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Monday 21 January 2013

How to travel in style.

So, I'm off to Barcelona tomorrow, with my uni course. I'm a little excited, not going to lie. I plan to cram the 5 days full of as much tapas, seafood, fresh fruit, sightseeing and Sangria as possible. Led by my stomach, me? Never ...

I have a list of things I want to do - I've not been to Barcelona and I want to make the most of it in case I don't go again. My list consists mainly of taking photos of various bits of architecture including the Sagrada Familia, and visiting La Boqueria food market. Every day. Fortunately the hotel we're staying in is right near the market, so I can gorge myself as much as I like. We're also going to be visiting all the Zaras and H&Ms in sight, and I think a trip to the Bershka head office will be in order too. I foresee me spending far too much money.



But, in order to get to Spain, we're going to have to take a 2 and a half hour flight. I love airports (hello, duty free?), but I can't be bothered with flying - it's boring and uncomfortable, and drags no matter how long the flight is. And then airports are like a fashion parade, you undoubtedly get the odd person strutting around in heels looking ridiculously stylish, like they've just swaggered off the catwalk in Milan. I can't be doing with that, I need to be comfortable. But that's a little bit difficult when you need to take into account so many different things. The climate of the country you're leaving from. So, er, England. Can anyone predict the weather in England? The BBC certainly can't. The climate of the country you're heading to. Is it going to be a lot hotter or colder than where you've left from? The temperature of the plane. Bet you £50 it's sweltering when you get on, then freezing cold an hour into the journey. The length of the journey. If you're flying overnight and are going to want to sleep, pyjamas are ideal. Right? Your stingy little hand luggage allowance. Want to take a change of clothes? Don't pack anything heavy.

Anyway enough rambling - here are my best tips for how to stay comfortable but still look like your normal, fabulous self when you're travelling.

1) Thin, stretchy layers are your best bet. I usually wear a couple of thin layers with some form of knitwear/hoody over the top, then you're nice and warm but can cool down quickly if you need to.

2) Wear a pashmina - they're thin but keep you nice and warm when you wear them as a scarf, and you can use them as a blanket too. Get one in a nice bright colour! Ebay do them for about 2 quid.

3) When it comes to shoes, you should go for ballet flats. They're comfy enough to plod around in all day and they're easy to take off if you need to remove your shoes in security, or if you want to curl up and sleep on the plane (good luck with that).

4) Don't wear jeans! I don't care if they're Leighs or Mollys, they're just so uncomfortable. They'll come down at the back and expose your bum to the world every time you shift in your seat a bit, and the button at the front will dig into your stomach. Stick to trusty leggings. I also like tights, as long as they're not too small for you they won't fall down and they won't restrict any movement or comfort.

5) Jazz up your outfit with a statement piece of jewellery. I tend to just wear a nice necklace - it makes it look pretty but it's easy to remove for security if you need to, and if you get uncomfortable you can easily cram it into your handbag.

6) No belts! Uncomfortable, and the buckle will only set the alarms off. And despite any of your best intentions, you won't be felt up by an attractive male member of security.

7) Take some thick, cosy socks in your handbag. The plane will get cold, you'll be thankful for them! Having warm feet makes a big difference.

8) Overall, keep it nice and simple.

I'll be wearing black tights, ballet flats, a simple skater dress, a cardigan, leather jacket and a scarf. It's warm, functional and still looks good. Or at least, I think it does (don't dispute me, a lot of effort went into this outfit planning!).

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