Kate Hiscox, award-winning writer of fashion blog @wearsmymoney and former music PR (she worked with everyone from Coldplay to Lily Allen), shares her insider tips for an upcoming mini break to Barcelona.
For any trips under a week, I make sure I fit everything into my ancient pink carry-on case. I’m heading off to a yoga retreat followed by some sightseeing in Barcelona, so I’ve had to be focussed.
My best tip for anyone planning a holiday, long or short, is to lay out all your outfits onto your bed and try on every single thing. You will soon realise that this doesn’t go with that and it really cuts down the amount you take.
I’m generally a tomboy – I live in jeans and T-shirts but on holiday I wear dresses and swap the jeans for shorts. I’ll always make sure my wardrobe can double up – take an oversized shirt that will work as a beach cover up and later with shorts when you go sightseeing.
For four nights I only need two pieces of footwear – my elasticated Teva sandals (which I spotted being worn by the Olsen twins) as they’re practical but stylish enough to work with a dress for dinner. And my Adidas SL72 trainers which seem to go with everything. I don’t do heels at all, ever.
For the yoga retreat I don’t go for the usual wellness brands like Sweaty Betty or Lululemon. I prefer the fitness range from Free People, they do really soft leggings and nice vest tops, with sports bras from Uniqlo.
My favourite dresses are a long black one with a slit up the side by Cos and a polka dot ruffled one by Rixo.
I love tailored shorts and shirts for the evening – Reiss and Rohe make great shorts and I have two short sleeve silk shirts by a brand called Mattaeu.
I don’t do bikinis, but I have three swimsuits by my favourite swimwear brand Hunza G – they come in one size and it’s hard to believe that you’re going to get into what looks like a tiny bit of ruched material but you will. The cut is so flattering and non-frumpy. I own three of them, in red, back and bright blue.
A friend introduced me to Muji packing cubes and compression bags. I was cynical at first, but they’ve changed my life – you can get about five t-shirts into one bag, you zip it up and it compresses them into nothing. They’re amazing. I also love Muji’s little bottles where I decant shampoo and conditioner.
My two beauty must-haves are my facial SPF by Ultra Violette – greasy sunscreen gives me spots but this brand is almost matte. And as my hair turns to frizz in the heat, I always pack a great hair oil called Solar.
