We talk a lot at Citizen Femme about what to pack because, ultimately, the clothes we take with us set the tone for the trip.
Overpacking makes getting ready each morning feel chaotic, and leaving the wrong piece at home can change the way we feel that day. We want pieces that make us feel special, that denote that we’re away somewhere beautiful with our favourite people. Mastering packing requires careful consideration of the setting, occasion and how we want to feel when we’re there – a girls’ weekend in Paris will require a different wardrobe to a family beach break in Greece. Wherever we’re going, none of us want to be wasting time on holiday worrying about what to wear.
Our Never Travel Without series calls on some of the world’s most stylish globetrotting women to find out what they always pack – the sartorial classics they depend on year after year. First up is former Net-A-Porter fashion director, consultant and author Kay Barron, whose taste and eye are much respected among the industry. Her new podcast An Excellent Fit, co-hosted with Alice Casely-Hayford, sees the two interview high-profile fashion figures about their personal style as they discuss wardrobe essentials, identity and the stories behind their most prized clothes. Here, she shares her North Star packing items – and explains how to wear them.
Kay Barron
The Silk Scarf
“I have a fringe, which looks slick only when the weather isn’t too hot, it’s dry, and there is absolutely no breeze. None. This means that on holiday, my fringe is a very impractical and painful thing, and therefore must be restrained in headbands and silk scarves, which instantly make everyone look French Riviera chic. They also double as a teeny triangle top should you be so inclined.”
The Micro Bikini
“I often say that I am never as happy as I am in a bikini on a beach, and I fully believe that it is my natural state – ignoring that I am Scottish-born. I am lucky enough to not need much support from a bikini top, so I can get away with barely-there pieces of string, or a bandeau. I start the week in the neutrals – black, white, red (it’s my neutral) – and once I have a bit of a tan, I bring in bolder tones.”
The Co-ord
“I believe that getting ready should always be easy and effortless, a mantra I stick by even when I am fully relaxed and incapable of making any decisions. This is exactly why you must pack dresses and co-ords only, or at least they should dominate. Wear the shirt by the pool, add the pants for evening. The best dressed people on holiday are always in co-ords. I will put money on it.”
The White Mini Dress
“I rarely get my legs out at home, but come holiday the smaller the clothes the better, and there is something versatile about a mini – honestly. The white mini dress is particularly multifaceted; I wear it over a bikini by the pool as a cover-up, or I throw on earrings and evening flat sandals and it works after dark. Finally, I like to wear it when I return to London, still with the holiday glow, and add a pair of high Saint Laurent spindly mules, and it becomes something sexier. You see, versatile.”
The Beach Bag
“I used to be an over-packer, bringing items I have never worn and those that I’m not sure why I own. I would dress as a completely different person from my reality back home because I was overwhelmed by choice. I have since taken stock, edited, and perfected, often just travelling with hand luggage. The beach bag has helped, as I carry it with me on the plane, rather than pack it, and stuff it with the last minute items I just can’t help but add.”
Ella Alexander is Citizen Femme’s fashion features editor. She started her career at the Evening Standard, and has since held senior editorial roles at Vogue, The Independent and Harper’s Bazaar, where she remains a contributing editor. She also writes for The Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, Service95 and CNN. She is an author, having co-written Dame Zandra Rhodes’ memoir, Iconic: My Life In Fashion In 50 Objects, published by Transworld in July 2024. Her favourite travel destination is Catania, Sicily’s second city.
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