European Summer Outfits + Packing List (2024)

Summer is by far the most popular time to visit Europe! The weather is hot and sunny, the towns come alive with locals and tourists, and you get to wear cute European Summer outfits.

Despite the crowds, there is something special about a quintessential European Summer. Picture beaches dotted with colorful towels and umbrellas, restaurants filled with fellow travelers enjoying lunch with a view, and bustling streets with the sound of many languages.

Flouncing around Europe in summer dresses is one of those times you have to stop and pinch yourself to know you aren’t just dreaming!

In addition to European Summer dresses, I’ve also compiled a list of tops, bottoms, swim, and accessories.

The main and most popular summer months in Europe are July and August. Europe in the summer has high energy and everything is open, including the seasonal restaurants that close during the off-season.

European Summer is typically centered around trips to coastal destinations in the Mediterranean like Greece, Italy, and Spain. Being able to jump into the sea to cool off on a hot day is magical!

European Summer is also when you can expect the most crowds, hot European Summer weather, and the highest accommodation prices.

If you still want the benefits of European Summer without the downsides, try visiting during the shoulder months of May, early/mid-June, or September! During these months you will still have hot weather in most places, but there are fewer crowds and prices are typically lower.

Capsule Wardrobe: Packing with a color palette creates a nice capsule wardrobe with tops/bottoms that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. You will have more space for European souvenirs and still have many different outfits to wear!

Carry-On Only: This is a personal preference and if you prefer to check a suitcase or two, I will not stop you! During my month-long trip to Europe, I found that a large suitcase slowed me down too much. If you can swing it, packing just a carry-on makes your destination hopping much smoother.

Pack For Comfort: The scratchy dress that looks really cute may easily ruin your day if it’s a constant annoyance. Skip it and pack something soft and comfortable instead (it can still be really cute!).

If you absolutely need a photo in an uncomfortable dress, and you have room for it in your luggage, pack it in your backpack/purse and change into it for a photo, then change back into a more comfortable outfit.

Pick Accommodations With Washer/Dryer: I love to find VRBOs that have a washer and dryer so I can wash my clothes halfway through the trip to re-wear them all! It makes it easier to pack super light and be able to wear fresh clothes again.

Pack Items You Like To Wear: This may seem like an obvious tip, but I know I’m not the only person who magically thinks I’ll wear a top on vacation despite not wearing it even once in the last two years. Pack clothes you actually enjoy wearing regularly!

I also try to buy clothes at least a few weeks before my trip so I can wear them multiple times before to ensure they’re comfortable and make me feel good when I’m wearing them.

These are the basic, non-clothing items I recommend packing for your European Summer adventure. They’re what I pack for the majority of my trips!

• Anti-theft backpack: A stylish but practical backpack that you can wear around every day as you explore. The zipper is on the backside so pickpocketers can’t access the contents.

• Sunscreen: Do not forget to pack your sunscreen! Ensure you use something reef-friendly to avoid harmful chemicals leeching into the sea as you swim. Coola is reef-safe, cruelty-free, and doesn’t have a white cast. You can get it from Amazon, Ulta, or Sephora.

• Shampoo/Conditioner Bars: Save liquid space in your carry-on and replace your liquid shampoo/conditioner with bars! I’ve used them for years now and love them, especially for travel. Get 20% off your first purchase if you shop through this link!

• Heatless curls tool: This gives me the perfect curls overnight when I wear it on my almost-fully dried hair. If you don’t want to pack this and save space, you can also just use a pair of leggings for the same results!

• Mosquito repellent: Summer brings mosquitos, and I tried going without bug repellent in Corfu and ended up with giant, itchy bites all over. Since then, mosquito repellent has come with me on any summer trip where mosquitos are present.

My favorite thing to wear in Europe is a dress! It’s one piece of clothing that makes up a whole outfit so you don’t have to even think about putting an outfit together. Just throw on the dress, maybe accessorize with jewelry or a hair scarf, and you’re done!

They are also comfortable, ideal for hot weather, and easy to take on/off if you plan on wearing a swimsuit underneath to swim in the sea.

Where To Get European Summer Dresses

• Sezane: Paris-inspired styles that are perfect for a trip to France. Their dresses can be worn for upscale dinners, a day exploring the city, or a trip to the art museums.

• Fortunate One: Here you’ll find summer styles that are perfect for a Mediterranean European Summer filled with beach days, lunches by the sea, and days walking around the town.

• VRG GRL: Australian-based brand with sustainable styles that would complement a beachy, coastal trip well with natural fabrics like cotton and linen that breathe well in heat.

• Sabo Skirt: Another Australian-based brand with unique collections that use illustrated patterns in addition to solid fabrics. Perfect for a trip to one of the countries in the Mediterranean!

• Lulus: Known for its wedding guest styles and vacation wear, Lulus is the perfect place to shop for effortless resort styles.

• Free People: This is the place for long, flowy dresses. They carry multiple brands, including Spell and Selkie, in addition to their in-house collection.

• Reformation: For classy, timeless dresses you will want to wear over and over again, invest in a Reformation dress or two (or three, I’m not judging!). Their Juliet dress is my favorite style, but I also love the Kourtney dress for a European Summer dress.

• For Love & Lemons: Shop here for more lacey, cottagecore-style dresses that would be adorable to wear in the European countryside.

• House of CB: The dresses from House of CB range in style. Some are ideal for a fancy dinner out in a big city, while others would suit the European countryside well.

• Abercrombie & Fitch: Their clothing is all such high quality and I have worn it repeatedly for years. The dresses are nice — I wore a couple in Malta!

• Show Me Your Mumu: Beachy, boho-style clothing can be found at Show Me Your Mumu. It’s perfect for more casual styles and a laid-back, beachy trip.

• Revolve: There is a wide range of brands at Revolve to choose from, many of which are on the higher end of style and price.

White is my go-to color for all things European Summer, including tops! It looks great in photos, is flattering on almost everyone, and doesn’t attract heat on those hot summer days.

Especially for tops, where the sun hits the most, light colors are ideal for both comfort and style. If you can, stick with, breathable fibers like cotton and linen. Although people recommend against polyester in the heat, I find poly blends are still pretty comfortable.

Skirts, flowy pants, and shorts are all ideal for European Summer outfits. Anything that gives some breathing space will be the most comfortable on hot European Summer days.

I like to wear things that are both comfortable and stylish enough for photos! Comfort is key, but you can still look great while also being comfortable.

Midi and maxi skirts are perfect because they’re airy and protect your skin from the sun without making you overheat. I also love palazzo pants or any other sort of lightweight, flowy pants.

Shorts and short skirts work too, but you do have to be mindful of sun exposure and ensure you put on plenty of sunscreen (the back of the knees are a spot I always miss!).

On hot summer days I don’t love to wear tons of jewelry since it can get uncomfortable when you sweat or if the sun beats down on it. Instead, accessories with sunglasses, hats, hair scarves, and bags — all practical accessories that still add to the overall outfit.

Accessories can level up an outfit if paired well. If you’re already packing with a color palette/capsule wardrobe, choose accessories that will go well with the majority of your clothes so you can mix and match them each day.

If your European Summer destination is coastal, swimwear will undoubtedly be on your packing list. I usually bring 2-3 swimsuits so I can rotate them out as the others are hanging up to dry after each wear.

White swimwear always looks amazing against the gorgeous blue sea, but people wear clothing in all colors during European Summer. Choose whatever colors you prefer!

I love white and blue swimwear since it matches well with the landscapes of a coastal European Summer destination, but I also love orange if you want to stand out against the blues of the sea.

It’s tempting to overpack for a 10-day European Summer trip and I will not stop you if you want to bring your whole closet!

Alternatively, if you want to travel a bit lighter and worry less about putting together outfits, this is my capsule wardrobe recommendation.

It’s mostly whites and earthy tones in linen and cotton fabrics, making it easy to mix and match pieces for multiple wears throughout your trip.

You can swap the pieces for a different color palette of your choosing and follow the type of clothing item (ex: skirt, dress, etc.) instead. My list below is just clothing/shoes/accessories —don’t forget all your other necessities like toiletries, bags/backpacks, socks/underwear, etc.

These are just my recommendations and not at all the rules. I hope it’s helpful!

10-Day European Summer Packing List

Tops

Pack four sleeveless or short-sleeved tops that can be paired with any bottoms.

• Fortunate One White Crop Top

• VRGGRL Button-Front Top (comes in multiple colors)

• Abercrombie Essential Scoop Tank (comes in multiple colors)

• Free People Seamless Tank Top (comes in multiple colors)

Pack one long-sleeve flowy top to wear over swimwear or your outfit.

• Abercrombie Oversized Long Sleeve

Bottoms

Pack four bottoms —you can split this up whichever way you prefer, but I’ve split it into one pair of pants, one skirt, and two pairs of shorts.

• Abercrombie Linen-Blend Pull-On Pants (comes in multiple colors)

• Reformation Linen Skirt With Pockets or Amalie The Label White Linen/Cotton Skirt

• Abercrombie Linen-Blend Pull-On Shorts (comes in multiple colors)

• Reformation Linen Shorts

Dresses

Pack three dresses. Ideally one nicer dress for a fancy dinner out and two dresses that can be comfortably worn throughout the day.

• Reformation Juliette Dress

• Fortunate One White Midi Dress

• Abercrombie Tiered Maxi Dress or Free People Cotton Maxi Dress

Accessories

I keep accessories to a minimum since too many can be uncomfortable in the heat, but I like to pack basics that are also practical!

• ASOS Sunglasses

• Free People Bandana

• Free People Packable Hat

Shoes

Pack one pair of sandals you can wear while walking around and for a nice dinner, one pair of water shoes for rocky shores, and one pair of comfortable shoes for hiking or long days of walking.

• Sandals

• Water Shoes

• Walking/Trail Shoes

These are some ideas to help you plan your packing with a color palette in mind. It’s been the most helpful way for me to pack since it makes everything match and go together well!