I Spent 4 Days in Paris—Here's Everything I Packed and Wore
The last time I visited Paris, I was a 20-year-old, body-con-clad student and ended up losing my Blackberry on a night out, only to find it underneath my hostel bed the next day hidden amongst the empty bottles of €3 wine my friends and I had enjoyed. Now, as a 33-year-old woman whose tastes have somewhat matured (for the most part, anyway—I’m still partial to cheap wine), when I decided to head to the City of Lights for a long weekend this past summer, I was keen to overwrite my previous Parisian experience. How did I plan on going about this? By having as chic a time as possible.
Maxine wears a white cotton minidress from Rixo.
We booked fancy restaurants (I recommend Pink Mamma), made shortlists of the best bars (some of which were world-renowned), and, in the ultimate bougie move, I treated myself to travel miniatures of all my favourite beauty products. The last thing I needed to sort? My outfits.
Being based in Edinburgh but regularly travelling to London for work, I’ve become something of an expert at packing a carry-on suitcase and maximising the space inside it. So I was confident I’d be able to fit in an edit of elevated outfits to wear for each day on my four-day trip. The forecast predicted sunshine and very pleasant temperatures, so I didn’t have to concern myself with chunky layers and knitwear. An umbrella was the only reinforcement I packed—one that I didn’t end up needing. This allowed me to pack more footwear options I’d ordinarily take with me on a city break—something I was keen to do so as to not compromise on the intended aesthetic of each outfit.
Maxine wears a beige waistcoat-and-trouser set from ASOS.
Most of our plans meant that once we left our hotel in the morning, we wouldn’t be back until it was time to go to bed. As such, my outfits had to work for almost every eventuality: gallery touring, metro hopping and crêpe eating all the way through to cocktail sipping. Though I stuck to flat shoes, my outfits felt elevated enough to continue wearing after dark, which meant I didn’t feel the need or want to pack two looks for each day.
Now, with Paris city break bookings at record highs (and especially with the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place this summer), I thought it might be useful to show you what I packed for my own Channel-hop. Below, I’ve outlined in outfit-build form the looks I chose for my trip, which should give you an idea of how I mixed and matched certain pieces and re-wore others. While my attire might be best suited to warm weather, I'm sure there's plenty of inspiration you can reap from them; even if it means switching out sandals in favour of ankle boots until the temperature rises and keeping a lightweight coat handy.
Regardless, consider the below your guide on what to wear in Paris when you’ve got a limited carry-on working against you.
1. Travel Outfit
Style Notes: I might be one of the only people who find travelling in jeans comfortable. I always look for styles with stretch to make sitting in them for prolonged periods less of a thought, but for an under-two-hour flight, they’re my go-to. I wore them with a blazer in a hue that I knew would work with the rest of my outfits if I needed an extra layer as well as a perfectly weighted Breton stripe top from Warehouse. I also wore this exact outfit on the last day before heading home, so it actually got two wears.
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Agolde jeans are an influencer and editor favourite—I love the faded wash on this pair.
For all of my in-flight essentials.
2. First-Day Outfit
Style Notes: I knew the temperature was going to be soaring on my first day in Paris, so I packed accordingly. This dress arrived the day before we left, and I’m so glad it did. It’s a little on the big side, so I’d recommend sizing down. Finished with tan accessories and my pride and joy, my new Loewe tote, this just might be my new favourite summer outfit.
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I always end up losing or breaking my sunglasses, so I tend to opt for frugal pairs. These, however, look anything but cheap.
I’ve had my tan Zara sliders for over four years now, but don’t worry—the brand reissues them every summer.
3. Second-Day Outfit
Style Notes: I’m all about easy outfit solutions, and when I don’t fancy wearing a dress (which, admittedly, is pretty seldom), jumpsuits are my next port of call. I’d had my eye on this Whistles number for a while, and it was ideal for clocking up my step count on day two, as it’s so unrestricting to move in. I was able to take my blazer for another spin, and instead of wearing my tan sandals for a second day in a row, I switched over to cream.
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This was small enough to stash in my hand luggage. I used it to house things like my charger and jewellery.
4. Third-Day Outfit
Style Notes: I’ve always been a fan of the waistcoat trend that’s suddenly everywhere once again, but one thing my wardrobe was lacking was a matching waistcoat-and-trouser set. The co-ord I’m photographed in above is from ASOS but has consequently sold out since I bought it a few months ago. If I were to invest in another, it would be this expensive-looking pairing from Mango. I decided to go for a monochromatic look with cream sandals and my Loewe bag.
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I always have my trousers tailored so that they end up sitting on the ankle.
I still have to pinch myself that I own this.
I usually get blisters with new sandals, but these were incredibly comfortable from the word go. The soles are also slightly padded, which makes them ideal for walking around the city in.
5. Night-Out Outfit
Style Notes: My plan was to wear whatever I’d worn during the day for nighttime too, but this silk dress from Réalisation took up next to no room in my luggage, so I thought I’d take it just in case. I ended up wearing it for the evening on the day I wore my jumpsuit but only because the restaurant we’d booked was a stone’s throw from the hotel we were staying in. Sticking with the shoes as I wore earlier in the day, one thing I did add was some extra gold jewellery for after-dark appeal.
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I don’t know what it is about these sandals, but they have the power to make every outfit you wear with them look cooler.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.
Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.
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