Country to City Short Break Capsule
The Capsule Wardrobe Planner - Country to City Short Break
Introduction
Cold weather, outdoor Christmas markets, museums, dining and lots of walking!
It was a chilly late November and storms were also forecast. Day one involved some travel (leaving the snows behind) to the destination of choice - Castle Howard, for an afternoon tea and a browse around the house. There was some walking outdoors, while day two was a full-on day spent enjoying York city centre. This involved a hearty breakfast at The Ivy, followed by a visit to Fairfax House, some sights, shopping and soaking up the experience of the Christmas market.
With regards to weather and seasons, as this is the UK (and I say this often) you need to be prepared to cover all bases!
We left Cheshire under a very generous helping of snow and freezing cold temperatures. However, things were looking decidedly drier and a lot sunnier further north, but there was always going to be the requirement to prepare for large amounts of time spent outdoors, while being flexible. It was extremely cold last year – uncomfortably so, hence I was somewhat cautious this time around.
It turned out to be bright, clear and a little chilly, but got cooler after dark. Most of the day in York was spent outdoors and we also had to wait for the bus back to the park and ride at the end of the day. The clothing and accessories needed to perform from a practical perspective (think long drives, restaurant settings, walking, time spent in cool temperatures outdoors) while still being reasonably smart.
As ever, I used my favourite tan tote bag, generous in size, to hold all my daily belongings, while the Salisbury Travel Wallet was great for keeping all my cards together and storing my phone. For evenings at the hotel, I used my smaller cross body bag in chocolate suede.
To travel in, my long sleeve white tee served as my base layer to seal in some warmth and I layered my navy-blue wool jumper with its generous cowl neck over the top. I teamed this with my woollen scarf in a similar colour way. I wore my dark blue denim skinny jeans and gore-tex Chelsea boots. This meant the look was practical, easy to wear, but smart enough too. For the drive I threw on my Rohan down jacket, given it was cold and we were ankle deep in snow when leaving the house. No one wants to feel the cold or get wet feet during a stop at the motorway services!
Upon arrival in North Yorkshire at the exquisite Castle Howard, I swapped my down jacket for my much smarter suede trench coat (stowed in the boot of the car) and popped on a contrasting woollen hat. The tan suede worked well with the navy and this look was perfect for the walk in the Castle Howard grounds and the afternoon tea.
For an evening in the hotel restaurant, I put on a lightweight cashmere turtleneck, teamed it with leatherette leggings, black heeled boots, and LV scarf and a sparkle tweed beret. There was a short walk outside to the restaurant, so I popped the suede trench on again, the tan colourway contrasting nicely this time with the black; the trench and beret providing that touch of easy glam!
For the following day wandering around York and not least for my much anticipated Ivy breakfast, I wore my white long sleeve tee again as a base layer, a heavy weight taupe cashmere jumper, a silk scarf, fleece gilet and field coat. I wore my sand coloured jeans and shearling lined flat boots. The gilet, top and silk scarf looked smart enough while still being warm and the boots ensured my legs stayed cosy and they were a practical option for walking - still complementing the rest of the look.
General guidelines were weatherproof footwear that was suitable for walking and for cold and/or wet conditions. Multiple layers that could be removed and/or were reasonably smart, but casual and easy to wear. A large tote bag that could also accommodate my packaway travel rucksack should I need to carry more throughout the day (including any removed layers of clothing). Unlike last year, I was very comfortable all day and didn’t feel the cold at all.
General Pieces
Let’s have a look at some of the staples for this short break:
#1 – Long Sleeve White Tee - Sainsburys
This is a super soft base layer purchased cheap from Sainsburys. It is versatile and can be used in many ways, however, it’s perfect to layer under my sweaters during the cooler months.
#2 – Navy Cowl Neck Jumper - Duffy
This fine jumper is by Duffy. It’s a wool mix jumper with a cosy neck. I layered this over my white base layer. The colouring worked well with my woollen scarf. I bought this from a local store who specialise in sustainable fashion, during one of their cashmere sales. It’s a mid-weight knit but has a slightly fitted look.
#3 – Heavy Weight Cashmere Turtleneck – White Company
A lovely piece by the White Company. It’s a heavy weight knit and also longline and it is one of my warmest jumpers. It’s a lovely neutral colour that works with most pieces. When I initially bought this jumper two years ago, I utilised a 20% discount code. I wore this for the day/eve spent exploring York city centre and at the Christmas market.
#4 – Skinny Jeans
A sand coloured jean by B.S Jeans and another charity shop buy at just £4. These jeans are a very unique colour that seems hard to find and they really do polish up an autumnal outfit. I wore these for the day/eve in York. Also, I took a navy skinny jean – these are superb jeans and were bought very cheaply from the Lidl store. They are hard to beat in terms of fit, look and the colour wash. I wore these to travel in and for the Castle Howard afternoon tea.
#5 – Gilet – Holland Cooper
This fabulous fleece gilet by Holland Cooper is a recent purchase and is already turning out to be quite the workhorse in my seasonal wardrobe. It’s a lovely khaki green with faux leather trim, looks really smart, and it worked well in conjunction with my heavy weight cashmere knit to seal in that extra warmth for the day. Had I needed to, it would also be an easy layer to remove.
#6 – Lightweight Cashmere Knit - Duffy
Another item by Duffy, purchased in a local cashmere sale again from the same sustainable clothing store. It was a simple top that worked well for my evening look.
#7 – Leather Look Leggings – Heidi Klum for Lidl
These are hard to beat. They look and feel entirely authentic. They were part of the Heidi Klum range for Lidl and cost around £14. They are super warm. Sadly, they are a little big on me these days but are absolutely worth getting hold of if you see any on the pre-loved market.
Outerwear
#8 - Suede Trench Coat – Fairfax & Favor
This is a beautiful investment piece by Fairfax & Favor. It has a super soft Toscana trim. A trench that is both cosy and dressy.
#9 - Field Coat - Dubarry
This iconic Marlfield Jacket by Dubarry has been my favourite for the 10 years I’ve had it. I wore this around the city during the day. It has a nice cut, is very warm, and roomy enough to accommodate layers. It is also gore-tex, hence provides a level of waterproof protection.
#10 - Down Jacket - Rohan
This is the warmest jacket I own and its by Rohan (Nightfall Jacket). At over a decade old I got this hugely discounted in one of their sales. The unique feature of this jacket is that it is extremely light – lightweight outdoor items is at the corner stone of Rohan designs. It packs away into its own pouch and will keep you warm even if its minus 10 degrees, without the burden of added weight. The down is treated to offer some protection against moisture and the coat has a DWR coating.
#11 - Waterproof Parka - Rohan
Another Rohan item (Outpost Jacket is the official name) that is again a few years old but an essential item for the winter months. Chucked this in the car, where it lives some of the time when in transit. It’s a lovely khaki colour, looks quite smart, has a super well-fitting insulated hood and is fully waterproof (and warm). It proved fantastic for loading up the car during a heavy and continuous wet sleet storm on the day we were leaving.
Footwear
#12 – Shearling Lined Long Boots – Fairfax & Favor
In chocolate nubuck, these flat boots have a shearling lining and are an excellent choice for cold temperatures. They are flat with a heavy duty grippy sole meaning they are perfect for spending lots of time on your feet.
#13 – Heeled Shearling trim ankle boots - Burberry
These ankle boots are black and are by Burberry – purchased in a sale. I wore these in the evening to create a smarter look.
#14 Gore-tex Chelsea Boots - Dubarry
My go to mahogany leather flat Chelsea boots by Dubarry. They look smart but are very weatherproof as they’re gore-tex. I find they are super practical and work well to smarten up a look but will also hold up when having to walk through water or slush. Now 10 years old and still going strong! It’s great when you find a piece that gets used so much time and time again. That is what I call value for money!
Accessories
Silk Scarf – Holland Cooper
This silk scarf by Holland Cooper proved to be a very versatile accessory that looked smart when sitting down to eat in restaurants, but also provided a satisfactory level of warmth (silk is surprisingly warm).
Woolen Scarf - Fairfax & Favor
This scarf is a super versatile reversible scarf by Fairfax & Favor. I purchased this back in 2022. I wore this outdoorsy scarf when visiting Castle Howard as it went well with my navy items and provided a nice contrast to the tan trench coat. I also carried it in my bag during the day in York in case it got as cold as it did last year! It’s super warm and almost feels like a blanket! Thankfully I didn’t need it.
Tote Bag – Fairfax & Favor
The Fairfax & Favor Tetbury Tote in tan is a favourite of mine. A couple of years old now but it goes with pretty much everything and is big enough for me to carry everything that I might need. It’s my go to work bag, but is also useful for days out.
Travelite Packable Backpack - Rohan
This is by Rohan, one of my favourite outdoors brands who specialize in lightweight and packable options. This is feather light and packs away into its own zippered pouch and can be carried in even the smallest of handbags, ready for when you need it. It’s an absolutely fantastic item that I’ve used time and time again for foreign trips abroad as well as at home.
Crossbody Bag – Fairfax & Favor
This small chocolate suede cross body (Buckingham) is a great option for during the day. On this occasion I used it during the evening spent in the hotel bar or the restaurant.
Sparkle Tweed Beret - Chanel
This is a vintage Chanel piece that I bought around 16 years ago. It’s decorated with a vintage Chanel brooch. This simple piece in black dressed up the look for evening and worked surprisingly well with my tan trench coat.
Travel Wallet – Fairfax & Favor
The Salisbury travel wallet by Fairfax & Favor is perfect for carrying not only your money and cards, but it also has a large section that is great for carrying your mobile phone. The wallet fits nicely into the large pocket in the Tetbury Tote. I always feel very organized with this combination. It has a detachable wrist strap and could also be used as a clutch.
Leather Gloves – Fairfax & Favor
My Fairfax & Favor leather gloves (cashmere lined) kept my hands warm.
Bobble Hat – Fairfax & Favor
By Fairfax & Favor. The fleece lining keeps me extremely warm and it has a cheery faux fur bobble!
Large Square Scarf – Louis Vuitton
By Louis Vuitton. This worked for my evening work and complements the trench coat very well.
I hope this gives some inspiration for what to pack for your country to city type short breaks.
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