We had pretty perfect weather while we were exploring Paris, it was a little chilly, but for the most part the sun was shining and it was just warm enough to feel like spring. Which, after a winter of fairly intense hibernation here in D.C., was a welcome change.
When packing for any trip I always try and blend in as much as possible in whatever city I’m going to, there’s nothing I hate more than sticking out like a tourist and while it’s definitely unavoidable to a certain extent I like to at least try to fit in. Exploring Paris was no different, and with skinny jeans, blazers and stripes being a sort of uniform in Paris it was quite easy to pack.
We spent the first day exploring the area around our hotel. We hit a local market to pick up breakfast and stopped at one of the hundreds of adorable cafes in the city. Seriously, every time we rounded a corner there was another, seemingly cuter spot, one of my favorite parts of the trip was sitting outside of a cafe enjoying an espresso or cappuccino, or a spritz if it was later in the day. Everything seems to slow down when you’re sitting at those side walk cafes. I always love exploring less touristy areas of a new city and this neighborhood was the perfect way to do that, walking around I got the feeling that we were some of the only tourists in the market, which made it feel much more authentic.
After a morning of wandering around the hotel we headed off to Rue Cremieux, the famous street tucked in the middle of Paris full of the most colorful houses and doors. There, we met up with a family friend and headed off to lunch by one of the most ornate train stations I’ve ever seen, I unfortunately didn’t take any pictures as we were enjoying catching up over an incredible cheese board and possibly the best escargot I’ve ever eaten.
I knew we’d be spending most of the trip like this, wandering around and exploring the city, which always means a lot of walking, I think we clocked about 20,000 steps a day. My feet are still tired. Because of that, I wanted to wear things that were comfortable but still put together, if I’m not going to have time to go home and change, I try and put together looks that can easily go from a casual cafe breakfast to a more dressed up dinner. They key for any travel outfit, whether you’re going to be in Paris or elsewhere, is layers. It’s especially important this time of year since temperature swings are quite common, throwing a lightweight jacket or blazer over a cute top will keep you warm for chilly mornings and evenings but still allow you to enjoy the warmer temps throughout the day. Bonus points if your jacket is waterproof, I hate wearing rain coat while exploring new cities, but my trench and field jacket were both life savers during the drizzly morning we were at the Louvre and Palais Royal.
I wore a variation of this outfit pretty much the entire trip, it was the perfect combination comfy and stylish. Perhaps the most important part of any travel outfit is a comfortable pair of shoes! If you’ve been following for a while you probably know I have a thing for loafers, they are my go to shoe for any occasion. I wore my new Thelma loafers for most of this trip and they were absolutely perfect!
I’ll be sharing a more detailed look into what we did while we were over there in the next few days, but for now I’ll say that the highlights for me were exploring the grounds of the Louvre and Palais Royal early in the morning before anyone else had arrived, and visiting the Eiffel Tower at sunrise, but honestly the entire trip was a dream. It’s been 10 years since my last trip to Paris and for some reason I was reluctant to return, but after this trip I have a feeling I’ll be back soon.
