038: What I packed (and actually wore) on my trip to Paris and Copenhagen
a lot of the same things over, and over, and over again.
Hello, my dear readers, and happy Friday. How was the week? I, for one, feel like I’m just getting back into the swing of things after a rather bumpy and busy reentry into the professional world. As I mentioned in last week’s letter (ok fine, it was two weeks ago), I spent the bulk of the holidays and early January traveling and having a bit of fun. Despite my delay in publishing, I have been very excited to tell you about what I wore on my trip.
My pal, Alexandra, and I booked flights to Paris departing right after Christmas. Spending more time in Paris is a goal of mine, since leaving my full-time gig, so this felt like a perfect way to start the year. We tacked on a trip to Copenhagen because we’d never been and heard great things. Is Copenhagen f**king freezing in January (excuse my Danish)? Yes. But this fact we chose to boldly ignore, as we gleefully clicked confirm on our accommodations.
We thoroughly enjoyed both cities. Paris is chic and magical and Copenhagen is beyond charming and cool. Shopping, eating, and drinking were well-accomplished and we saw art, friends, and a significant rise in our step-counts. But packing in one suitcase, for two weeks, in two climates is a tricky code to crack. Paris was unseasonably warm and humid, creeping towards the 50s for the duration of our stay. Copenhagen, meanwhile, stayed well-below 30 degrees, often below 20, and hit us with high wind speeds and every type of precipitation you can imagine.
Nonetheless, we packed, and re-packed, and overpacked, and actually wore some of the things we packed. Here’s what worked. Read on!
Outerwear.
Outerwear is undoubtedly the most important piece of the winter-travel puzzle. I brought two coats with me - a vintage, fur-lined trench coat from J.Mendel and a vintage, leather jacket from Prada (both sourced on The RealReal). This turned out to be a beautiful combination.
The leather is light and packable, just-right for walking around the Marais or the Maché Aux Puces during the day, and easy to layer in the evening. Here are some similar options.
I wore the trench on the airplane and all around Copenhagen. It kept me very warm and didn’t make me feel like a dorky tourist - perfect. There are lots of similar options on resale, which I would recommend going with. The pricing on pre-loved or vintage fur is unbeatable and it’s more planet-friendly than buying new.
Sweaters and Layers.
The key to making everything winter-wearable is layers. Light layers. I pile them on when it’s cold. Sweaters and long-sleeves were my bread and butter on this trip. Below, my red sweater and a delicious red natural wine at Le Vin Au Vert in the 9th.
I rotated through 3 sweaters. Reformation’s Clara cardigan, a men’s pullover from J.Crew, and a shapely wool piece from COS (similar here). For me, they accomplish different things. The cardigan is sweeter and more coquette, better for going out to dinner or drinks. The pullover is casual for daytime, and doubles as a scarf when draped across my shoulders, and the COS sweater, because it has some built-in shape, feels more put-together and chic, even on an airplane.
Under layers are vital! Wearing them extends the longevity of the knits they support and adds warmth. Uniqlo’s heattech is my holy grail in the wintertime. So cozy and yet thin and imperceptible. I sneak it under everything. Depending on the temperature, I’ll add a thermal. All of mine are very old, but the below look good. In Copenhagen we walked absolutely everywhere (too chicken to bike like the locals in the cold!) and this combination kept the freeze at bay.
Jewelry.
Like Melissa, I prefer to travel with my everyday jewelry. It keeps me in my routine and makes me feel more like me, especially when I’m bundled up under layers. Lately I have been wearing gold hoops from Pilgrim, or an older pavé pair, and a pendant necklace that my genius mom made for me (!) by gold-plating an NYC subway token.
Jeans and Pants.
For the first half of the trip I alternated between baggy carpenter jeans from Wynn Hamlyn (randomly discovered during the Ssense sale, they’re even more discounted now) and MNZ’s dance pants. Both are great for travel, very comfortable but stylish. Not sloppy. In Copenhagen I discovered, and quickly fell in love with, the Arrow jeans from Weekday. They are… $69! I wanted to buy 10 pairs! And I didn’t, but they fit like a glove. Be careful when choosing a wash though. I think Black Lux and Nobel Blue look the most expensive. I also bought and love this pair.
Footwear.
My Blundstone boots with shearling insoles served me very well on this trip. They are very warm, easy to walk in, and most importantly, they just look like a regular boot. The Parisians don’t sneer when you wear them (and you know those Parisians are picky...) In my opinion, this is the most functional and attractive version of an all-weather shoe. When my feet got tired of boots (in Paris), I wore Adidas Sambas. I allowed myself one “fun” pair of shoes, my faithful Mary Janes, which came out only for a party on New Year’s Eve. (I also packed a Gil Rodriguez mini dress and tights in my suitcase for this occasion - easy!)
Bags.
My nylon Prada bag continues to be my best friend and travel companion. It’s super light, unexpectedly roomy, and chic. I also always pack extra tote bags when I travel, just in case some shopping occurs (and trust me, it did). I bought these two on Etsy a few years ago, wanting a tote with a bit more style, and now I bring them everywhere - beach, grocery store, gym…
The Extras.
Last, but certainly not least, extras are extra-important for travel and general climate-hopping. A baseball cap and sunglasses add style points and work wonders hiding jet-lagged faces and uncooperative hair (what’s up with the hard-water in Paris?). While good, warm gloves, socks, and scarves will make-or-break your day in the cold. I also picked up this hat at Arket in Copenhagen for a song.
And that’s all for this week! Thank you, as always for reading. Signing off with these photos of some of the lovely food I ate. Hit me for restaurant recs. Until next time. xxx
I’m bookmarking for future inspiration because your packing list was minimal but seemed to really fit the bill!! Also, I may be influenced on those Wynn Hamlyn jeans, which size did you get?