Inside what a blogger really packs for Fashion Week

For anyone that’s never been to a Fashion Week, I’m going to let you into a little secret – they’re not all the glamour and glitz they appear to be. And yes, it would be wrong of me not to recognise that there definitely is a lot of that going on, but Fashion Week also comes with its fair share of not-so-glamourous aspects. We’re talking incredibly long days of rushing around (I think one time I did a 20 hour day – that’s a 6am get-up to submitting my final copy at 2am. Nasty.)

After day one of a Fashion Week, I’m often too tired to think about what I’m wearing – just grabbing whichever item of clothing is closest. But then it’s easy for me to get away with this as I’m not a fashion blogger who has all eyes (and street snapper lens) watching their every step. For a blogger, they can’t just grab their black tee and sunglasses and run out the door. Each outfit needs to reflect (and hopefully grow) their personal brand.

But if there are any of those ‘grab and go’ struggles going on behind closed doors, you would never know from looking at them. Each day (and sometimes more than once a day – gotta love an evening outfit change), top fashion bloggers attend show after show in immaculate outfits that have you craving a shopping spree.

So just how do they do it? For The Chriselle Factor blogger Chriselle Lim, it’s all about ensuring you have a variation on a theme: “I’m sure by now, you all have seen my hundreds upon hundreds of outfit changes during the many fashion weeks I’ve attended. More often than not, I am lucky enough to have some of my favourite fashion houses dress me for their shows, but if you were to ask what I actually pack in my own personal wardrobe, you would probably see a variation of the same things.”

In attendance at this year’s Paris Fashion Week, she reveals her five must-have fashion pieces for surviving the week in style.

1. Trench Coat
“There are MANY variations of the trench, but I recently purchased this oversized long ACNE trench before heading to Paris.”

2. Cosy Cream Sweater
“Another staple of mine for my Parisian wardrobe (not to mention my Cali wardrobe as well!) is the perfect cream sweater.”

3. Black Pants
“Black pants are one of those items that will go with anything in your wardrobe no matter what. I also try to look for new silhouettes of the same basics so I can change up my classic look here and there.”

4. Low Heel or Flats
“I usually ALWAYS bring a good pair of flats with me when I travel. But recently, I’ve also been loving these gorgeous white pointy block heels! First off, they are super stylish so I can wear them with every Fashion Week look, and second, they are uber comfortable so I can go all day without worrying about my feet (which is crucial during Fashion Week).”

5. Oversized Glasses
“Need I say more? I don’t think so…. besides the fact that I loved my original Céline’s so much that I bought the same style in black with a thinner frame.”