France-y that!
We will be travelling around France and the Basque Country and having been to France a few times, I am always struck by how effortless people look, so of course there’s that added pressure.
Stylish French people are not a myth, I’ve seen them! It’s actually not that difficult to master this laid back style; just keep everything quite simple and don’t overthink it, which is easier said than done when you overthink everything, but linens, neutrals with a little pop of colour, and classic accessories are all you need.
Top of my list of items that I’ll be bringing is some linen short and shirt co-ords. We all know the drill here as I’ve been banging on about these all the time, but they are invaluable to chic holiday packing and French girl style. Perfect for over swimwear in the day with a simple flip flop for lounging by the pool or at the beach, but pop on a kitten heel and some jewellery for the evening time. All you need is a straw bag to complete the look that can take you from beach to bar in moments.
You also can’t go wrong with a white or cream midi skirt. I bought one maybe two years ago or more in H&M and it’s a summer staple of mine. Style it the French way with a tank top and flat sandal and that is about all you need.
The skirt is such a stylish yet understated piece that the less you do styling wise the better. You can mix and match it throughout your holiday as it would also look great with a breezy oversized shirt and add that little pop of colour with a woven red shoe. No need to overpack on accessories either which is music to my ears as I dislike packing a lot of accessories and in the heat I prefer to have very little jewellery on.
A simple gold bangle will suffice or add a little bit of colour and fun with a colourful beaded necklace. It will add a bit of personality to your look and doesn’t require layering. Head to Mama is a Dreamer, a Cork based jewellery brand for super fun beaded pieces. This means you’ll have more room in your case for a couple of holiday purchases.
I also went to a fab mid-week event to launch Elevate Fit Fest which will be taking place in Tipperary in September, and we were treated to a barre pilates class by my favourite pilates teacher, Barre by Emma. I love an event that features exercise as you only need to don your nicest workout gear. However, I did need to freshen up my workout wardrobe as it was looking a bit shoddy. I’ve been finding that Dunnes Stores are great if you’re looking for good shorts to work out in and I’ve been hitting up Penneys for really supportive tops in a range of easy to wear neutrals. I’ve got the gear so now I just need to hit the gym.