Packing for a Year in France
One carry-on, one checked bag, and one backpack, c'est tout! Here's what I packed for my year abroad in France:
Packing my bags was an exciting process for me because this is my first year without uniform since I was eight years old, and my style has changed quite a bit since then🤓. But how to condense all of my favorite clothing pieces plus new items into a checked bag under 50 pounds and a carry-on under 25? It was a struggle until the very morning of my departure. But let me give you the rundown!
Before we begin, let's talk about my style before my arrival in France. My style was very “California girl” with LOTS of athleisure. So the opposite of Parisian flair…I knew that I wanted to throw that style out of the window, I’ll return to it next year😉. This year I want chic, I want classy, I want to be a posh little Parisian serving the streets of France. So I left my favorite Aviator Nation sweatset at home, and shopped with my mom, aka the queen of styling people. We did a lot of damage at Aritzia… Aritzia is the perfect casual yet classy store for a sophisticated and mature look, while still fitting in the teen age demographic. I love their simple yet timeless basics which are easy to style with a limited wardrobe.
My study abroad program gave me a general packing list which I mostly followed. They highly advised to under pack, and I TOTALLY stand by that! If you’re studying abroad in a mid or large-sized city, you will find what you need there, and it may be worth it to buy the item in your new country versus paying the price for overweight luggage.
So here’s the gist of what what’s in my luggage:
-BASICS: one simple tank top, t-shirt, and long sleeve in both black and white; cashmere top and sweater for winter
-two graphic tees for when I want to spice things up
-JEANS: one charcoal, one light wash, one dark wash; two pairs of demin shorts (not really needed for Northern France but just in case)
-trousers and black leather pants from Aritzia (for days I want to look business casual😎)
-black blazer from Aritzia (perfect to dress up or dress down an outfit)
-two maxi slip dresses and one short formal dress
-one casual maxi skirt
-raincoat with a built in puffer
Did you think I forgot about shoes? Here you go!
-rubber Birkenstocks
-Converse ALL STAR Lugged Baskets
-low top Golden Goose
-Doc Marten boots
-nude Steve Madden heels (not necessary)
I recommend that you limit your shoes since they weigh your luggage down so much😒. And FIND COMFORTABLE SHOES! If you are buying new shoes, make sure you break them in before your trip, that’s what I did with my new platform Converse and now they fit great and are blister-free on my feet.
Now I knew that my checked bag had to be under 50 pounds (which was already stressful enough), but I didn’t know that my carry on had to be under 25 until the day before my flight😧. So make sure you check your airline in advance to see if carry ons have a weight limit too🤗. Because I was not aware of this rule, there were a few items I had to send back with my mom in the airport, such as my robe and extra shirts. I’m glad I did because it freed so much space! Just remember, if you’re not in a remote location, amazon can save you. Don’t pack your full shampoo and conditioner bottles or your hair dryer!
But some items to keep in mind that are not so general:
-outlet adapter/converters for your new country
-cash for your new country
-raincoat and weather specific clothing
-SIM card if needed
I hope my packing list helps you if you are studying abroad soon! If you have any packing recs for me, please forward them over pour moi!
