Staples to Pack for a Winter Paris Trip

As I started to put together this post to showcase the looks I wore in Paris, I realized that a few outfit essentials were the real MVP’s of my trip. Unlike other trips I’ve taken in warmer months where I go through a million different looks (such as this trip to Bora Bora), my sister and I were fully bundled from head to toe the entire trip in almost the same pieces every single day. For those of you traveling to Europe in the winter or if you’re planning to travel to another big city with a similar climate, today, I’m rounding up my most worn pieces during our winter Paris adventure.

Wool Jacket & Chunky Sweater Combo

The most-worn pieces in my suitcase throughout our Paris trip were my long gray wool jacket and this chunky white cardigan. To help make this cardigan extra versatile throughout the trip, I wore it both forwards and backwards depending on the day. I happen to love it equally with the bottoms worn in the back (pictured above).

I paired these two pieces with my favorite denim which I also wore on repeat throughout my trip, along with a cozy knit hat and samba sneakers. I wore these sambas almost every day because once I broke them in, they became nice and comfy to walk around in.

I would layer a different t-shirt or button-down under my sweater each day, and sometimes I’d sub the sweater out for another comfy knit. But since my chunky cardi/wool jacket combo felt the warmest in Paris’ 25 degree weather, I kept coming back to these pieces.

Black Wool Coat

Since my sister was my travel partner, we were lucky because we could swap wool jackets whenever we wanted a change (without having to overstuff our suitcases with another coat apiece). Likewise, you’ll see below that I also wore her black wool coat a few times throughout the trip and whenever I wore it, I rotated often subbed in an all black pieces: ie: a black sweater, tailored shorts, fleece-lined tights, etc. After all, you can’t go wrong wearing all black everything in Paris—it’s one of the chicest combos there is (at least in my opinion!).

For extra warmth, I’d often layer my cardigan back over the whole outfit (with buttons facing forward this time!) or I’d add a chic neutral blazer (as seen below). And to be fair, even the fleece leggings below only worked for short periods of time because it was SO cold. So, I’d highly recommend always wearing pants over your tights and only taking them off for photo opps if you visit Paris during the winter.

All in all, if you’re planning a trip to Paris this winter and you pack similar items to the necessities above (a chunky sweater, t-shirts to layer, comfy sneakers, and a long, chic wool jacket, anything else you add to your suitcase will be icing on the cake! As always, thanks for stopping by!

xx, Arielle