Guest Post: Outfit Ideas - City Break, Day to Night by Amy

Here's another guest post for you while I'm away in Paris, this time from Amy of Scarlett Fashion (the same Amy that I'm in Paris with!) I hope you enjoy it.

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My name is Amy and I blog for Scarlett Fashion. I'm doing a guest post for Hayley while she's off gallivanting in Paris! 

The inspiration for the post actually came from this. While taking a city break, especially in one of the fashion capitals of the world, you want to make sure you have enough clothes so you're not dressing the same every day, especially if you're a blogger (for photographing reasons obviously!) but not so many that you don't have any room in you suitcase for the all important shopping haul. You also want to cram in as many activities as possible so you often don't have much time to pop back to the hotel and change your outfit completely. This is where packing a few transitional pieces can come in handy. 

Transitional items of clothing are items of clothing that can be worn day or night. I'm a mother with a child under two, which means I barely go out anymore, so my wardrobe is crammed full of clothes that I can be worn during the day or dressed up to wear on an evening out. That way everything I own is getting a fair amount of usage so it feels worth the money. This can also work in the case of going on a trip. Good quality black leggings for example, you can wear them with a comfy jumper or t-shirt during the day and if you're going out in the evening, simply slip on a sparkly top and a pair of heels, you're good to go.

I've put together two outfits featuring a transitional piece that would be great for a city break in the autumn. The transitional piece I've chosen is this absolutely gorgeous Butterfly Tunic Dress by Yumi, £49. In my experience Yumi clothing is great quality with gorgeous patterns. This dress in particular is perfect for the autumn as it's knitted, but because of the colours and the pattern it can be worn in the evening or during the day. I'd team it with plain black tights for both day and in the evening, in my opinion H&M do the best black tights that are great value for money!

For day out exploring the city, I've teamed the dress with an amazing Mohair Blend Cardigan in cream, £39.99 from H&M. Although it's also knitted, it's a completely different texture from the dress and it looks so warm! Perfect for beating that autumn chill. I'm not sure about anyone else but I love the look of snoods with cardigan for the autumn rather than putting on the winter coat early. This Fluffy Red Snood, £7.99 is a bargain and would work lovely with the red butterflies in the dress. When packing for a short break, shoes seem to be something that take up the most room in the suitcase so I always try and take only two pairs, both in black as black goes with everything, one flat for roaming the streets during the day and a pair of comfortable heels for the evening (just in case you find a fantastic place to go dancing). In my experience, New Look has a great selection of shoes and at a great price. They also seem to last longer than other reasonably priced shoes and i've never experienced them rubbing (including wearing them for long shifts at work as a waitress!) I've chosen these super cute Chunky Tassel Loafers, £17.99. They look like they'd go with most outfits. Finally, the bag. For me, mustard and autumn fashion go hand in hand which is why I'm so drawn to this Missco Girl Shopper Tote, £42. While everyone else is rushing out to get the infamous Zara City bag, I much prefer this because a) it's mustard and b) it's different. I can't deal with following the crowd! The mustard is also a fantastic addition to the creams, blacks and reds of the rest of the outfit. 

On holiday you usually head out for some good food and drinks in the evening, right? So I've put together an outfit once again using the same dress and black tights combo but I've looked at it from a more grungy point of view. Swapping the cream cardigan for a Black Leather Biker Jacket much like this one from B.young, £103.99. I always see leather jackets as an investment. My parents have had theirs since before I was born (hello 25 years) and mine has served me for 7 so far. I know real leather isn't for everyone but I find them a great investment. Statement necklaces are a great way to turn an outfit around for an evening, I love this Intrigue Antique Silver Finish Necklace, £11.99, I think it would look wonderful under the bar lights. As I mentioned above, one pair of black heels is essential, I love these Wedge Buckle Boots, £24.99 as they have that grunge look and would look great with the leather jacket. The heel is also not so big that they'd get uncomfortable after a few hours of wear. I like to know I'm able to walk in my heels especially when I'm somewhere new because you never know when you might end up lost. Finally I've chosen this Black and Nude Mini Satchel, £15.99 from New Look to complete the look. When you're on holiday you're more likely to want to take a bigger than usual bag out with you in the evening, this one is the perfect size and it has a twist lock which are notoriously more difficult to open, which in turn protects your valuables from pick pockets. 

I think when you're packing for a trip away you make sure you choose items of clothing you can wear on more than one occasion, even if it's not in the same day. I also think accessorising with items that would go with more than one outfit is essential. This doesn't always necessarily mean black. Look for common colours in your clothing even if it is only grey or cream, being able to pack interchangeable accessories will mean different outfits but also room in your case to bring your shopping home, which we all know is vital if you're going by plane!