Fashion Forum

European style is more about knowing how to put things together than having a ton of high-fashion pieces.  If your planning a holiday tour to more than one country, keeping your wardrobe simple is the key to packing efficiently and dressing comfortably.“Fashion-wise, you may be surprised at the differences among countries,” says Barbara Des Champs, author of It’s in the Bag: The Complete Guide to Lightweight Travel and It’s in the Bag: Your Custom Business and Travel Wardrobe. “For example, businesswomen in France and Italy are more likely to wear avant-garde designs while those in the Netherlands keep a lower profile.”

“I try to pack a lot of thin items so my luggage is light, AND I can take them off or put them on depending on how cold I am,” advises Annemarie Dooling, owner of the popular travel blog FrillSeekerDiary.com. “So for a trip to two different countries with two different climates, packing for layers works well.”

“In Eastern Europe they tend to dress a little bit warmer [than in Western Europe] with thicker parkas and coats and lots of hats,” says Dooling.  She, like many others, suggests focusing on simple, layerable pieces.

If your traveling farther up north to a place like Ireland, heed native Proinsias Fachtna’s advice: “More important than dressing for rain is being prepared for winter gales of nearly horizontal sheets of rain, which can subside as quickly as they attack.”

Weather in Europe

Most of the continent is pretty mild due to winds that blow from the Atlantic Ocean.  Eastern and Northern Europe, in general, experience longer and much colder winters than the South and West because of their distance from this phenomenon.  Places like Norway experience snow and ice, but coastal Norway is much like the rest of Europe.  Huge gales whip around most of the northern UK.

Eastern Europe’s harshest part of winter generally occurs between November and February, including heavy snowfall – but not enough to keep locals and tourists alike from enjoying the plethora of holiday markets, festivals, nightlife, and winter sports.

You will likely experience the “urban heat island effect,” in which temperatures within major cities are a few degrees higher due to the density of clustered buildings, people, vehicles, and pollution generally found in those areas.

Average Temperatures in Major European Cities

London | High 7° C (45° F), Low 2° C (36° F) – Gray but not as rainy as always believed.

Paris| High 6° C (43° F), Low 1° C (34° F) – Occasional snowfall.

Berlin | High 2° C (36° F), Low -3° C (27° F) - Windy, cold, gray.

Barcelona | High 13° C (55° F), Low 4° C (39° F) – Temperamental weather.  Sunny, warmer days interspersed with colder rainy days.  Generally mild.

Rome | High 13° C (55° F), Low 4° C (39° F) – Cool and rainy. Sunnier than in most of Europe.

Amsterdam | High 6° C (43° F), Low 1° C (34° F) – Frequent, light showers December to February.

Prague | High 2° C (36° F), Low -4° C (25° F) – Frequent snowfall, very cold.

Helsinki | High -2° C (28° F), Low -8° C (17° F) – Very cold and somewhat gloomy. Frequent snowfall.

Istanbul | High 10° C (50° F), Low 5° C (41° F) – Possible snowfall and can be below freezing on more than one occasion.

What to Wear in Europe

No doubt if you are doing a whirlwind trip to Europe you are on the go, go, go.  Your wardrobe should definitely reflect that.  The key is to find pieces that you can wear over and over again through creative layering and that will go with any other piece in your wardrobe. (Check out our post on how to stick to a color palette when you pack.)  Pieces that you can also easily launder during an extended trip are good. Anything you have to dry-clean or iron will only add unnecessary work to your trip.

Basic Pieces

A couple pairs of leggings; a medium-weight knit scarf that goes with everything; mid-calf boots that you can wear over leggings, under skirts with tights, and over or under jeans; thin knit tops to layer (solid tanks, short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees); skinny jeans; a pair of cords or knit pants; a medium-weight jacket, one with a removable lining, that you can wear both touring and to a nice dinner; a medium-weight sweater dress; and, of course, a chic pair of comfortable flats in a go-with-all color like a metallic pewter or muted bronze.  Also, suggests Dooling if you’re going to walk around a lot, bring an extra pair of socks in your travel sack. You never know when you will end up in a puddle and need a change of socks.

“A great, versatile coat that does double duty is certainly a must have,” suggests style expert Amy Gordon of ArtfulWears.com. “The Rosie Ruched Collar Coat and the Funnel Neck Long Coat by XCVI are both great medium weight pieces that can also be worn with leggings as a dress. Or throw them over something like jeans and a tee. They are comfortable for long travel as well. Both of these pieces are very fashionable yet casual.”

Young also gives the following advice: “Splurge on something fun and fabulous for outwear.  Belted coats and jackets are form-flattering and give every woman a better outline, but even rather formless bulky coats can look great with flashy boots and thin legs in fun tights.  Don’t try to go cheap on this piece of your winterwear.”

Keep your jewelry simple and versatile.  A pair of hoops in both silver and gold, bangles, a watch, your favorite rings, and simple necklaces are all you will need for any occasion.

Color

“I was in Paris in winter not long ago and in a moment of epiphany realized I was the only person in the crowd not wearing black,” recounts Baltimore native Alexander Seinfeld. “It was a real eye-opener.  If you’re going to be in the city (Paris, London, Berlin), wear black.  It’s the one fashion you can count on…a scarf is the one cold-weather fashion essential that can be any color.”

“For most outdoor wear, Europeans are conservative in the patterns and colors they wear,” says Fran Young, an American currently touring in Europe. “Save the flashy prints for accessories and stick to the classics like olive, abergine, cocoa, and rich blue instead.”

Under where?

Don’t forget to wear something comfortable for all those long tour days.  Try, for example, a pair of Flingz, cotton, breathable yet non-binding thongs that don’t dig in or leave panty lines under tight clothes.  Better yet, they are made of environmentally-friendly cotton and are fast-drying.

Business

For the business traveler, suits are a must.  Knee-high skirts are preferable, according to Kamran Masoury, co-collaborator of the clothing line F. Nebuloni.

“Women usually accessorize according to age, i.e. one should not wear multi-layered pearl necklaces at a business meeting if she is 25 and holds a junior business position. It looks very silly over there!”

London – Dover Street Market – Straight from creator Rei Kawakubo:  ”I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.”

UK, Denmark, Iceland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia – Top Shop – You won’t NOT be able to find this celebrated shop with over 300 in the UK and 100 more around the world.  Bring home something you might not find back home.  Their private label is called Unique and Kate Moss has a collection there.  ’Nuff said.

All over Europe – H&M – Who doesn’t love this place?  Whether you have one back home or not, be sure to check out what other countries’ have in stock as buys vary from place to place.  Quintessetial European fashion at a fabulously affordable price.

VisitEurope.com – Summaries on each country, trip planners, Europe travel tips – basically everything you need to help plan your next Euro vacay.

RailEurope.com – A great idea to plan cross-country train travel ahead, but you may find it cheaper to wait until you get to that country or at the station to make your purchase.

Let’s Go Europe – The online resource for the famed student / budget travelers’ guide series.  Anecdotes, advice, and reviews of countries from real travelers are superhelpful.