As an add on to my post about my packing list and considerations, here are my 10 Europe clothing essentials for studying abroad. These are examples of how I wore and used pieces of clothing differently. I carefully planned my packing list before leaving, making sure each top and bottom could pair with at least 3 other pieces. Once I arrived I realized some of the pieces I didn’t need, while others were more useful and handy than I predicted. These pieces are ones I would bring again in a heartbeat.

The Chambray Shirt

It worked great riding camels in the Moroccan desert, thrown over a dress for a new outfit in Munich, as a collar under a sweater in London, or thrown over a dress and left unbuttoned in Paris. It was light and airy, but still worked as an extra layer in the cold.

Red Midi Skirt

I am so glad I brought this skirt along. I didn’t wear it as much as I imagined I would. But it worked perfectly while exploring Morocco while respecting the culture, and I felt extra chic while wearing it with a striped shirt in Paris.

White Flouncy Shirt

Besides wearing this in Morocco, this shirt ended up being nice and versatile. It was so airy it was perfect to wear with the hot Southern Spain weather in Córdoba, easy to tuck into a skirt while in Füssen Germany, and great for a night of dancing in the discotecas in Vigo.

Collared Take Shirts

I brought two of these, a pink floral one and a white one. They are such versatile pieces, easy to layer under layers because they don’t have sleeves. They were perfect in the summer weather in Marseille France, or easily worn under a sweater in Amsterdam, or a jacket in Brussels without causing bulky arms.

Black Sweater

My biggest piece of advice is to bring as many neutral pieces that you can. You can wear them with anything. I wore this sweater out I had to throw it away when I returned home, which was so sad. It’s pictured up above with the chambray shirt while in London, but I also wore it while touring the Guggenheim art museum in Bilbao Spain, while on a hike over a t-shirt in Northern Spain, and it also kept me warm during my time in Dublin.

Striped Shirt

The classic striped shirt should be on everyone’s packing list for Europe. There are multiple variations with size of stripes and colors, but it’s instantly classy. This bought this black and white shirt while in Barcelona Spain, one of the few clothing purchases during my time abroad. I had about five weeks of travel left and I had just thrown away my shirts that had gotten old when I found this one. It ended up being perfect and is still one of my favorite shirts to wear now. Like pictured above and below, I loved this shirt paired with the red skirt while in Paris. It became my go-to shirt to throw on, and was perfect for a day out in Bavaria Germany, which included horseback riding and going to the lake.

High Waisted Shorts

Oh I ended up wearing these shorts all the time. Normally I wore them over tights, which was perfect for the weather most of the time. Below, I wore them over tights while exploring a castle in the Check Republic.

Tights

Tights were one of the most useful things I brought with me. I brought 3 pairs; black, maroon, and black floral. They could be worn under skirts and dresses, as well as shorts, which is how I normally wore them.  They’re also a cheap, and easy-to-pack way to add more variety to your outfits. Plus, if you wear them so much you cause holes to form, new pairs can easily be found all over. Below I wore them while exploring an old fortress in Vigo, running around Brussels, and while touring Edinburgh.

Scarves

Scarves are just like tights: light and easy to pack, versatile, and great to switch up an outfit. I brought three with me: a heavy knit scarf, a thick maroon scarf, and a light yellow one. The knit and maroon scarves were perfect during the cold, rainy, winter months like when we traveled to Porto. I brought the yellow scarf during a lot of my trips, such as the trip to Edinburgh, and the bottom picture while in Italy. I would tie it to my purse while traveling through warm places like Southern France and Italy before throwing it over my uncovered shoulders when we wanted to see the inside of a cathedral.

Coats

And last, but possibly the most important is coats. I loved the trench coat I brought with, it could be worn with everything. Unfortunately, during my first few months in Vigo, when it was constantly raining, I wish I had a coat that was heavier. The light trench was perfect throughout the spring and early summer, before it was too warm. It was light enough to block the slight breeze while not overheating me, but heavy enough to help keep me at least slightly warm in the winter. An extra tip: bring a rain coat, mine served me very well. While visiting a friend in Prague, I borrowed my friend’s blue trench, which helped switch up my outfits a bit more.

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