British fashion designer and novelist Tabitha Webb, whose fans include Catherine, Princess of Wales, shares her suitcase rules for a family summer holiday to the Greek islands of Paxos and Corfu.
I get travel anxiety about packing and have never once managed to fit anything into case small enough for an overhead locker. It stresses me out even having to think about it. Ideally, I’d always be able to upgrade myself to business class and then I’d be fine!
I tend to take two or three of the same thing – first up, low-waisted shorts in black, blue and white from Raey (from the now defunct luxury retailer Matches Fashion).I live in fear of them falling apart.
Black and a white vests from Rag & Bone will go in there plus a couple of swimming costumes from Eres, in plain black and a chevron style. I’ve discovered a new swimwear brand called Chasing Bees from South Africa. They do the best prints and are sustainable. I wore bikinis up until last year, then a friend took a picture of me and I thought ‘oh no!’ I now feel more confident in one-pieces.
My husband bought me a green sundress from Doen after I fell in love with it. It makes me look like a heroine who milks cows and I’ll be wearing it a lot.
I recently bought a pair of pink metallic kitten heels from Jimmy Choo which are real head-turners, but they won’t be coming with me as I don’t do heels on holiday. Instead, I’ll bring along my Isabel Marant flat suede sandals and some Havaiana flip flops.
Big sunglasses (because I have a big face!) by Alexis Amor and Ray Ban will join me. Plus, my new ones with a cream rim from Chanel that my husband tracked down on Fifth Avenue after I lost my original pair.
I will of course include some of my own Tabitha Webb oversized tie-dye silk shirts in navy and cream, which I reach for time and again, along with a denim Wrangler one. The look is topped off with my Trucker cap which is a bit white trash in a good way.
Beauty wise I am incredibly low-maintenance. My Chantecaille Rose de Mai Cream comes everywhere, as does my Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow All-Year Hydrating Summer Tinted Moisturiser. YSL black mascara, Clarins SPF and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour lip balm. I pre-order them all from John Lewis and I’m good to go.
I’ll be travelling with my husband and our two daughters aged 14 and eight and I have packing cubes from Antler in four colours – blush, turquoise, cream and beige, one set for each of us. I’d go mad without them.’
Tabitha’s new book Playing The Field is out now. Buy it here.
