Start Packing: See You Soon Venice

This time next week I will be waving from Venice.

Excited? Overwhelmingly.

The whole family are taking our holiday break in Venice and setting Christmas up at the Palazzo Papadopoli. This hotel, Aman Venice, is one of my most loved destinations.

I don’t repeat travel very often – a handful of cities, a few familiar hotels – but Palazzo Papadopoli is up there. Venice in the winter, luminous and mercurial, is one of my top three cities. I’m excited to show our gang, some have never been and for them to feel the magic. It’s that first Venetian sighting as you speed across the lagoon and enter the Grand Canal that tears me up. Poetry in motion.

The hotel is a beautiful mix of grand and intimate – I am spoilt I have been there several times  – so I am starting to think about what to wear. There are the daytime practicalities to work out – Venice means walking, walking and more walking and then there is the opportunity for a little glamour in the evenings.

Traditionally, I am a new-dress-for-the-holidays-kind-of-girl. Why break tradition?

My mother always insisted we dress up, feel the festivity and look the part. I have passed this on to mine.

What to pack for Venice?

Travelling for Christmas isn’t without challenge. How much can a suitcase hold? I need to be planned, practical and inventive. Remember my own advice and not overload it with pieces that don’t see the light of day. It’s so easy to get it wrong when I am excited. I have already started flinging options from one end of the bedroom to another.

Thoughts:

Only two pairs of shoes this time – there are holiday additions to be squeezed in. (This will be a challenge but I’m thinking trainers or comfortable boots by days and a small heel, mule style for evening.)

One warm and protective jacket for day and night; this will have to work over the dressy and not so dressy. I need to stay firm on this; coats and I have an on going love affair.

The lace and silk blouses will save the day with jeans or a pair of black pants and this means evening outfits sorted and they can also be recycled together or apart.

Try to resist packing a blazer. Can I? It’s too cold for outerwear and would a blazer work inside? I fall into this trap repeatedly in winter.

There will be dresses. More about those later.

Planning and packing start today, next week will fly by and there is still so much holiday talk to be had.

Did you sign up for our book club? We have a great new title to read over the holidays and talk about when we return.

Holidays here we come :) xv

The Venetian Suitcase: So Far This Is In

*khaki expedition parka (yes, over everything)   ||  deep purple dvf silk blouse ||  dvf mariella lace and silk blouse ||  vince tuxedo pants

5 ⭐️ mules because they make all the difference for evening

sam edelman embellished mule ||  pom pom loafer in navy satin (adore with jeans)  ||  marrgo mule (with all black)

**loeffer randal in sage or tulip (on sale)  ||  something bleu bow mule

images clementine davis