Let’s talk about something that tends to cause a lot of stress: packing for a fall trip to Italy. I get it! Fall can mean sunny days and chilly evenings, and trying to pack light for such a trip can feel overwhelming. But after spending 11 weeks in Italy last fall, I learned a few packing tricks that made my trip a breeze, and I’m excited to share them all with you today!
You’re probably starting to feel anxious about packing light because you just don’t know how you’re going to dress for both summer-ish and fall, but no worries, I’ve got you covered with today’s blog post.
🧳 Today’s tips are going to help you save some precious space inside your suitcase! Get ready to learn about my best fall styling tips, the most versatile pieces I packed and the biggest mistakes I made.
Ready To Learn What To Pack For Fall in Italy? Let’s do it!
Truth: It’s not easy to pack light when you’re traveling to destinations that have different climates.
But there are certainly some things you can think about before you even start packing, and with just a few key pieces you’ll be able to pack that perfect suitcase that has exactly what you need.
You’ll have no problem dressing for those gorgeous sunny days, and you’ll also love your outfits as the temperatures drop.
You won’t be too hot or too cold!
How’s The Weather In Italy During The Fall:
First of all, it’s important for you to know that putting ‘Fall in Italy’ into one category and assume the weather will be like well, fall, can completely ruin your packing process.
If you take a look at half of my Italy outfits, they look more like summer looks. That’s because we always chase warm weather. So while we were in Italy from September to December last year, we planned to be in the north at the beginning of the trip, and started heading south after 4 weeks.
You really have to take into consideration the month of your visit and the specific region you’re heading to. The south in October is like the perfect ‘summer’ weather with sunny days and glorious 75-degrees on most days – While in the north it can be damp and cold.
It’s in the central-northern regions that you’ll need your rain boots and heavier jackets if you’re visiting in late October or after. But not in the south! ☀️
Relevant details about our trip:
- It lasted 11 weeks, from September to December.
- Weather was sunny, usually about 70 degrees. The coldest that it got was 48-50 degrees. We had very little rain.
- We had access to a washer at most of our Airbnbs.
So, what I’m trying to say here… don’t blindly copy someone else’s “Fall in Italy Packing List”. Check the weather one week before your trip, for every city you’re visiting! Make the necessary adjustments to your final packing list and make informed decisions based on the actual weather during the time of your visit, the region of the country you’re heading to, and the length of your trip.
🚫 No time to read this article? No worries! Download the full packing list, outfit ideas and top styling tips for this specific trip right here. (use it as a guide for any fall trip)
How To Master Layering For A Trip With Different Climates?
You will most likely have to dress for very different types of weather while in Italy, so here’s a quick run down on how to layer properly:
✅ Base layer: a plain long sleeve top (like these ones) that you will wear underneath your sweaters when needed – Don’t forget you can also wear this layering piece without a sweater! You can style it with a denim jacket or whatever jacket you choose to bring. Treat it like a normal top, so make sure it’s in good shape.
In this photo 👇🏼 I’m wearing my black long sleeve top with a printed midi skirt and white sneakers.
✅ Middle layer: your actual sweater. I’m a huge fan of cashmere because it keeps me warm. (QUINCE has dreamy Mongolian cashmere sweaters for $50!). Stay away from bulky sweaters. If you are traveling with one of those (because they’re so cute!), stick to just one and try to wear it on travel days so you don’t have to ever pack it.
But in general, I recommend traveling with simple (but cute!) V-necks & crewnecks.
For cute and affordable sweaters, I shop here. The quality is a hit or miss, but this striped sweater pictured above was $8 and I wore it non-stop for 3 months!
✅ Top layer: a jacket (this jacket will rarely be inside your suitcase, you’ll wear it on most of your travel days). The one you pick depends on how cold it will be at your destination. And you might need 2.
Last year I traveled with a packable lightweight puffer jacket and a black denim jacket. I used both. Sometimes at the same time LOL. That’s why I prefer a lightweight puffer instead of a bigger one. They’re easy to layer and take very little space.
👉🏻 Keep in mind: You won’t have to dress with 3 layers every day. But it’s important that you can wear all these layers separately too and that you can mix and match them with other pieces inside your suitcase.
This means that you have to be able to wear your base layer items on its own. Same for your middle and top layers.
General Things To Think About When Packing For Fall In Italy:
⭐️ When choosing your tops and dresses: stick to thicker (but not heavy) fabrics when it comes to your short sleeve tops and dresses. I wore sweater tops like the ones below with the black denim jacket, and it was warm enough for certain days.
These were cute outfits to explore during the day, but also to go out at night. Meaning, I didn’t end up changing twice a day = less pieces to pack!
⭐️ When choosing your skirts (and dresses): make sure you can style them with tights and a sweater. A simple sleeveless or short sleeve dress (like this one) is what you want to pack! You can do so much with it!!
The same styling tip applies to your skirts. Can you throw a sweater/jacket over it?
I didn’t have to pack booties or tights for this trip. But you might have to if you’re heading somewhere colder. So try to remember this tip about being able to style your skirts and dresses with tights and booties!
⭐️ When choosing your pants (and other bottom pieces): elastic waists will be your best friends. Let’s be real, a big reason why you’re going to Italy is because of all the food and wine, so set yourself for success and be comfortable!
These joggers stayed with me for the entire trip. Yes, they were a little bit tighter after 11 weeks, but they still fitted!
⭐️ When choosing your accessories: this is the best way to elevate any outfit. And it takes very little space. Choose the accessories you normally wear, but also think about including fun headbands, statement earrings and neck scarves. This type of accessory can really make any ‘basic’ look pop!
Also Read:
- How to always pack the right quantities!
- How to tackle long travel days.
- The 5 best shoes for travel.
My Favorite Travel Styling Tip!
If you’re someone who loves dresses (like me), you’ll love this space-saving tip! You will need to save all the space you can when packing for a trip like this. Those sweaters start taking over your suitcase fast!
So, instead of packing too many dresses, bring a top & bottom set. Here’s why ⬇️
You can wear them together and make it look like a dress, but you can also style them separately. This gives you way more flexibility than what a dress has to offer. And it takes the same amount of space!
Again, I’m not telling you not to pack dresses, but for most trips you’ll be fine with just one dress and a top & bottom set!
My top 3 places to buy top/bottom sets:
Don’t Want To Buy A New Top & Bottom Set? No Problem!
You can also do this on your own! For this trip, I wore a lot of black (which is not always the case), but you can do this with any neutral piece. That’s why I like to pack top and bottom pieces that are the same color!
🏆 The 7 Best Pieces I Packed For Fall In Italy:
- Stylish Joggers: these are cute, wrinkle free and have an elastic waist.
- White Sneakers: These are the exact ones I packed for this Italy trip – and these are the ones I just bought for the 3rd time!
- Pashmina: You know how much I love to travel with one of these for many reasons, but when it comes to packing for different climates, you will use it as a scarf and as an extra layer when needed. Especially at night!
- Crewneck Sweater: these are timeless, take little space and keep you warm!
- Leather Leggings: Only bring these if the weather is between 55-70 degrees. They’re not for really cold weather. They take little space and look super cute with sweaters and sneakers.
- Black Denim Jacket: I brought a black one but you can use any color that works for you. Just skip lighter colors because they get dirty fast and you’ll be wearing it a lot.
- Button Down Shirt: this is my favorite layering piece. They are so versatile. Make sure it matches with most pieces in your suitcase. You should be able to layer it over almost any top and under your sweaters as well. (a chambray one is a great one for fall!)
⭐️ Remember you can get the full packing list here! It’s seriously the best packing list I’ve ever made because I included the outfits, styling tips, details about the trip and the best pieces for each category!
All with the goal to help you make the best packing decisions according to your personal style and the details of your trip.
👉🏻 Pro tip: You will be creating ALL your travel outfits with pieces that are already in your suitcase!
These were some of my travel day looks ⬇️
More Fall In Italy Outfit Ideas: (with outfit formulas)
I wanted to share some of the best outfit formulas I came up with for this trip. And not the obvious ones, but the ones you might have not thought about yet!
#1 – Outfit formula: same color top & bottom + button down shirt + Birkenstocks
#2 – Outfit formula: long sleeve T-shirt + button down shirt + joggers + sneakers
#3 – Outfit formula: crewneck sweater + midi skirt + pashmina + sneakers
Things I Wish I Had Packed!
Italians are stylish. That’s a fact.
So there were definitely some pieces I observed locals were rocking that I wish I had packed:
- Navy Blazer
- Cool Sneakers
- High Waisted Wide Leg Pants (any color, but black, dark green and beige were the most common ones!)
My Fall In Italy Packing List: (remember this was for 11 weeks!)
👚 Tops: 12
👖 Bottoms: 5
🧥 Layering Pieces: 4
👗 Dresses: 1
👟 Shoes: 3
I put together the best packing list I’ve ever created! It only took me 2 days to make LOL so please, grab it here and save it! You might need it one day.
🍂 Fall In Italy FULL Packing List + Styling Tips 🇮🇹
This is the cutest and I think most useful packing list I’ve ever made! 🤩 I included photos, gave special imaginary trophies to my most styled pieces and shared more details about our trip.
*You can use this list as a guide for any European trip this time of the year. Not just Italy*
I listen to all your questions and I use them to create better products for you. All with the goal to help you travel light and in style. So thank you for sharing your feedback, asking questions and for contributing to making this little community my favorite corner of the internet 💛. (I hope it’s yours too)
Mistakes I Made When Packing For Fall In Italy:
🚫 I wish I had brought an extra sweater and 2 fewer short-sleeve tops. Towards the end of our trip it was always cold (for me), so I was wearing the same sweaters on repeat. In hindsight, I could have just gotten rid of a couple of pieces and just buy a new sweater. But we were spending way too much $$$ eating out, and because the trip in general was more expensive than what we’re used to, I didn’t want to buy something new just because. (I chose experiences *ahem Aperol Spritzes* over things)
🚫 I wore too much black for my taste. I love black, but instead of packing a black dress, I should have packed a different color. But I have to say that this was on purpose. I didn’t want to buy anything new for this trip, and that black dress was my only choice because I needed to bring a thicker fabric.
🚫 I packed too many toiletries! Your beauty products can take a TON of space. After this Italy trip I decided to switch to this brand for all my beauty needs. Why? Well because they have multi-purpose products and all their stuff is SO EFFECTIVE that I need to use less things to keep my skin glowing! (my 3 favorites are: the fancy face serum, the antioxidant balm and the plumping cream.)
Final Thoughts About Packing For Fall In Italy:
What do you think? Are you feeling ready to pack light for this kind of trip? Please remember to:
👉🏻 Check the weather one week in advance. These things change all the time. This is important!
👉🏻 Consider your own tolerance with temperatures. I am a wimp. I was born in Venezuela and spent most of my life with the Caribbean as my backyard. My ideal temperature is 85 degrees. I’m cold any time it’s below 78. What I’m trying to say is that I wear too many layers 😅 This probably looks very different for you, but that’s a good thing! You’ll need less things ;)
If you have any questions, don’t be shy and ask away.
I’m always happy to help!
XO,
Aimara
👉🏻 PS: remember to download my Fall in Italy packing list here.
About The Author:
Hi, my name is Aimara and I am the voice behind Ways of Style. I was born and raised in Venezuela until the age of 27 when I moved to Chicago, and 2 years later I met my best friend and husband. We now travel full time and live out of a carry-on bag, so believe me, I know a thing or two about how to maximize every single piece I own.
I love creating new looks, and looking cute while I’m traveling. And in this blog, I try to share all my looks, even if I don’t have the best photos ;) My goal is to help you maximize every piece you have in your closet and to encourage you to live with less things.
Need a little motivation before you start packing? Watch this 5-minute video I made for you ♥️
Related Articles You May Also Like:
1️⃣ What I packed for 6 months of travel.
2️⃣ Sweatpants VS Jeans – Which one is best for traveling?
3️⃣ The 15 best travel essentials!
Did you learn how to pack for fall in Italy today? Please pin it!
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