Whitney’s B’s Abroad 

Packing efficiently is not my strong suit but this time it was a breeze as I strategically filled my suitcase with some favorite Southern C Summit brands for a recent trip abroad to Paris, London and Norfolk! It’s always a treat to support the many creative entrepreneurs that make up The Southern Coterie and this trip afforded me just the opportunity to do so. 

Here are a few alum looks from my trip…

PARIS: 

This Tibi dress has stood the test of time! I bought it at least seven years ago, but a classic is always a classic. I wore it to dinner at Bar Vendome at the Ritz Paris for a very special celebration – my daughter’s 17th birthday! 

For jewelry, I paired it with one of my Jane Win necklaces – this one was perfect for Paris as it is adorned in French with the words ‘gardez votre coeur’  (guard your heart) which reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses. Lele Sadoughi pearl earrings were the perfect accessory to complete the look. 

What a fun surprise to find out that my friend and TSC alum Holly Phillips of The English Room and her precious daughter Violet were in Paris at the same time as us! Holly is so dear to our TSC community and has been to more Summit events than anyone besides Cheri and me – she came to the first one back in 2013 and has been with us since!

For a very long day of tours and thousands and thousands of steps at The Louvre, I paired this easy shirt dress with the comfiest and most stylish platform sandals and a crossbody bag from both BURU, jewelry was a Lizzie Fortunato necklace. This was perfect as it worked well for the day, and also the night, as we rolled right back to our hotel just in time to meet Holly and Violet at the legendary Bar Hemingway for a nightcap and lots of laughs!

For our Paris boat tour, I paired this cheery red linen dress with the cutest custom silk headband made by CB Grey, especially for 2023 TSC Summit attendees using our new branding and brand colors from the talented team at Fontaine Maury!  And my fun dotted heart necklace is from Croghan’s Jewel Box. Both winners as I received compliments all day. 

The next day found us touring the Palace of Versailles and this floral BURU shirtdress, paired with sneakers, was perfect to wear to view the gorgeous gardens and museum on what was an unseasonably hot day in France. 

LONDON: 

This BURU dress is a travel staple – comfy, stylish and easy to pack! Dress it up with heels for dinner or sneakers for a day of touring. For this trip, I wore it to a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the historic Shakespeare’s Globe. The theater is open-air so I took my black Tibi wrap (again – a classic from many, many years ago) as an extra layer. 

While in London, I also got to catch up with dear friends and TSC Summit alums Jordan Rhodes and Barrett Norman over breakfast at Annanbel’s (such a treat!) where they shared that they are soon to be releasing more editions of their beautiful guidebooks. Their London and Paris Glimpse Guidebook were such a great planning resource as are all their upscale city guides for locations including Florence, New York, Charleston, Aspen, New Orleans and Los Angeles. Not only are they full of great info + local insight and interviews, they are coffee table pretty with a sleek design and beautiful imagery. But the best part? 100% of their profits go to their social mission, Give A Glimpse, which gives underserved students the educational gift of travel! 

After the big cities, we slowed things down a bit and headed to the coast to visit dear friends in Norfolk. From the welcome dinner to time spent golfing, boating, sightseeing and exploring the beautiful English countryside, we had the best time and it was the perfect way to conclude our trip. 

*And while I didn’t get photos in each outfit (living in the moment!) other TSC alum brands that made it in my suitcase were: 

Emily McCarthy 

J. Lowrey 

Lenora

Mirth

Pearl 

Sissy Light 

Sue Sartor   

Transparent Sunglasses