July 16, 2025
Well ACTUALLY, I’m flying back today. If all went as planned and I was able to stay in Ireland for the full week for which I was scheduled. I assume nothing!
This is the front hallway of my hotel – Staunton’s on the Green, on the south side of St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin. Yes, it’s just as lovely as it looks! It’s three townhomes which have been joined together; it has the feeling of staying with your poshest, very kindest friends…
For my travel outfit, I’m taking advantage of the Triple Top Secret – a sleeveless top that will be cool under an unbuttoned chambray shirt for the afternoon in Dublin when it’s supposed to be warm. And a sweatshirt that I’m going to fold down into my quilted bag, for when it’s cool. Maybe on the plane, maybe right after we land.
Earrings – Nadri; black sleeveless top – L.L.Bean; watch – Timex; denim shirt – L.L.Bean; black sweatshirt (in the quilted bag) – Lands’ End; heritage stone chinos – L.L.Bean; quilted bag – COS; black sneakerinas – Vivaia
And here’s where the packing questions start – it’s supposed to get up near 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Dublin at least a couple of days when I’m there. That’s legitimate warm weather, by anybody’s standards!
And it’s going to be down in the 50s most evenings. If it’s the LOW 50s, I have been known to wear gloves…
My final decision? Pack the bare minimum, layer what I have, and be prepared to go shopping! Here’s what I have packed:
Scarf – Jessie Zhao New York; striped shirt – Lands’ End; earrings – Gold Trip; White linen shirt – Alex Mill; marled sweater – Eileen Fisher; white sleeveless top – L.L.Bean; black ponte knit pants – Eileen Fisher; striped cardigan – Madewell; jeans – J.Crew; silver sneakers – Vionic; sandals – Ecco; loafers – G.H.Bass
So my entire travel capsule wardrobe for 7 nights in Dublin looks like this:
I don’t really know what all I will take as far as jewelry is concerned – I take a small jewelry gift box, and toss earrings into it until I’m bored! But just having these clothes affords me a lot of outfit possibilities:
There are a ton of stores really near my hotel: Marks & Spencer, COS, & Other Stories, Uniqlo, Muji…
So I’m thinking like this – if it gets warm and I’m REALLY not prepared for it, I can buy a summer dress. Or I can buy a tee shirt. Or I could buy a linen shirt…
I’m kind of hopeful that I can make it through the week with just these things. There’s an excellent laundry just around the corner from my hotel. And I know that there’s a world full of women who live their entire lives with no more clothing that this, right?
And I’m not there to be a fashion goddess; I’m certainly beautiful enough with my purple hair – clothing will always have to take a back seat!
love,
Janice
p.s. The date’s not EXACTLY 10 years ago, but it’s a really fun post about a woman traveling alone…
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So did you need to buy any clothes whilst you were there? It was unreasonably hot over the weekend…that’s the only thing I believe may have pushed you into a purchase!
I love this! Do cohesive and calming.
So not Do.
I missed the look back first time around. I’m so glad you included it here. I feel like the current post and the look back could be two halves of my perfect closet, and each day I would walk in and decide: Who shall I be today? Your stories are delightful!
I am very interested in how you like the Viviana shoes. I’ve been very tempted to order them but keep reading reviews they are very thin on the soles.
I bought a pair in December and wear them all the time! (78 year old feet). They are the ordinary thin-soled flats not the sneaker-types. We have a department store that actually carries them or I probably would never have tried them. I measure at a 7.5 but took a NINE in these! I’ve never heard anyone mention a sizing issue so I wonder if they were just mismarked.
I believe Vivaia shoes are British so a US 9 equals a 7.5 UK. This would be on the website if you bought online so they probably just show the UK size. I have several pairs and they are very comfortable
My shoes were fine on flat surfaces, and entirely unsuited for cobblestones. The soles aren’t tremendously thick; it’s hard to find something other than gym shoes that are truly comfortable on cobblestones or brick pavements!
love,
Janice
Very nice! I hope you had a great time in Dublin and didn’t need to buy anything else.
Oh I hope you had so much fun! Your wardrobe was spot on as always. I loved the look back. It’s one I had forgotten. Fun story lovely wardrobe and very interesting art. Rest up and thank you for keeping us entertained.
I meant to mention that I have recently been inside a Uniglo store (new in my area). They have a variety of styles of tanks, tees, etc. with built in bras. These are not those foam things that slide in and slide around! Actual sewn in bras. Admittedly I do not have big boobs but they would work for several sizes. Game changers in the TX heat. I always wear a cami so this means one layer instead of two. Also they are in a temperature regulating fabric. I bought one to try and now have five.
I have been curious about those Uniqlo tanks/camisoles. I was in the Chicago store over the weekend and looked at them. I’m afraid the synthetic fabric would be clingy and hot?
It is not clingy or hot inmop. I love them.
I wear their camis every day too!
Love seeing what you travel with and the quantities of each category (bottoms, second layer, third layer). It’s theory put into action and helps inspire me to do the same. I’m going to the Delaware beach area for a week in early September. Since it’s a mix of vacation and house hunting (we are looking to relocate), I can’t go with my standard “3 bathing suits, flip flops, and a couple of sundresses” packing list. Something like this (with some shorts or a skirt swapped in for one of the pants, a pretty sun dress for another pair of pants, and of course maybe just 2 bathing suits) should see me through a week of beach fun, open houses, and one anniversary dinner very nicely.
I’m curious to see if you wore everything!?
The striped pieces look great with it. When the sun is shining brightly and I’m outside for a long time, I tend to wear airy long-sleeved shirts (preferably linen).
We’re currently taking a two-day break from summer here.
Your hotel looks lovely, thank you for sharing. Sorry you could not stay longer but hope you had fun. The look back was so entertaining, I also love your stories. Safe travels home.
I’d love a follow-up, telling us what you purchased while there! Thanks
Hi. I was studying your prev posts about trips to Ireland. I arrived in Belfast today and this afternoon was quite warm. I think I’m going to be ok with what I brought- v similar to you but with some shorts and a skirt thrown in. Hope you had a good trip.
I for one would like to see a picture of your purple hair! I love purple!
Talk about small world! We were in Dublin at Staunton on the green overlapping your stay several days – we arrived the 13 and left the 16 to drive along the west coast! That is such a lovely hotel and so conveniently located!
I wish I had seen this before my recent cruise to Iceland and Greenland! Going from 90’s at home to 30-50’s in the ports. I never thought about sleeveless shirts for warmer times. It was warm on the boat itself. I *need* to figure out how to pack lighter. I am finding that even though I change shirts after 1 day at home, I wear them on repeat on vacation. Especially when it’s cool and I don’t sweat! In March in the Caribbean, I still wore shirts more than once. When I get home, I write down what I took and how many times I wore it. That is helping – I’ve gone from two fancy dresses to one. This trip it was one navy blue skirt that went with all my tops. (That helped too! It was hot at the Iceland airport and since the skirt was in the carryon bag – I went into the bathroom and changed.)
I love the look of this capsule. A few questions/comments…
My son is poaching in Paris and roasting in Rome. I see a lot of sweaters. Is it really that much cooler in Dublin? I find shoes take up a lot of packing space and weigh a ton. Did you really bring 4 pairs? I love a button down shirt, but find they get very wrinkled in my bag.
Well NORMALLY it’s that much cooler in Dublin. Like seldom getting into the 70’s. My experience this trip was quite different!
And yes, I packed AND WORE all four pairs of shoes. My feet and I have an antagonistic relationship right now.
Folded shirts go into a packing sleeve. They have nice neat creases, but not really wrinkles. And it’s so humid in Ireland that wrinkles hang out overnight.
love,
Janice
I just adore this wardrobe….though, I’m afraid, that even though I live in Maine, I would bake in this beautiful clothes. I have never been to Ireland, so I very well could be completely off base. That being said, I find this to be a cohesive, practical and upscale wardrobe that I’d wear in a heartbeat in the fall.
I’m in the midst of moving out of my big house, into a tiny rental cottage near the beach and then, into my lovely, new one story home in late September. As much as I’ve tried to pare down into a VERY streamlined “Vivienne Files” wardrobe for the next two months, I’m afraid that I still ended up with more than I probably need. However, I did narrow down my color palette, along with accent colors, thanks to your tutelage. It needs to cover summer and beach, back to work in late August and preparing for cooler temps (after record breaking temps this summer) .You truly did help me pack!
I hope you had a fabulous time in Dublin and that you are home safely.
Ellen S – enjoy the moves. My big house was destroyed in a storm in November (lived there 30 years exactly and raised kids there) so I was in temporary places until March when I moved into my new lovely one-story cottage that is 1/4 the size of the prior home. I love my new Ladybug Cottage! Wishing you a good journey on your way to the new home.
What a curated travel capsule! I do suspect from your comment that you had to go get a dress or a pair of shorts, I’m eager to get your full review soon!
Cheers and blessings all!
Janice – I love the wardrobe and would be interested to hear how everything worked when you have time. While I might bring the light colored pants, I’m afraid I’m too clumsy to risk wearing them on the plane.
I loved the 10 year wayback post – I would have worn that green blouse and the dresses back then. Maybe I’d even wear the dresses now.
I’m going alone to the UK in late September. Very excited.
Yes I could do a similar pack list for a week away which just shows how much I have learnt over the years following you. However, I would pack a dress/skirt/fancy top to cover all eventualities. The hotel looks nice. My husband stayed there a few years ago on business and liked it very much. Perhaps, he’ll take me sometime?