Packing light for a weekend away
We’ve been lucky enough to travel to Europe a couple of times several times recently – we escaped to Copenhagen for my birthday with the whole family, and the following month to Toulouse for a long weekend with just our youngest son whilst his brother traveled to Vietnam on a school trip (seriously, kids these days – we went to the Lake District with MY primary school!)
Needless to say, with time of the essence, packing light for a weekend away – we need to employ classic ethical minimalism for these city breaks which means avoiding putting your luggage in the hold, and that delay at the carousel once you’ve landed…
So our plan was to maximise on as much ‘holiday time’ as we could cram in, and also because we knew we would be travelling by bicycle when we got to our destinations, so our bags would have to be light and manageable. A bag we would store in the overhead lockers (or if it’s small enough under the seat in front of you).
To do this we reviewed what would be required for our trips, and how we would carry what we ‘needed’ – each of us packed light, and used backpacks – mine is my trusty Millican bag, waterproof, organic cotton and the lining is made from recycled polyester – it’s so comfy even when it’s REALLY full.
What to wear? my minimalist ethical fashion hightlights:
Jeans from Monkee Genes
Leggings from Girlfriend Collective (made from post-consumer plastic water bottles)
Nightshirt from Eight Hour Studio
Hand crocheted blouse from London-based designer Ümran Aysan. For me the beauty of the hand crocheted bamboo and cotton yarn is that is’s lightweight and can be layered for the cooler weather, so for travelling light this gives me flexibility with a restricted travel wardrobe!
And for evening wear, rolled in my towel to avoid creasing, a simple silk kimono dress (also from Ümran Aysan).
Ümran’s collection embraces sustainability of the processes used in the fashion industry, and celebrates traditional methods of craftsmanship and mininum environmental impact (see video below). The silk kimono dress is perfect for the classic ethical minimalist – worn with jeans or leggings and boots during the day (and woah, the frock has POCKETS – and I love pockets – perfect for my mobile phone/camera – paranoidly keeping my hand on it at all times), and a pair of sparkly Po-Zu pumps and chunky Pembe club bracelets in the evening.
To see more about the collection, please click here.
Cabin bag allowance
British Airways/EasyJet:
The size of a cabin bag should be no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in).
Both bags can weigh up to 23kgs (51lb) each.
ÜMRAN AYSAN has been awarded the coveted Butterfly Mark, in recognition of her commitment towards social, environmental and philanthropic good. From protecting and nurturing traditional craftsmanship to ensuring the provision of materials from sustainably managed ecosystems, the Butterfly Mark offers wordless reassurance that ÜMRAN AYSAN is a luxury brand to trust.
If you liked this post – you’ll be interested to read these too –
Natalie of Sustainably Chic in a lightweight, crocheted sweater.
Alden from EcoCult – talks gorgeous kimonos.
Kamea of Konscious Whispers talks silk dresses.
Holly of Leotie Lovely in a silk maxi dress.
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