So...I'm just back from a grown-up mini break to France with the DH! Five days of golf and cricket for the boys..... a spot of spectating for the girls. There was plenty of wine tasting over a leisurely lunch or two ;0) We did enjoy a day of sightseeing around St Emilion and a vineyard stop to finish our trip off. To round off our fab few days there was a gala dinner on the last evening. As lovely as this all sounds and as much as I was looking forward to it.....it gave me nightmares of the packing variety!! Mainly because I had no idea what to expect....the weather forecast looked decidedly iffy and this trip called for smarter stuff than I would normally wear on to a day to day basis! It sent me into a spin I tell thee!

We decided on carry-on luggage only so space was tight....but I do love a packing challenge so here's what I packed. I tried to keep to a rule of three of each thing, but ended up with 5 dresses and 4 tops. I found footwear the trickiest as there was some rain forecast (though it never materialised).
I'll start with the jackets, because of the aforementioned rain I decided on my DKNY leather biker jacket to wear to the airport. I also took a recent purchase, this
Mango red jacket and my cherished Zara quilted jacket. I did wear all the jackets but unfortunately there is no pictorial evidence! These are the only colourful items to make the cut....more on that in a minute!
Zara quilted jacket, past season this alternative is gorgeous
here
DKNY leather jacket, past season similar
here
For me, the key to easy packing is keeping the colour palette minimal.....so be warned there is a lot of black here. Well......it's good enough for those Parisian chicks isn't it! ;0)
I took a couple of smart dresses for evening attire. I took two because I just couldn't decide what to wear for the gala dinner.......and I was secretly hoping the opportunity would arise to wear both at some stage! That said, once we got there I made up my mind the Zara midi was just a bit too much for the event once we got there.
Topshop Daisy dress, similar
here
For daywear I went for one short sleeved dress, which was perfect for the cricket match as luckily that fell on the best day of sunshine. I also took one with a bit of a sleeve and a maxi, the latter two could easily be worn for dinner. Phew, I managed to cover all the bases here!
Whistles black cotton dress, ancient similar
here
H&M black jersey maxi dress, similar
here
As for tops, I went for things that would double up as day or evening wear. I bought a lace bell-sleeve top in the sale in H&M which turned out to be perfect for a welcome meal and wine tasting. I had also purchase a lace-insert cami from H&M which was just right under the Mango red jacket and jeans for a more laid back evening look. The Mango peasant top was great with my Zara ripped jeans for a leisurely lunch on one of the days. The Dorothy Perkins shell top was spot on for travelling both ways. If there was anything missing here it was my Zara black v-neck t-shirt as it would have been another option but I managed without it!
Dorothy Perkins top,
here
Mango top, past season similar
here
Bottoms! The Uniqlo (extremely comfy) wide pants to travel in and blue and black skinnies.
Zara jeans, past season similar
here
This little gem comes on every trip with me as it's perfect as an extra layer under a jacket if it's chilly.
Whistles cashmere blend cardigan, ancient similar
here
The headache bit here....shoes!! I'm didn't want to go for a towering heel and it was just as well I didn't! We were staying at a golf resort and there were a lot of gravel pathways and uneven terrain. Fortunately Kurt Geiger Kads with their more manageable block heel and were perfect for the dressier evening events. To travel in I wore my Kurt Geiger Madison espadrilles, these turned out to be brilliant for walking around St Emilion which is very hilly! The New Look Chanel dupes broke up one of the all black outfits and the Topshop tan sandals also came out to play on the sunnier days. As it turned out I made exactly the right choices here!
Carvela/Kurt Geiger Kad sandals, past season similar
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Carvela/Kurt Geiger Madison espadrille similar
here
New Look two tone pump, sold out similar
here
Topshop tan sandal, sold out similar
here
Bag-wise. The Longchamp bag is super light is great for toting stuff around and it came in handy for sightseeing! The Mango bag was a present from the DH from a recent business trip (he is good isn't he!) and being suede it was great for day or evening.
Longchamp Le Pliage bag
here
All that's left to share now is the accessories. I picked up both scarves in Primark for £2 each, one is oversized so I thought another handy little extra layer for a chilly day/evening. The straw hat was just in case the sun came out to play.
Primark scarves instore
Topshop tan belt, ancient similar
here
Gap black belt, similar
here
Dorothy Perkins top,
here
Carvela/Kurt Geiger Madison espadrille similar
here
DKNY leather jacket, past season similar
here
Primark scarf, instore
New Look two tone pump, sold out similar
here
Mango top, past season similar
here
Zara jeans, past season similar
here
Topshop tan sandal, sold out similar
here
DKNY leather jacket, past season similar
here
Dorothy Perkins top,
here
Carvela/Kurt Geiger Madison espadrille similar
here
Longchamp Le Pliage bag
here
Whistles black cotton dress, ancient similar
here
Topshop tan sandal, sold out similar
here
H&M black jersey maxi dress, similar
here
Topshop tan sandal, sold out similar
here
Topshop tan belt, ancient similar
here
Topshop Daisy dress, similar
here
Carvela/Kurt Geiger Kad sandals, past season similar
here
DKNY leather jacket, past season similar
here
All-in-all I was happy with what I'd packed. It all mixed and matched and the accessories were great for ringing the changes. Had there been promise of some better weather I might have added a bit more colour but I played it safe with the black.
How would you tackle your holiday capsule packing.....I would love to hear!
Now this little break is out of the way the high summer wardrobe planning is underway! I'll be back soon with gorgeous holiday clothing I've spotted today.