Wardrobe Essentials for Summer Trips to Europe
If you're taking a trip to Europe this summer, don't forget to pack your most fashionable wardrobe essentials. Europe is more than just the home of some of the world’s most gorgeous cities and landmarks. There's more to Europe than just Paris or the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Europe is also home to some of the most fashionable people in the world, which makes it a little intimidating to walk amongst them while traveling. Most people have a limited amount of space when it comes to packing, so you need to think and pack strategically, especially when traveling in Europe. It's important that you know what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable because not only do you not want to offend anyone but you don't want to stand out as a tourist either.
While every area is different, there are a few general rules to keep in mind while traveling through Europe in the summer. The biggest give away that you are foreign is sweatpants. Europeans, especially in Spain and France, do not wear sweatpants unless they are going to the gym, and even then they won't be caught dead wearing them through the streets like you are likely to see in America. While the younger generation is getting into the hipster movement, most young adults and adults dress to impress. It doesn't matter where they are going, whether to the grocery store or out at night to get a drink with your friends. Europeans are very clothing conscious and will not hesitate to show their disdain for someone who looks sloppy. That doesn't mean you need to pack a million different things to constantly look put together. Bring things that layer well and can be mixed and matched to create new outfits.
If traveling to the UK, bright colors aren't nearly as popular as they are in America, so keep that in mind when putting together your wardrobe. They love chic clothing and accessories in neutral colors. A colorful accent here and there isn't bad but if you don't want to draw too much attention to yourself, you should stick with the grays, blacks, browns, and whites.
When traveling to some of the Mediterranean islands, bring a maxi dress or clothing made from linen or thin cotton. You won't believe what a difference it will make. Europe, especially southern Europe, gets extremely warm and you want to be comfortable. If you aren't dressed appropriately, you will be sweating before you've even walked three steps.
Although some nightclubs may allow it, most won't let you enter a high-end club with jeans or sneakers. Europeans are all about footwear, even the men. For the guys, that means you should bring a nice pair of slacks or khakis and a pair of dress shoes. Women, you have it easy. Dresses are perfectly acceptable or even a nice pair of pants. Europeans are known for matching their shoes with their outfits exactly, but if you aren't able to do that due to the limited amount of clothing you can bring, wear a pair that goes with mostly everything so that you won't have a problem pairing them with an outfit.
