Packing for Sombre Occasions

Let's face it, life isn't always a bundle of laughs.  We face sombre times all too often throughout our lives.  

I've just packed for a trip (yes another trip!) which includes a sombre occasion.

Sadly, we sometimes have to pack for sombre and I tend go tradionalist.

I choose black.  Smart black.

Anyway, as I needed to pack for black, I kept my packing in the black/grey spectrum.   And that's fine with me, I'm happy there.

Here's what I packed:

Black suit jacket

Black jersey dress

Black jeans

Grey jeans (worn for travel*)

Black long line jumper

Black/ivory print skirt

Grey long line jumper (worn for travel)

Grey 3/4 cardi

Camel 3/4 cardi (camel, my crazy wild card!)

Black 3/4 sleeved jersey top

Grey/black animal print blouse

Black modal vest (tank, worn for travel)

Grey long line cami

Brown plaited belt (worn for travel)

Brown anklies (worn for travel)

Black anklies

Leoprint scarf (worn for travel)

Black puffa coat (not shown, worn for travel)

* Janice of The Vivienne Files reported seeing these everywhere on the streets of Paris recently; so, bang on trend, Pout!

Apart from the grey jeans, jumper and black vest (tank) worn for travel, all this lot fitted inside a carry on checking in at around 7 kgs.  Yes, I'm flummoxed too.  Again.  It's magic!

(Laurie, you'd better start a queue 'cos I'll soon be doing packing masterclasses!)

And there's more!

Grey crossover bag (worn for travelu)

Black handbag

Belt, black/ivory/gold plaited

Belt, black studded

2 silk scarves

Black embroidered scarf

6 necklaces

3 bracelets

1 pr earrings

All of this fitted in this little aerolite lightweight case

It meets our airline's 48x36x20 cms maximum.

Handbag and carry on must meet the maximum weight of 10kgs combined.  My number was comfortably under!

I'm feeling the gloat-glow again!

You can't believe it?  I can't believe it!

And an aside here.  We bought our ultra-lightweight bright blue luggage suite last year.  I didn't want the colour but TP insisted and I acquiesced - uncharacteristically, some might say.  At first I was a bit embarrassed travelling with this garish colour.  But you know, it's so easy to see your estranged fellow traveller across a crowded airport lounge, or to spot checked-in luggage on a cluttered carousel.  Because no one else buys this colour! So my top travel tip of the day is to choose luggage in a colour that no one else would choose.

Anyway, I digress, characteristically!  Here are some  of the looks I plan to create with my black/grey capsule.

But where's she going to get the biker jacket from, I hear you ask, or the jeans?  They weren't in the bright blue carry on.

Ok, this one's a challenge.  I haven't packed a ruffle shirt.  Or grown a plait!

And where has that camel coat come from?

And here all I can bring to the party will be the black jeans.

No matter how much I follow my cruise packing tips, those being repeat wear and mix and matching, I can't magic up pieces that I don't have.

Like for this look I've got the ditsy skirt but there's that biker jacket shortfall again ..

Now I could work on this elegant Lady of Style look, but I should have sneaked a featherlight slinky camisole into my carry on.  I didn't.

However, I have practically all the makings of this smart outfit worn by Susan After Sixty.

Ok, with no beige in my bag, this one doesn't get off the launch pad.

But I do have the where-withall for this classy look.

The credits for this suite of wardrobe-inspirational photos goes to Pinterest, Zara, Ellos and the named bloggers.

My overall inspiration for my black/grey capsule came from

this capsule put together by the very clever Janice of The Vivienne Files.

So there you have it, more packing magic.  I now need to conjure up the missing pieces that allow me to have some style steal fun.

A la perchoine.