What Summer Travel Always Reminds Me About Getting Dressed

There’s something about summer travel that always brings me back to the same conclusion: the best outfits are usually the simplest ones.

Every time I travel, I notice myself gravitating toward the same formulas. A beautifully tailored dress. A matching set. Crisp white cotton. A black dress that doesn’t need much else. Pieces that feel effortless because they’re thoughtfully designed, not because they’re overstyled.

It’s a good reminder that getting dressed well isn’t about packing more or finding the next trend. It’s about knowing what works for you.

I think we sometimes forget that. Fashion moves quickly, social media moves even faster, and it’s easy to feel like every outfit needs a new idea. But whenever I’m away, walking around London, grabbing coffee between meetings, heading to dinner after a long day—I always come back to the pieces that feel timeless. The ones that fit beautifully, mix together without much thought, and somehow make getting dressed easier instead of more complicated.

Lately, I’ve been thinking less about adding to an outfit and more about refining it. Better fabric. Better tailoring. Better proportions. Those are the things that quietly elevate a look far more than another accessory or another trend ever could.

One evening in London, I wore the most beautifully tailored black dress with a pair of leopard heels. That’s it. No statement jewelry. No complicated styling. Just clean lines and one unexpected element.

I’ve talked before about letting one piece carry the outfit, and this is exactly what I mean. The dress feels timeless. The leopard heel gives it personality. Together, it feels polished without trying too hard.

It’s proof that sometimes your best styling decision is simply... stopping.

I think people underestimate how versatile a really good white dress can be. It works walking through Notting Hill. It works for lunch. It works for dinner with a different shoe. It works layered under a sweater once September arrives.

When the shape is right, it becomes one of the hardest-working pieces in your wardrobe. Rather than buying five different dresses for five different occasions, I’d rather own one exceptional one that I genuinely love wearing.

If there is one thing travel reinforces, it’s that fit matters more than almost anything else. A beautifully cut dress will always look more expensive than an overly trendy one. A crisp silhouette always feels more memorable than an overly styled outfit. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always gravitated toward Theory. Their pieces aren’t trying to compete with you, they let the construction do the talking.

The result is clothing you actually wear instead of clothing that wears you.

One combination I kept reaching for was a white knit polo paired with a matching silk skirt. Simple. Clean. Quietly elegant.

There’s something about monochromatic dressing that instantly makes everything feel more considered. You aren’t thinking about matching colors or balancing prints—you simply let the silhouette become the focal point (THIS BLUE color is chefs kiss, the dress + matching cardigan… helloooo!)

It’s one of those outfits that feels just as appropriate for coffee in the morning as it does for dinner that evening with a change of shoe. Those are always my favorite kinds of clothes. The ones that adapt to your life instead of asking you to change for them.

Travel has always reminded me that great style isn’t built around having the biggest wardrobe. It’s built around having the right wardrobe. Pieces that fit beautifully and mix effortlessly. Because at the end of the day, the outfits I remember most aren’t necessarily the boldest ones. They’re the ones that made getting dressed feel easy.

• The black dress: the definition of timeless. I paired it with leopard heels and let the simplicity of the silhouette do all the work.

• The white boatneck dress: crisp, polished, and one of those pieces that instantly makes you feel put together from morning to night.

• The blue silk slip dress: perfect for warm evenings and one of those forever pieces that you’ll wear for years.

• The white linen knit polo + matching silk skirt: my most-worn combination of the trip. Effortless, elevated, and endlessly versatile.

Shop all looks HERE.

In partnership with Theory.