A staycation – is it easier or harder to pack for? Let’s be honest for a beach holiday just as long as you’ve got swimwear and an outfit for every night it’s pretty easy going, but a staycation is not always so easy!
I’ve just had two weeks annual leave and for the first week I was travelling around Great Britain, visiting lakes and lochs with Hubby and my gorgeous bichonpoo Alfonso. This required practical walking outfits and as my husband likes to remind me “it’s not a fashion show” but you still like to look nice? Yes! A couple of my girlfriends made me laugh over lunch last week as I was moaning about how I do not like wearing t-shirt and jeans most days, it’s just not really my thing. They said I should have gone walking though fields in my floral dresses with trainers (LOL – not in the Great British countryside…. I would have looked very stupid!) I was already overdressed compared to most just by wearing my Stan Smith trainers!
The second week was a mix of being Auntie, going into London and lunch dates… but it’s made me realise why I love going to work in an office most days…. I get to dress up!
This post showcases a few of my outfits for you and as much as possible I wore what I already owned and tried not to buy anything new specifically for hols and hopefully this may give some inspiration if you are on a staycation too.
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
Let’s start with my London look – I’ve taken inspiration here from a blog called A Style Album, they have a uniform that’s really is quite easy to adopt – it’s not for the corporate office but it’s definitely more my off duty style.
A delicate floral dress, this one I got from &Other Stories back in the spring, I’ve not had a chance to wear it much so I’ve taken the stance to wear it more casual. I’ve harden the look with my khaki army jacket, very much the uniform along with my Stan Smiths – this is a great day-out outfit if you are mooching around with the kids or playing Auntie like I was on a city (or Town) day out.
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
Now for the complete opposite of me; t-shirt with jeans and here I have not straightened my hair and I have no make up on. This was typical countryside day out walking the dog around fabulous lakes and lochs on our gorgeous island!
A couple of new items here are the white belt as I wanted to match in with my lighter trainers and also the ‘practical’ crossover bag, which was only £6 from Warehouse at House of Fraser, the day before I left – what a bargain!
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
Shorts! I really dislike them, but with the recent very hot weather I just knew I would need them. I’ve never been happy with denim shorts that I buy, in fact this year I gave a few to charity as they were piling up and I never wore them. So I took an old pair of my favourite jeans that I now only use for dog walking, and I got my mum to cut them at the length I wanted (You can do any length you love) – we agreed that a ‘turn-up’ style (which required some stitching by Mum not me!!) would have more longevity to them rather than opting for a rough-cut finish, but it’s been the best option to get a great fit.
I packed them thinking I wouldn’t wear them, and in the end I wore them most days around the lakes as it was too hot for long jeans.
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
I did a terrible job at packing for the evening for my week away – I think I got jeans and t-shirts stuck in my head so I had that too for the evening! Slightly more glam though with the bardot top that I bought in the sale from Sosandar for £17.50 – and it’s going to be a great holiday top for many years to come! I teamed it with my white jeans from Topshop, one of my great purchases this summer, I cannot believe (and the evidence is on my Instagram squares) just how much I wear them, they go with everything!
And lastly not forgetting my Carvela by Kurt Geiger flat mule loafers – I’ve worn these so much and they add instant glam to any outfit, I am seriously thinking of buying the black version for warmer Autumn days – I’ve got the ‘cost per wear’ down to pennies now!
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
And here I am with my very old, but faithful friend, my Wallis jumpsuit that I purchased about five years ago. It’s made from jersey and it’s featured on my travel posts before; it’s a favourite because it doesn’t crease at all, and can be worn day or evening. Dress it down with flats and a plain belt or jazz it up with a gold/silver belt and high heels – so versatile. I highly recommend you find your own version of something similar to this, you will not regret it.
I also want to give a tiny mention to Hotel Du Vin, they are a luxury hotel and this is our room in Harrogate which was the last night of our trip away – They allow dogs to stay, and not only do they allow them, but they truly welcome them. There was a rug and bowl in the room, and whilst we couldn’t eat in the main restaurant they have other areas for breakfast and dinner so that your dog can be with you! 10/10 from me.
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
I just want to finish with this last outfit. This skirt used to be a dress and so tucking in a top is not that easy as it’s not a skirt that I can show off the waistline. And if you leave a tee hanging over it, this can add bulk to your hips – so to get round this issue I decided to knot the tee. You can do this two ways; if the tee is baggy enough you can take two pulls of material and tie it or you can do what I did and use a hairband and just tie a pony and then the last section you fold – it holds it in place all day!
Everything you see in this photo is not new and worn lots, the denim jacket is nearly 20 years old from DKNY and yet I think the whole look is very current.
TIPS FOR HOLIDAY BASICS FOR STAYCATION
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
Left to right: Zara brown flat mules, Revlon Colourstay Creme Eyeshadow 710, Vogue Magazine, River Island white belt, Nivea Factor 30 Sunscreen, No7 Simmer Palette Bronzer Rose, Warehouse Brown Crossbody Bag, Ted Baker Hair Scarf, Fitbit HR and Dior Addict Ultra Gloss 267
- Even if you are staying in this country you still need sunscreen!
- Holiday time is about reading and relaxing, so don’t forget your favourite magazines
- Get a pair of flats that you are happy to take you from day to night, just in case you don’t go back to your hotel to change
- I use holidays to have a break from make up, but you still want to shimmer at night, so don’t forget to add some make up that you perhaps can’t wear to the office or at home to give your make up a different vibe
- Not all holidays require a beach bag – I needed something more compact – a crossbody is still my favourite option to keep your hands free
- I used this holiday to try a new trend that I wanted to give a go, and that was hair scarves – If there is something you want to give a go then holidays are a great time to do this and practice because you are more relaxed, you have more time and who cares if it’s not perfect… no one knows you!
- And my last tip… staycations are just as important to get rest and relaxation… so dodge the housework, grab a cuppa and put your feet up too!
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