A cool girl's guide to euro summer

With unprecedented heat making its way through Europe this summer, the cool girls heading abroad have to think about not only looking the part — but actually surviving the temperature.

The heat, combined with notoriously stringent airline baggage rules (looking at you, Ryanair…) makes packing for even a week-long trip feel like an exercise in restraint. Practical and light will always be the sensible advice. But I am partial to packing luxuriously, even when limited to one carry-on. The locals in whichever city you're moving through are probably dressed beautifully — so who says you can't be too?

Even if you go the practical route, it's worth it to have one outfit — or one piece — that genuinely excites you. Whether that's your favourite kitten heels or the pearl earrings you've been waiting for the right moment to wear. Summer travel is sweaty and frustrating and occasionally delayed; bringing things that help you romanticize the mundane hours in transit makes all the difference.

Here are four outfit ideas to get you inspired:

For walking down cobblestone streets and snacking on tapas and sangria

A pop of color and a statement shoe — bonus points if they're comfortable too, like a pair of velvet flats — is one of the most effective ways to make a simple outfit feel considered. Leave enough room in your bag for essentials, but don't leave this look behind.

For reading with a cigarette and a black coffee in hand

A mini dress will always be the right call when you want to look effortless but can't stand the thought of layers on your body with no air conditioning in sight. Keep accessories minimal, the mood unhurried.

For walking the beach looking for the perfect shells to add to your collection

Channel your inner Scandi girl: a casual, solid-colored dress worn with your best jewelry and the right accessories. The pieces do the work so the outfit doesn't have to.

"The pieces do the work so the outfit doesn't have to."

For clubbing until the sun rises

This outfit is non-negotiable — especially if you find yourself in Spain or Portugal. Don't be the one making a last-minute run to Primark because you didn't pack the right shoes. Plan for at least one late, long evening.

You don't need a new wardrobe. You need the right pieces.

If you're feeling the pressure to buy an entirely new wardrobe for a week-long trip, remind yourself: you will enjoy it far more in the clothes you already love and feel most yourself in.

But if you still feel that itch to elevate something — especially in the jewelry department — consider a rental before you buy. These days, you can access extraordinary fine jewelry pieces through a membership with a brand like lumelle, which gives you real gold, real lab-grown diamonds, and pieces designed by independent jewelers, without the commitment of ownership. Quality pieces will also hold up to the heat in a way that a $15 ring from H&M simply won't.

Renting means you travel lighter, spend less, and still step out with something that turns heads in a Lisbon bar at 2am. That's probably worth more than whatever you'd impulse-buy before the trip.

Above all, stay cool — temperature-wise included.