It’s all too insufferably exciting to even cope with. You’ve been invited away on a mini break – the apex of romance* – for an* entire* weekend. Whether you’re going to a (charming but essentially demolished) one-room cottage in rainy Wales or a ritzy apartment in Cannes, the premise is the same: pack light, drink lots and.... You know the rest.
But what do you wear SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO YOU WEAR? Sometimes, your favourite clothes are not necessarily the clothes you want to whip out in the early stages of a hot fling. Equally, the ‘sexy’ clothes you’ve long believed scored you hunks, are not really suitable for a mini break filled with activity (the pressure of course being that you have no idea what kind of activity that entails).
To make it a little bit easier, here's your guide to packing for a mini break:
**Tottering around in heels you can’t walk in is never a good look
**
It’s hardly a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a bucket hat – particularly a bubblegum pink floral one – cannot be resisted. But seriously, isn’t this fun? Less quirky and more practical is the rest of the look. The checked shirt will double up as a very useful gingham picnic blanket over the weekend and creepers will give you a cheat’s chunky heel (**walking like a giraffe in heels on cobbled streets/in the countryside is never a good look), whilst keeping your travelling outfit casually comfy.
Red Check Shirt, £16, Beyond Retro; Cher ‘As If’ Tartan Skirt, £60, Isolated Heros; Pink Snake Brothel Creepers, £295, Karl Lagerfeld; Red Suitcase, £70, Beyond Retro; and Vintage Bucket Hat, model’s own
Checked Trousers, £188.16, L’autre Chose at Farfetch; Men’s Bermuda Casual Bucket Hat, £41, Kangol @ Amazon; Warren Check Sunglasses, £16, Topshop; and Retro Brothel Creepers, £39, rgs2474 @ eBay
**Dress like you're made for sight seeing
**
Your mini break might not be a trip to the Riviera, but you can still dress like he has in humbug raffia espadrilles and a diddy Hawaiian shirt. Some ripped jeans keep it casual (and flesh-flashy – always nice), while the baseball cap will stop your face getting burnt as you explore the local sights. Yes, we know you are not five or 50, but try doing loads of snogging when your face is on fuego. Not so fun, eh? Don’t forget the SPF, either. Very useful if you want toavoid lobster skin. Which you probably do.
Alfie Raffia Espadrills, £115, Loeffler Randal; Mela Hawaiian Print Shirt, £175, Stella Jean @ MATCHESFASHION.COM; Trudy White Ripped Mom Jeans, £30, Pretty Little Thing; Cap in Tropical Dove Print, £35, House of Holland x New Era @ Urban Outfitters
Hawaiian Shirt, £99, Maison Scotch @ ASOS; Cameo Reality Short, £71.33, Nasty Gal; Green Liberty London Maddox Small Cross Body Bag, £210, Liberty London; White Ripped Leigh Jeans, £38, Topshop
**Dress up for dinner
**
You’re going to be having dinner. You’re going to be having drinks. You’re going to want to have some allure. Step up the world’s easiest allure-maker, the camisole slip dress. You can’t beat Ghost for that. Wear sans bra, with loose tangly hair for that nymphette vibe – but keep things casual (in case he insists on a walk/al fresco sexytime) with a pair of Gazelles and a Breton jersey.
Breton Striped Sweater in Heavy Jersey, £58, Petit Bateau; Mel Dress in Charcoal Bean, £120, Ghost; Gazelle OG Shoes, £65, Adidas, Gabrielle Vintage Baroque Cross Necklace, £21, RocknRose; Black Leather Holdall, £70, Pop Boutique
Striped Heart Logo T-shirt, £115.46, Comme des Garcons Men @ FarFetch; Washed Silk Maxi Slip Dress, £385, Joseph @ Net-a-Porter, Reebok Classic Leather Trainers, £55, Reebok @ isme; Limited Edition Cross Heart Choker Necklace, £8, ASOS
Model: Grace Small at Elite
Make-up: Lucy Joan Pearson
Directed by: Anna Jay
Styled by: Sophie Ferguson Jones
Follow Pandora on Twitter @pinsykes
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.