Fall Travels: What I’ve Been Wearing & Where I’ve Been
Today’s post is a quick catch-up to share a few snippets of my travels and what I’ve been wearing. My travel capsule wardrobe is working well so far, and with a few days to go, it’s looking like almost everything will be worn at least once. I’ve been lucky still with regard to the weather — it’s been mild with very little rain (though the forecast is calling for a cooling trend and some ☔️).
You can see round one of my London outfits here: London So Far: My Fall Travel Outfits
Travel Day: London to Amsterdam
On my way to catch an early Eurostar to Amsterdam…
Greetje (No Fear of Fashion) picked me up at the Amsterdam Centraal station and we drove about 30 minutes to Haarlem. After a quick check-in at my hotel (more on that later) we set out to grab a late lunch.
It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen each other in person, but when we get together it’s like no time has passed. We always enjoy lots of laughs, along with hourly coffee stops ☕️ 😉.
The following day, we hopped the train for a short ride into Amsterdam.
I never miss a chance to pose in The Big Clogs. 😜
My past visits to Amsterdam were mostly blustery and wet, so the sunshine was much appreciated!
The next day we were expecting some rain, so decided to hang out and explore more of Haarlem.
It’s such a charming town! I think I actually prefer it to Amsterdam. Greetje suggested we take an afternoon cruise through the canals in a covered boat — a wise choice since we did get some downpours.
The food was SO good everywhere we went. We couldn’t resist a slice of traditional apple cake with our afternoon coffee break.
Next Stop: Paris
One of the things I love most about visiting Europe is being able to take trains everywhere. So much easier and less stressful than flying!
Paris was showing off her best fall weather…
I did a lot of walking, up to 25k steps some days, according to my fitness tracker. I wasn’t able to get outfit photos in Paris as I’m hesitant to take photos outside with a tripod, and my room was quite small with no full-length mirror. So you get some photos of Paris instead…
I also spent some time researching for next fall’s Paris Fashion Tour. We have one spot left, so if Paris in the fall appeals to you, I hope you’ll consider joining our small group tour!
A few of you have asked about the student protests happening in Paris. I did not encounter any actions in the areas I visited, and I felt perfectly safe.
Aaaand…Back in London
I have a few meetups scheduled, and am going to try to see a couple of exhibitions, including Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern.
I’m always asked about the acorn charm I’m wearing above. It’s from my jeweler friend Tarra Rosenbaum. I’ve had mine for a few years, and she’s just re-introduced them in a limited edition, which you can shop here: Limited Edition Acorn Charms. They’re offered in brass (with or without stones) and silver.
And, if you’re in London next week, Tarra’s going to be doing a pop-up event on King’s Road in Chelsea with my friends at Castanohel, along with Philippa London & Chapman Bags. Here are the details: October 10-25, 10am-6pm, 340 King’s Road, London. I’ll be there early in the week, so come say hello!
Do you have a favorite European city or other destination to visit in the fall?
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Susan, you are looking great during your travels. I just got home from 16 days in Belgium and the Netherlands. I only spent an afternoon in Haarlem but would love to go back. Such a charming city. My trip was focused on art and we were visiting the Frans Hal’s museum there. But we walked through some charming neighborhoods and loved the town square. We stayed for dinner and sat outside at a lovely restaurant just off the center of town. Would love to spend a few days in this charming city.
I love traveling in the spring and the fall. You avoid the heat and crowds of summer. We did spend three nights in Delft. Beautiful town so full of history. Walking along its canals was a delight.
I love to stay in one country for a month at a time. I do travel both in early spring and late fall. I will be heading to Spain soon. I’m starting out with a week in Barcelona, then a tour of northern Spain followed by a couple of weeks in the south. Next spring I have a month planned for India.
Ah, Place des Voges! Thanks for the photos.
Wow Susan what a very fun trip–and lovely photos! Could you remind me again what size you took in the Varley raincoat–was it XXS? And what length is your chain for your Acorn pendant–I think it must be the longer chain? I hope you share photos and thoughts about the Frida Kahlo exhibit. I’ve always wanted to see her home. Have a fabulous time in London.
Hi Sally, yes I took XXS in the raincoat (it runs quite large, so unless you want to wear heavy sweaters underneath, suggest going down at least one size, maybe 2). I’m not sure of the chain length as it’s a different chain than the current ones (I think?) but I’m guessing 20″.
Thank you Susan! You look fabulous in all your outfits!
Thanks, Sally!
I’m in Europe now, Munich at the moment. My son works for Ralph Lauren, Paris so I spent a lot of time studying fashion there. I loved Belgium, specifically Bruges and Ghent. Beautiful architecture and the people cheerfully spoke perfect English.
Hi Susan, You are indeed tres chic! The travel capsule wardrobe is working well for you. Even though I’m a winter, I’m considering the Varley Raincoat. How is the MZ Wallace duffle working out for you? Did you pick up the beautiful brown leather handbag along the way? It blends in effortlessly with your outfits. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Thanks very much, Carol! The MZ Wallace duffel is great so far…large enough to carry what I need but still light enough to lift up into the overhead shelf. I purchased the brown bag last year in Paris.
Oh Wow, What a fun post.
Your pre-trip time in coordination makes your clothing choices look so easy and natural. That green sweater with the scarf is just a terrific color on you and I am adoring your brown jacket and pants outfit. Looks like the weather is glorious and you are making the best of it. Really appreciate your thoughtfulness in putting this all together.
Hi Eileen, thanks very much, and glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Susan,
Beautiful pictures thank you! I love going to London in November just when the Christmas markets are starting and Liberty and Selfridges have their christmas decorations in. Fortnam and Mason’s window displays!
Please can you tell me where did you get your phone chain?
I took my mum to Amsterdam and we loved the Van Gogh Museum, and totally agree about trains over planes. Have a wonderful time!
Hi Francesca, thanks! The phone chain is from a brand called LaCoqueFrancaise and I purchased last year at Le Bon Marché.
Thank you so much Susan! Safe and happy travels!
Hi Susan, I’m happy to read that you visited with Greetje again – she is a hoot! If we go to Europe we typically go in the autumn – mostly to the UK and Germany to visit friends and family. However, next year we’ll be in Japan in the spring for the first time – I think fall (November) is a great time to go there; we also went a couple of years ago in late September and it was still way too hot! Looking forward to seeing what spring is like there. Enjoy the rest of your trip, and thank you for the update.
It was wonderful to spend a few days with you. Thanks for going out of your way for me.
Greetje
It was such fun, and I appreciate you spending the time!
You were lucky not to get caught up in the protests. I had the misfortune of arriving in the 11th the day of a massive demonstration at the Bastille and there were thousands of students and hundreds of police in full on riot gear. We decided not to take the subway into the city that day!! However it appeared it was a relatively peaceful protest with no issues and we didn’t encounter anything further in Paris for the next few days thank goodness.
What a fun trip.
The sandwich you had looked scrumptious !
Hi Anna, it was!