Building your Winter holiday travel wardrobe
The weather is pretty chilly Down Under. And while a lucky few are lapping up the sunshine on European beaches (yes, we're jealous!) most of us are taking short sojourns closer to home. Given that the past couple of years have provided few travel opportunities - during lockdown, a move from the couch to the kitchen table felt extravagant - you'd be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed by having to plan a week's outfits ahead of time.
To help you out, the LükBook team has assembled our pick of cold-weather essentials to have you looking fine as the mercury drops. This number of pieces would have you covered for one-two weeks, providing you’re open to some outfit repeating.
The true workhorse of your holiday wardrobe, your picks for pants should first and foremost be practical - you don't want a waistband digging in, or short cuffs that leave your ankles exposed to the elements. But, this doesn't mean you can't have a little fun!
Our top picks: a pair of looser, boyfriend style jeans to carry you through long days of sightseeing; a pair of supremely comfortable black pants that can take you from day to night by changing your top and accessories; and a fun pop of colour to brighten up even the chilliest of days.
They don't take up too much precious room in your suitcase, so here's where you can cut loose and have fun with different colours and styles! We recommend starting with some neutral hues - black/ white/ navy/ beige - and then selecting a couple of pops of your favourite hues.
Our main tip: lean into lightweight tops. You can always add layers with a chic jacket or coat (see below), but there's nothing worse than sweating it out in an overly heated restaurant and having no layers you can remove!
We get it, a holiday can seem like the perfect opportunity to crack out the incredible silk dress you've been wistfully staring at in your closet for the past six months, but that's a hard pass from us. When selecting dresses to take on holiday, keep in mind that they will be taking up a significant amount of space, so they should first and foremost be adaptable and not subject to creasing.
Case in point: our top picks are both crafted from high quality, luxe stretch fabrics, making them warm and crease-proof. Even better, they are true wardrobe chameleons, which you can take from a day of shopping to a night on the town with a simple change of shoes and bag.
Absolutely essential for obvious reasons, a good selection of outwear will have you set to brave the elements. We have strategically selected these pieces for maximum functionality.
Firstly, the puffer jacket is a travel wardrobe MVP - it not only rolls up incredibly small in your suitcase, but is water resistant and supremely warm - perfect for snow or rain. Secondly, the wool trench provides a chic, polished look that can also be dressed down with jeans and a white top. And finally, the long sleeve top is the perfect solution for those inexplicably warm days, when the first two options have you feeling a little hot under the collar.
As you will have picked up on, all of the items gracing your travel wardrobe should have the ability to be styled in a variety of ways. For this reason, we recommend a loungewear set, which can do double duty as pyjamas and makeshift thermals - they're also pretty cute worn as separates!
A neutral toned scarf is a must, as is a water resistant handbag. The Le Pliage tote has long been our favourite as it is also exceptionally light and has a zip top, so no losing your belongings if it falls over on the floor of the plane/ taxi/ bus.
Bon voyage!