Inside an Editor’s Suitcase: What to Wear in Rome

Here’s why dresses are the best travel outfits: They are the secret to packing light, and the secret to looking instantly pulled together. My go-to dress, the one that saved so much space in my bag because I wore it constantly—making many other clothing garments unnecessary—was a sleeveless black linen one with buttons down the front from Reformation. It went with absolutely everything, could be dressed up or dressed down, and was comfortable, cool, and breathable in the heat of Rome (which surpassed 85 degrees). This was especially important when we were waiting in shadeless lines for attractions, like the Colosseum. They no longer have mine in stock, since I bought it years ago, but a similar available version is the Cheryl Knit Dress, which has gorgeous gold buttons. 

When in Rome, good sunglasses are a must. Not only because the sun burns so brightly there in the summer, but also to look the part. A chic pair of shades are a keystone of Italian style. Seriously: wherever you are in the world, an easy way to recognize an Italian is by the immaculate sunglasses, which they will probably be wearing even if in the rain. I brought this pair of Ray Bans in black (color no longer available but they still have gold in stock). Honestly, I sprung for them because I thought they looked like dupes of the pair Aubrey Plaza wore in The White Lotus.

Classics are classics for a reason, especially when it comes to footwear. When you know a shoe is working for you, you go with it. This is how I feel about my trusty pair of Tevas. Mine are what the brand calls “midform” height (a full inch thick, which gives my legs a much-needed lift since I’m fairly short) and have black leather straps. They’re my go-to city walking shoes in the summer, but they’re also ideal for rocky beaches and light warm-weather hikes. They’ve never blistered me one bit or made my feet sore, even on long travel days when I clocked 17,000 steps. I wore them every single day in Rome, and they were without a doubt the item in my suitcase that was working the hardest.

The Dakota Backpack from Dagne Dover has become my favorite carry-on ever. It’s sleek, stylish, and satisfyingly squishy, thanks to the neoprene fabric, but best of all, it has seemingly never-ending space. Seriously, it’s like Hermione’s magical bottomless bag. I can fit annoyingly huge over-ear headphones, multiple books and journals, a bulky sweatshirt, eyeglasses, sunglasses, makeup, a laptop, and all of my chargers in this bag. To boot, it has at least a dozen zippered compartments so everything  can be quickly and easily grabbed when rushing through an airport. 

I love shooting film rather than digital because it slows down your pace and requires patience. Stopping in your tracks and waiting for the perfect shot to line up opens your eyes to sights that would otherwise be missed. I have a Nikon SLR from the ‘80s that I bought off Etsy a few years ago, but instead I decided to bring a recent purchase: the Kodak Ektar Half-Frame Film Camera. This newly developed camera is perfect for travel because it’s extremely lightweight, not fragile, inexpensive, and most importantly, as a half-frame camera, takes double the number of shots per roll of film! Due to the half-frame feature, it also defaults to vertical orientation, which is ideal if you’re planning to scan any of the photos and post them on social media, as I probably will if they’re not all duds.

The most ideal clubbing dresses can be found at Superdown. They’re colorful, stretchy, look good on everyone, and its layered mesh fabric makes for an instantly unique look.

Okay, technically a shawl wasn’t in my suitcase. It was in the suitcase of my friend Justine, who I met with at the end of the trip and went on to travel more with. The camel-colored wrap she brought to Europe and graciously shared with me was the perfect layer to bring along to dinners on warm nights, when a leather or denim jacket would’ve been too hot and cumbersome to carry around. Somehow, a good shawl manages to be warm and lightweight at the same time. This option from J. Crew is the most similar one I can find to hers.