Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Packing for a weekend away - Autumn

(Leather holdalls from Marks & Spencer, so cute & colourful! And a bargain too! Wonder if they ship to Oz...)

So I'm packing my bags again, this time, for a 3 1/2 day weekend in Sydney, can't wait! The Autumn weather is slightly warmer there, and not as unpredictable as in Melbourne (see my previous post 'Packing for '4 seasons in a day' - weekend away'), so am trying to decide what to take with me.

Packing for a weekend revolves around what I’ll be doing while away (this trip will be shopping, but mainly window shopping, as I’ve exceeded this month’s shopping budget, as well as catching up with friends), so will involve a lot of walking. When it comes to clothing, interchangeable outfits are key, so I try to create an outfit for everything I’ll be doing, mixing & matching, reusing items like shoes & accessories, limiting myself to 1 or 2 pairs of shoes, and the outfits are planned around them. Just in case I find something I must buy (or several somethings, haha), I'll pop a lightweight foldaway bag in your suitcase. Okay, so thinking out loud:

Shoes: I won't be hiring a car this time, so will be relying heavily on 'Bus 11' (ie. my legs), so flat comfortable shoes are a must, maybe my Dries Van Noten patent sneaker wedges (it's obviously not flat, but the wedge makes them more 'walkeable' than other high heels), these will probably be worn on the plane, as they are the bulkiest item, which means I may get some funny looks as I take them off when I (and they) go through the airport scanner. My Marc Jacobs flats will be in my bag for a comfy back-up. Ooh, ok...I may break my 1-2 pairs of shoes rule, and add my Dries Van Noten sequinned sandals, just in case I go for a fancy dinner (plus, have yet to wear these!)

Pants/Skirts: May not be able to wear them this trip, as I still cannot fit any of my jeans/pants, except for my trusty Harem pants, and they certainly don't go with ballet flats, nor my DVN wedges, hm...this may be tricky...Instead, I will bring a cashmere/wool bubble hemmed pencil skirt by Burberry Prorsum:

(www.firstview.com)
Burberry Prorsum FW06


Dresses: Instead, I think I will focus this weekend trip on easy-to-wear dresses, which may be a first (I usually prefer separates so they can mix & match). Therefore, I will have to plan on what I will layer over & under these dresses for versatility...I think my Ilana Moses purple silk dress will be great for layering (turtleneck underneath or cardigan over it, which will be nice & relaxed when I go to the beach on Monday), and also my Vanessa Bruno black wool & silk chiffon dress and 3.1 Phillip Lim navy Rosette tank dress...

Tops: I will bring a SABA turtleneck knit I recently bought to layer under the dresses, my navy silk chiffon Claude Maus hoodie jacket (again for layering under or over the dresses), and a Marni grey marle top.

Jacket/Coat: I will be wearing my Martin Margiela military merino wool belted cardigan on the plane (so soft it feels like cashmere), long & comfortable, great for layering over dresses. For the colder evenings, I'll bring my Burberry Prorsum blue military coat on the plane too, as it'll be very cold when I land (minimum temp of 6 degrees during the next few nights!).

Bag: Haven't decided which one, but it'll have to be big, as I plan to stuff my camera and ballet flats (if opting for the DVN wedges), along with everything else...

Accessories:
Stockings (Leona Edmiston Pins Opaque in Onyx & Lead) and Leggings (again Leona Edmiston Pins in Onyx), and scarves (one silk, one cotton, one alpaca), and a Burberry patent quilted black belt.

Some shops I'll be checking out: Belinda (in the MLC Centre, in Double Bay and in Oxford St, Paddington), Akira (on Queen St., Woollahra and the Strand Arcade), Poepke, The Corner Shop, and Vanessa Bruno on William St., Paddington. Willow (Glenmore Rd, Paddington), Robby Ingham (Oxford St., Paddington & MLC Centre), Scanlan & Theodore (Oxford St), Kirrily Johnston & Lands End (Glenmore Rd), Orson & Blake and Nicola Finetti (Queen St., Woollahra), The Vintage Clothing Store (Castlereagh St), Paablo Nevada (Double Bay & Bondi), also in Double Bay: Marni, Cosmopolitan Shoes & Christensen Copenhagen...yes, a lot of walking to be done...

Ok, now what have I forgotten?

26 comments:

  1. oooh! welcome to sydney, my hometown!
    haha im a serial overpacker. i always bring way too much stuff!
    enjoy your trip and i hope you take pics of your outfits everyday, love seeing what you're wearing! hopefully youll get a chance to wear your new Dries sandals as ive been eagerly anticipating their return (haha im living vicariously through you!)

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  2. Wow, you are good! Can I have all three of those bags!!!??? Have a ball.

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  3. the burberry jacket is to die for

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  4. Love your packing list.... and those Marks and Spencer bags are fantastic! I want one of each!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  5. I love that bag!!! I want the blue one!

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  6. ive never ever had the patience to plan out shit like this.. youre inspiring me!

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  7. Sounds like a fun little getaway! I like to pack light when I know I'm going to a shopping destination :) and like you, I do a light foldaway Longchamp bag to smuggle my purchases back! And the dresses are always light to pack, and good for accessorizing. Have a wonderful time! xoxo

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  8. Lucky you, darling! Fantastic list, have a gorgeous time!

    FM~FP

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  9. Ohh...sounds nice!! I wish I could take a little trip right now too. Have a wonderful time there! xxoxoxoxo

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  10. You are a brilliant packer, I usually just throw a bunch of stuff and sort it out when I get there.

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  11. Wow, first time someone's pack is so thought through! Looks like you got it all covered ; I bet you'll look amazing!

    Florent- http://lhabitfaitledandy.com

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  12. Have a good trip! I hate packing...right now I have to pack up my whole dorm room!

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  13. That is so lucky your mom was visiting for Mother's Day :) I love those bags, particularly the blue one. It's a nice change to see something structured instead of the myriad of slouchy bags I happen to own. As for traveling, I agree that wedges are a good balance between comfort and style/height.

    Have a great weekend!

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  14. hahahaha excitement! just warning you (as i forgot to email back, ah!) that it is quite cold here in the mornings, warms up by lunch time, then resumes being freezing again in the afternoon. At least, freezing for us beach-loving sydney siders. But you've packed tights so all should be fine.

    sounds like you have something for every eventuality. you area great packer, i'm not so good, i always bring way too much, or sometimes too little of some things, like socks, and then end up having to buy more.

    XXX

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  15. i love those bags! those are adorable. have a good trip!

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  16. Those bags are so cute.=)
    And definitely you really need to wear flat shoes than heels..=) Have a great time.=)

    A Writers Den

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  17. Hehe...that's the first time I heard someone else refer to the "Number 11 Bus" other than my granny.

    Sounds like you're all prepped to go. Dresses make it easy to pack. Enjoy the trip.

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  18. both top and skirt are fabulous. have a wonderful trip! i'm sure you'll be the best dressed girl there.

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  19. I hope you have a delish time and you have circled oout some great shops to visit.
    have a gorgeous trip dear!
    muah x
    marian.

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  20. Can't wait to hear all about your Sydney shopping report Brig!

    Sharon

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  21. Querida, eu amei o seu blog! Trabalho com fotografia de Moda aqui no Brasil. Fico muito feliz em ver brasileiros fora daqui com um estilo especial. Gostaria muito de me corresponder com você! Enfim descobri seu blog pelo link no da Garancé Dore. Xoxo, Luc.

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