Ciao from Milan!

The Christmas markets open in just a few weeks, and my inbox and DMs are FULL of questions about what to pack for them. And for Christmas river cruises too!

So I'm pausing the Italy content for one week (it's back next Sunday, I promise!).

The good news? My Christmas market list and my river cruise list have a lot in common. The same tips work for both (and for any cold weather trip, really).

So let's start there 👇

7 tips for any cold weather trip:

1️⃣ Dark bottoms. Wet streets and slush show everything. On my list, that's my black cropped Ponte pants and burgundy corduroy pants. (you can wear cropped pants with warm socks, tights or booties to cover your ankles. Or just wear trousers or straight leg pants if that's more your thing. Just make sure most of your bottom pieces are on the darker side)

2️⃣ Every top goes with every bottom. This is how you find out if your list makes 12 outfits or just 5.

3️⃣ Merino first, cashmere on top. My white and black merino base layers go under my sweaters on the coldest days. Cashmere is warm, light and packs down small, so 4 cashmere sweaters take up less room than 2 bulky ones.

4️⃣ One great coat. Outside, nobody (you included) will know what's underneath, so the coat is the outfit everyone sees all day. Pick one you love, in a neutral that works with every piece on your list, and carry it with you on the plane. Mine for December Italy is this camel wool cocoon coat. For colder places, a long hooded down parka.

5️⃣ Layers you can take off. You'll go from a freezing street to a warm café to a warm dining room, all in one day. A cashmere wrap can stay on all night if the restaurant is chilly. This is also why having a base layer underneath your sweater is a good idea!

6️⃣ Accessories do the work. They weigh nothing and make the same sweaters look like different outfits. A tartan scarf turns plain sweaters into holiday outfits (see photo below), and a cashmere beanie goes from optional to every day in colder places.

7️⃣ Waterproof shoes with grip. And try them on with the thick socks you're actually packing. I'm bringing Vessi waterproof sneakers and sock booties. (we won't have snow, and winter here is on the milder side, so keep that in mind 😉 I don't recommend sneakers for the Austrian and German Christmas markets)

Before anything goes in the suitcase, try it all on at home: every layer under the coat, and every top with every bottom.

🎄 My Christmas market packing list

This is the third packing list I'm testing here in Italy, for 10 days of markets in December. We're heading to the Venice and Verona markets, plus a few little towns in between I can't wait to share with you!

These are the outfits I'll wear once the markets open.

I'm planning for highs in the high 30s to mid 40s°F (about 3 to 7°C). It drops after dark, which is exactly when the lights come on and everyone heads to the markets.

The list: 3 bottoms, 1 dress, 4 cashmere sweaters, 1 coat and 2 pairs of shoes. Mix and match them, and that's 12 outfits for 10 days.

I know this is hard to believe, but you can re-wear SO MUCH in the winter. I haven't sweated once since October, and I haven't washed any of my cashmere sweaters. I'm talking 4 to 5 wears and still going strong! (gross to some, yes, but remember we don't judge around here 😝. My point is that you will be fine! Pack less and bring all those amazing Christmas market souvenirs back home)

​See all 12 Christmas market outfits and the full packing list here.

🛳️ Your Christmas river cruise questions, answered:

A Christmas river cruise has been on our list for a while, and we'd love to do one next year.

I haven't done one yet, so everything about the ship comes from people who have. And this is of course just my perspective and what I would pack. But I also wanted to answer your most asked questions:

• "Will I keep up?" Excursions aren't mandatory, and many cruise lines offer slower walking groups.
• "What do I wear to dinner?" There are no formal nights on most river cruises. It's smart casual. The welcome and farewell dinners are a little dressier, but still not formal. (I watched this video on YT from my favorite travel bloggers, and it gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect)
• "What about the cobblestones?" Boots with good grip and support, broken in BEFORE you go.
• "And the gangways?" When ships dock side by side, you sometimes walk across another ship to get off. Wear grippy soles and keep your hands free with a crossbody.
• "What about the stairs?" Elevators usually don't reach the sun deck, so skip anything long you could trip on.

The 7 tips above all apply. Here's what's different on a cruise:

• Bottoms: pants that are all about the same length, so they work with the same boots, like black Ponte bootcut pants, charcoal Ponte trousers and slate navy cords. Make sure your hems don't touch the ground (it'll be harder to keep them clean, plus you'll get cold if they get wet)
• Shoes: no sneakers. Waterproof boots like the Blundstone, Blondo or VIVAIA Chelsea boots (Sorel if there's snow), plus these Quince loafers or VIVAIA flats for dinners on board. If this were me, I'd want a break from boots by dinner.
• Dinner pieces: a silk shirt, silk pants and a cashmere cardigan to layer or button all the way up and wear as a top.

My advice for the cruise: a top goes to dinner first, while it's fresh. After that, it goes under your coat at the markets, where nobody sees it anyway.

​Here's the full river cruise packing list with all 14 outfits.

I did include separate dinner tops, so this packing list breaks some of my "rules". However, it does fit in a carry-on because I was extra careful with fabrics.

Speaking of cold...

On November 1st, ON THE DOT, the weather here in Milan changed.

It's been rainy and in the 50s°F (about 10 to 15°C) ever since. We're struggling LOL (not really, but we do not like this weather AT ALL)

So what did we do? We booked a Caribbean cruise with Virgin Voyages for early next year 😅 We're both dreaming about sweating and seeing vibrant Caribbean colors!

So many of you recommended Virgin (it's adults only!), and guess what... I was also accepted into their affiliate program. This is huge for me!

I want to be clear: we paid for our cruise. Being an affiliate doesn't mean I get to cruise for free haha

What it means is that when you book your cruises using my link, Virgin pays me a small commission (and it costs you nothing extra).

They already have a Black Friday preview going, so honest question: are you booking a cruise with them?

If you are, please use this link. And if you're not ready to book yet, save this email so you have my link when you are. It helps support my business, so I can keep on testing packing lists and sharing them with you for free. We all win!

Next Sunday, we're back to Italy content with the full report of the first packing list I'm done testing: my mistakes, ALL 22 outfits, and how many times I wore each piece. (I definitely learned a few things on this trip)

See you then! Big hugs from Italy :)

XO,

Aimara

>>> PS: Thank you in advance for supporting my little business by using my affiliate links. You're literally the ones who make this whole thing possible, and that's why I try to make every email as useful as I can ♥️ I'm truly grateful to have you here.