What I Wore for Three Days in Brittany
Dressing for all types of weather, with a few pieces from my carry-on.
A couple of weeks ago, I hopped on the ferry with my parents and my other half and set sail for St Malo in Brittany. We’d booked an Airbnb in Dinard, just across the bay, and had a few days of exploring, eating galettes and drinking Cabernet Franc.
I’ve been to Brittany a few times, during childhood on camping holidays, and more recently, as a stopover last year during a trip to the Loire and Île de Ré. It’s a beautiful place but the weather can be… mixed. It’s on the northwest coast, so it can be windy and rainy, but it can also be sunny and hot. We experienced all of that in the three days we were there, so packing a small carry-on for all eventualities was a bit of a challenge. I managed though, opting for pieces that were light, layerable and could almost all work with each other.
What I Packed
Green chore jacket
Oversized ecru linen shirt
Oversized blue and white striped cotton shirt
Cropped black cotton trousers
Ecru linen trousers
Brown sleeveless silk top
Black leather sandals
Light canvas trainers
Basket bag
Jewellery: Beaded necklace, cord necklace, usual rings and a gold disc and pearl bracelet
Black sunglasses
A light wool jumper (thankfully not needed!)
Day One
The weather: 22°C, cloudy, gusts of wind now and again.
I wore this on day one after we’d checked into our Airbnb and headed out to dinner at Ritournelle Dinard, a wine bar and restaurant tucked away in Parc de Port-Breton, just across from the sea. It’s casual but the food and wine are excellent, with guest chefs on rotation — I’d head back in an instant.
I went for my trusty oversized linen shirt, a pair of cropped black trousers and my wear-everywhere Mary Janes, plus the basket bag that’s always my go-to when on holiday (and throughout summer in general, really). It was just the right amount of coverage to be able to sit outside for dinner and, as it turned out, just the right level of ‘dressed up’ for the casual spot.
The rest of this post is for paid subscribers. Behind the paywall, you’ll find a casual day-to-night outfit, an easy way to make a shirt-and-trousers look feel more “holiday”, and the best shops to get a classic Breton tee and French workwear-inspired clothing.