If you’re beating the winter blues by jetting off to warmer climes or simply planning a weekend away in a foreign city, make sure you’re dressed for the occasion with these top five fashion travel tips.
- Buy a passport wallet. There’s no point making an effort with your outfit only to dig out a dog-eared, creased passport as soon as you get to customs. A passport wallet will give you an air of the well-travelled while a bright design will make your passport easier to find when rooting around in your bag in the queue. There are some great leather designs around to protect your passport, some of which also feature extra sleeves for your cards and travel documents.
- Don’t forget your umbrella! Most of Northern Europe is likely to be at risk of rain (or snow!) in January and February and even southern climes can experience changeable conditions. Fortunately, an umbrella can be an asset to your ensemble – try a strong, wooden-handled, walking-length umbrella with polka dots or lace for a timelessly sophisticated look.
- Take the right bag. There’s nothing more embarrassing than the inevitable argument with the check-in crew as you try to squeeze your enormous holdall (“It will fit, honest!”) into the measuring bins in the departure lounge. Most retailers provide measurements for their products and some ranges feature bags specially tailored to the standard dimensions for carry-on luggage.
- Use hotel shampoo. Not only will it save you precious luggage space, cheap shampoo can actually be good for your hair. Hotel shampoos often contain foaming agents which can dry out oily winter hair, leaving your locks with more body and shine.
- Go for flats. Unless you’re very accustomed to big heels, teetering round an airport on the first day of your holiday is more likely to bring you blisters than beauty. Flat or low-heeled ankle and calf-high boots are perfect for navigating Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and are versatile both for UK winter weather and a bit of early spring sun abroad.
