be used to make at least a few different outfits, not just one

4)  Do you plan to go out to anywhere fancy?  For some this can be a fancy dinner but for me this usually refers to bars, so I always bring a few cocktails dresses and one pair of black heels that can be used with any outfit.

So, as I mentioned above, I tend to overpack.  I just prefer to bring anything that I might need, I'm definitely not a travel with only the essentials girl.  To quote Lafayette from True Blood, "Packing light and being me don't mix".   First of all, make up is one of my hobbies and loves, so I always bring a rather large toiletry bag with my cosmetics in it.  It doesn't take up too much space thankfully, but can get a bit heavy.  I also always bring  3 pairs of shoes; a pair of flats, flat boots, and a pair of heels.  I wear my flat boots on the plane since I am always freezing on the plane and they're also usually the heaviest of all  shoes, so it makes sense to wear them instead of packing them.  Clothing I don't have a specific pattern for, but I always bring 2 large suitcases which I check.  I'm not worried about checking valuables or anything, I check everything except for my laptop, and always have my luggage locks on.  I really do not know how some people can only bring one carry on bag and that's it, that's like a magic trick to me!  I guess I'm just the type who needs a lot of stuff.  I'm also of the mindset that I would rather bring something with me than worry about possibly not being able to find it wherever I am going.  I always do vacation shopping and things, but it is rarely for something I really need.

However, as much as I tend to bring a lot, I do have my items organized in what I believe is a good way, and if anyone is struggling with organization, I can help.  I keep things in categories.  I always put electronics (wires, converter plugs, etc) in one section of my suitcase, often one of the pockets built into the bag itself so that I always know where they are.  Shoes are always together, socks are together, and anything remotely fragile I cocoon around a pile of clothes.  I never throw my make up bag on the top of my suitcase and close it because if it gets thrown, the make up will be absorbing all the impact, and can break.  Instead, I do a few clothing items, put my bag in, and put more clothing on top of it.  Do this for anything that is breakable, I've never had a problem with this method.  Also, wrap liquids.  I don't feel like dealing with the liquid restrictions, so for me it's easier to throw everything into a checked bag.  I am always worried about liquids opening in flight or something, so I always make sure to wrap them in Ziploc bags, and then in one big plastic bag so that if they do bust, your clothes and other items are safe.  Nail polish is another thing I have never had a problem with but I know many people are wary of packing.  What I do is take a small make up bag that can only hold about 4 bottles, and wrap 2 together with Ziplocs (2 in 1 bag) and then put those in another Ziploc containing paper towels, and wrap it up tightly.  Then I put that into the plastic make up bag which fits the polishes snugly, and zip it.  Then, just like with my make up, I sandwich the bag in between some clothing so that it is not taking any impacts.  The polishes are not clinking around, they are pretty secured in place, and have never exploded on me. 

I am far from a packing expert, so I cannot offer any tips for how to consolidate a fabulous travel wardrobe into only one small bag that can be carried on or checked.  I just bring everything, so I have to check my bags. I hope the few tips that I do have however will be helpful!  In the end, it all depends on your personal method of travel, and what you want to bring with you

Further proof that I bring everything...my cat, Spots, attempting to come with mommy!

Travel Style Part 1- Accommodation

One of the best things about travel is that you get to do things your way.  We all have different interests and different things we like to focus on when on vacation, so I'm going to share some of my travel methods with you :) This will be broken up into 3 different parts, starting with Part 1, Accommodation.

 

 Flats

When I travel, I always prefer to rent a holiday apartment rather than stay in a hotel. Apartments offer you the chance to really experience a city like a local.  Of course, at the end of the day you're still on vacation, but it's really nice to be able to go home to your apartment in whatever city is playing your home for the time.  Apartments are also usually cheaper than hotels, especially when it comes to longer stays, and I tend to go away for 2 weeks at a time in the summer.  If you plan on staying somewhere for 5/6 nights or more, I would go with an apartment.  In the end, you'll probably end up saving a substantial amount of money, as many landlords offer deals for certain amounts of time (for example, 4 weeks for the price of 3 etc).  You also get much more space in a holiday apartment for the same or less amount of money that you would spend on a hotel.  This of course all depends on the hotels and apartments in question, but I am speaking from my experience. I like having a kitchen and living room in addition to a bedroom. I also like being able to come and go when I like to, since I like to go out at night, and many hotels lock up after a certain time, and then you have to ring the doorbell to be let in, something that always makes me feel like an annoyance to the staff.  If you're looking to try out apartment rentals, just remember to send out many inquiries and then pick from the responses that you receive, since some landlords can take a while to get back to you, or may never respond at all. 

Here's some websites I often use for rentals -

-http://www.homeaway.com

-www.residences-paris.com (I personally know the owner and loved my apartment in Paris)

-https://www.airbnb.com (this year for Paris is my first year using this, but so far everything has been great.  This is a great site if you still want an apartment but are only staying a few nights)

Hotels

I have nothing against hotels, and I use them quite often when I am going somewhere for only a short time.  The other instance in which I use hotels is if a city I am visiting does not offer many rental properties.  Dublin was quite lacking in this area (very few rental options), so I stayed at the O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel, and I enjoyed it, but it's never the same as an apartment.  My mom actually prefers hotels because she likes having cleaning and room services available and she also likes having a  front desk to ask for directions to sights etc.  These things are nice to have but aren't as important to me personally.  A hotel also breaks up my feeling of being "in" a city, somewhat.

In the end, what you pick is up to you, and should be based on what you're looking for.  If you want more services, and are staying for a weekend or a few days, a hotel is the way to go.  If you want a more authentic city experience, and are staying for a week or more, go with a holiday rental.  Before long, you'll find what you prefer!