dubai here i come...

EVERY FEW YEARS, DURING SUMMER HOLIDAY'S I TAKE A TRIP TO DUBAI to visit my dad since he's been living there since my parent's split. And this year I'm going again! Besides the fact that I'm going to be traveling ALONE in complete charge of taking care of my younger brother while we are in the airport and on the plane AND I'M FREAKING OUT, I am pretty excited. Excited of course because I'm going to be visiting my dad and also one of my best friends who recently moved there, but also super looking forward to all the shopping and walking around in the sun and all the glamorous places to dine. I'm leaving in 5 days and I obviously have to pack. It can be daunting but I thought this year, why not make it fun? In this post you're going to be seeing a whole bunch of items, some that I currently have, some that I don't, and some that I'm planning on going out to shop for before I leave. These few staple items are simple, fabulously chic when paired in a certain way, and are perfect for winter in Dubai - where it's still bright and sunny, but NOT as hot as Dubai in the summer. 

MY CARRY ON will probably have everything I need from toiletries, creams, sunglasses, my phone & charger & laptop & earphones (A MUST), a book, a magazine or two and anything that my brother might decide to throw in there since mum won't be travelling with us this time (again, I'm seriously freaking out). I love this tote. (Really, really want this). It's from Country Road and comes in a few other colours like rose gold and black, but I feel like the white is just so fresh and perfect for any summer outfit here, or winter outfit over there.  However, one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe is my dark green, leather backpack from Sportsgirl that I've filled with a collection of my most treasured pins and badges, and I have a feeling that I'll be taking that through as my carry on because while it's pretty and all, it's probably more convenient in my case.

WHEN IT COMES TO TOPS AND T-SHIRTS, I'm a big graphics fan especially when it comes to band merch, but in this case I'm planning on packing a few basic tee's and tops that I can literally dress up or down. Great thing for me is the fact that I wear a scarf, so I can decide to wear a plain white top but with the magic of the perfect scarf choice I can switch up my look easily. Another thing is, I'm going to Dubai... so I'm probably going to come back with more clothes than I originally left Melbourne with!! So I'm not too worried about how many tops I take. The important thing for me is whether I will be able to dress my outfit up or down depending on where I'm going and what I'm going to do, and that can be easily done with layering up with either cardigans, coats or bomber jackets, along with accessories, makeup and of course, the right scarf! Kind of like what you'd see Alexa Chung, Gigi Hadid or even Kendall Jenner, or really any celeb or model out there, wearing on a normal day roaming the streets of a city on their way to a meeting or a catch up with friends. They always seem to be pairing simple items with eye catching accessories and that make the outfit suit the occasion. I went searching for basics and I found that H&M was a huge help - especially with all the crazy sales going on, I managed to get myself several items (t-shirts, nice tops for night outings, pants, scarves, everything really) with each one costing like $10 and under. Glassons, Sportsgirl and a whole range of other really affordable stores like Cotton On, are great spots when you're in need of some staple pieces for any outfit, so make a note of that!

I LOVE JEANS. Black jeans, navy blue jeans, denim jeans, I've got all three of them and I literally wear jeans all the time if I could. But I've always really wanted culottes. If I can get my hands on a pair of stripped culottes and some black ones before I leave, the possibilities of my outfit choices would be endless. I'd just have to be able to find ones that aren't too short or maybe right above the ankle since I am covered and have to dress modestly and in a particular way (luckily it's not as constricting as it may sound).  There's this one picture of Vanessa Hudgens and she's wearing this flowy white blouse paired with these long pants that run effortlessly in the most beautiful shade of orange, and it's just exactly the look I'm going for, so chic, so effortless, so comfortable. The perfect pair of pants or even skirts (skirts are a must for any holiday) along with the perfect top, scarf and accessories could create the perfect summer here/winter there outfit, especially for a place like Dubai. So out of this, I've learned that for any holiday outfit, Flowy-ness is key people, trust me.

NOW, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ACCESSORIES AND BEAUTY I'll be taking my Mimco purses of course, but I do plan on getting my hands on this pastel green-y kinda coloured one, I mean look at it, how cute is that? My Mimco watch is something I always have on me and honestly it pretty much goes with everything and just looks so good on any outfit, night and day. Lipsticks and nail polishes will vary depending on the outfit choice as well as the time of day but I'll be packing lots of pinks, mauves and reddish-orangey colours (for lips), along with dark blues and light purples (for nails) and whatever else I can find while strolling through what I like to call, the heaven of shopping, Dubai Mall. Jewellery for me is usually a stack of rings on my fingers, a silver necklace with a pendant or two, or even a long simple earring that dangles from my ear out the side of my scarf for a more elegant accessorised look. I don't go crazy with accessories because although I can't call myself a minimalist, I do love that clean, sleek look that can be achieved without going overboard with chunks and chunks of jewellery. Get what I mean? When it comes to shoes, I'll probably be packing a range of flats, my go-to Vans sneakers and for nights out.... well I'll just head over to Nasty Gal (my favourite online store ever, ever, ever, ever) to have a look because I'm in desperate need of a nice pair of shoes before I go.

In simpler terms, all I want is to feel comfortable, and look good. Something everyone wants, but with these pieces I have a feeling it can be easily done. Simple outfits with eye catching accessories are what I'm going for, especially during the day, and when it comes to night outings, something along the lines of silky tops with a pairing of either a long skirt or pants. And I'm off!

See you later lovelies, see ya next year x

Love Mayy