Packing List For Europe For A Year

[salamander293]

I have the opportunity to live in Europe for an entire year. What would you recommend as a complete clothing packing list for traditional/classic/preppy style. I will not have any work/professional situations to attend to as I am remote working from a computer so any and all dressing will be for pleasure but I really like to dress well. I am trying to keep it to under 2 bags worth of clothes. Should I take a suit? I do enjoy attending theatre evens such as opera and symphony. I plan on visiting many cities in Europe from England to France to Italy to Switzerland in all seasons. Thank you for any advice.

 

[gimpwiz]

Boy, that seems like a very open-ended question. Where will you be living, more specifically? And yes, certainly, take your favorite pants, shirts, a few ties, a suit or two. Heck, have one made while you're there.

 

[comrade]

Boy, that seems like a very open-ended question. Where will you be living, more specifically? And yes, certainly, take your favorite pants, shirts, a few ties, a suit or two. Heck, have one made while you're there.

Add a blue blazer, and a mid weight sport coat. London, Paris and major cities in Italy
have great well-priced selections of RTW clothing, shirts, knitwear. Germany, Austria,
Czech Rep, Hungary, except for shoes, less so. Although Germany and Austria have
great high end shops. Don't expect the ultra steep sales discounts one finds periodically
in the US.

 

[SartoriaModerna]

I have the opportunity to live in Europe for an entire year. What would you recommend as a complete clothing packing list for traditional/classic/preppy style. I will not have any work/professional situations to attend to as I am remote working from a computer so any and all dressing will be for pleasure but I really like to dress well. I am trying to keep it to under 2 bags worth of clothes. Should I take a suit? I do enjoy attending theatre evens such as opera and symphony. I plan on visiting many cities in Europe from England to France to Italy to Switzerland in all seasons. Thank you for any advice.

I live in EU and I think it suffices if you bring your regular clothes with you that you wear year-round. I don't see how classic/preppy style changes according to the geographical location, it looks the same more or less wherever you go..

I would think more strategically in terms of weather. You have a constraint (= max 2 bags of clothes) and you want to maximize the use of it, so you obviously want to get rid of some items that gets the least wear in terms of weather versatility. In other words, it helps to know where you'll stay in summer and winter in order to minimize stuff you don't need so that you can bring more all-year items for layering. Summer in Spain is not the same as summer in UK, winter in Sweden is another level than winter in Italy..

Also: you can take inspo from Drake's lookbooks of various seasons to get a sense how preppy is styled in different seasons in EU.

 

[Werther Hartmann]

Depending on when you stay where, your needs will change dramatically, so more information will be beneficial. I will try to list some 'essentials' that you'll be able to use no matter what. Anything that is inspired by pre WW2 military gear will work great, if you want inspiration look at Barbour or Polo Ralph Lauren adverts.

It rains a lot around the Atlantic and North Sea, so a trench coat and umbrella will be important. A more casual raincoat can be great as well, if you want to dress down.

A suit is a no-brainer. If you can only take on with you, take one that works in as many occasions as possible, I'm thinking plain gray or navy in a medium weight cloth that is neither too warm nor too cool.

I would take at least two light-, two heavy- and four medium weight shirts, but preferably more. Plain white or blue striped shirts are great, but it doesn't hurt to have one or two more bolder variants if you feel fancy. OCBDs are not as common in Europe as they are in the US, so depending on if you want to fit in or not, you should keep that in mind when packing shirts. Pack some polo shirts as well.

I would pack at least three pairs of casual trousers of your choosing, chinos work great, but you can do something like a corduroy. If you plan to summer anywhere south of Berlin, take some shorts. No matter where you summer, take two pairs of lightweight trousers, seersucker is very American, but works great to combat the heat, linen works just as well.

A casual jacket is a must, a safari or Harrington jacket is great for spring and summer, a waxed cotton jacket is great for spring and winter, but there are a lot of other options you can look into.

Take a pair of very comfortable dress shoes, you'll do a lot of walking. Way more than in the US. Loafers are great for a more casual look and work well in summer. Chelsea boots do the same in winter. If you want to embrace the country style, pack a pair of Wellingtons. Boat shoes are popular in Europe as well.

Blazers and sport coats are no-brainers, just like the suit. They'll work great with odd trousers. A navy blazer is a must.

As accessories, I would pack a pair of sunglasses, any kind of cap and a proper hat, one 'all-rounder' tie and one statement tie, one ascot, one scarf, a pair of leather gloves, one dress and one sports watch.

If you plan to stay a lot in Northern Europe, think about packing a gilet. Schöffel and their exclusive Schöffel Country line are popular in the UK, but hard to find outside the Island. I would advise against Patagonia, The North Face or any other brand that is associated with bankers, simply because it will make you look like one.

As some have already pointed out, you can buy a lot of things in Europe and I definitely recommend going shopping in Vienna, London or Paris. Consider commissioning something while you are in Europe and do visit a few vintage stores, there are a lot of hidden gems.

 

[Eset]

I have the opportunity to live in Europe for an entire year. (…) I plan on visiting many cities in Europe from England to France to Italy to Switzerland in all seasons. Thank you for any advice.

”Europe“ is not a country nor are England, France, Italy or Switzerland cities. Please do everyone a favor and do your homework before putting your ignorance about a whole continent on display in a public forum.

 

[gimpwiz]

A more generous reading would imply that the OP is visiting cities in England, France, etc. That is how I read it. No need to jump down their throat unless they've said something unambiguously stupid.

 

[St1X]

I have the opportunity to live in Europe for an entire year. What would you recommend as a complete clothing packing list for traditional/classic/preppy style. I will not have any work/professional situations to attend to as I am remote working from a computer so any and all dressing will be for pleasure but I really like to dress well. I am trying to keep it to under 2 bags worth of clothes. Should I take a suit? I do enjoy attending theatre evens such as opera and symphony. I plan on visiting many cities in Europe from England to France to Italy to Switzerland in all seasons. Thank you for any advice.

You'd better check on taxes you'll have to pay in Europe instead

 

[ACLC]

This just sounds like one of those "humble brag" posts