It’s hard to believe that I was swimming in the Mediterranean Sea on the morning of my flight back to New York from Monaco just over a week ago, a practice I highly recommend as a pre-travel pick-me-up. I’d spent a total of seven days between the municipality and Nice, France, covering all things fashion and Formula One with BWT Alpine F1 Team for the Monaco Grand Prix. It was the trip of a lifetime, something I knew would be the case long before I touched down in the French Riviera. This is why I spent weeks meticulously planning my outfits. Before I’d even done my interview prep (stay tuned for that), I had built a Google Drive to organise the potential contents of my two suitcases. As this was perhaps the most significant dressing opportunity of my 28 years thus far, I felt I had to do it right.
Everyone I asked ahead of my travels told me that Monaco pretty much epitomised the old money, quiet luxury trend. They said to expect a lot of white linen, neutral colours, and quintessential designer pieces like Hermès Kellys and Oran sandals, Loro Piana L27 mini bags, and Chanel cap-toe slingbacks. I did see all of those things on multiple occasions, but since my budget was limited and I don’t own any of those items, I pretty much chose to throw out all of the packing advice I was given and go rogue.
With 75-degree days on the forecast for almost the entire time I was away (with the exception of one very wet afternoon), I set out to plan outfits that felt like me, picking pieces I knew I’d be excited to wear and document. For the first few days, I set aside outfits that were easy and casual but still elegant and refined. Later, as the biggest F1 weekend of the year commenced, my looks got a touch more intentional. Scroll down to find out exactly what I mean, where I’ve laid out all eight of my hand-chosen ensembles from the week I just spent in Monte Carlo. There’s Prada and Zara, H&M and Tory Burch, Dissh and Bottega Veneta—essentially, I packed a little bit of everything. Shocker, no packed item, apart from one dress, went unworn. Impressive, I know.
Outfit 1: Explore Nice and Settle In
Since we flew overnight from New York to Nice, I definitely needed some downtime to get acquainted to the new time zone, unpack, and, of course, go to a French pharmacy and stock up on products that aren’t available in the States. Immediately upon arriving at the hotel, I changed out of my plane clothes—a charcoal cashmere sweater from J.Crew and my favourite Tibi Tuck Jeans that feel like sweatpants but look like they were on the runway (because they were)—and into a fresh, temperature-appropriate ensemble. I’d been eyeing this halter top from Zara for weeks because of how Khaite-like it appeared online, and I was beyond thrilled to discover that it is just as good in-person as it looked on Zara’s website. I paired it with long, dark-wash denim shorts, and together, the pieces felt easy but nice at the same time.
Shop the Look:
This simple knit halter top will make any outfit look expensive.
Next
Dark Blue Longline Denim Shorts
A slightly longer pair of shorts will add an elegant feel to the outfit.
Bottega Veneta
Small Drop Earrings
An investment you won’t regret.
Outfit 2: Lunch at Le Plongeoir in Nice
I’ve heard so much about Le Plongeoir from friends who’ve been there and TikTok reviews, but I never thought I’d actually go there. When I saw the famous seaside restaurant on our trip’s itinerary, I knew I wanted to wear something fun for the occasion. To enjoy ceviche and grilled octopus with waves crashing against the seawall as background music, I picked two pieces from one of this season’s earlier Zara drops, a super-lightweight brown V-neck sweater and a patterned linen pencil skirt coloured in shades of pink and burgundy. These two items were actually styled together on the website, prompting me to get both. The skirt especially called my name. I feel like it gives a sort of Marni-meets-Prada vibe that I fell for immediately.
Shop the Look:
zara
Basic V-Neck Knit Sweater
Brown is just as versatile as black.
Zara
Linen-Blend Pencil Skirt
JENNY BIRD
Puffy Silver-Dipped Hoop Earrings
An elevated twist on the classic hoop earring.
Outfit 3: Dinner in Nice
Since lunch was quite the occasion—let’s just say that it took a significant amount of time and effort to get the reservation—our group wanted dinner to be on the low-maintenance side, so we popped into an adorable, twinkle-lit restaurant for fresh fish and homemade pasta. I’ve owned this H&M halter dress for a few months now and haven’t yet had the chance to wear it. I nearly didn’t even bring it on this trip, but I had some extra room in my check bag and figured, Why not? Suffice to say, it ended up being the perfect choice for our evening, which ended at a great dive with even better live music. Did I mention that it’s £28?
Shop the Look:
H&M
Rib-Knit Halterneck Dress
LE SPECS
Outta Love Oval-Frame Polycarbonate Sunglasses
You don’t have to spend loads on chic-looking sunglasses.
Prada
Re-Edition 1995 brushed-leather medium handbag
Perfect for holidays as well as the office, this bag is so versatile.
Outfit 4: Exploring Monaco and Vintage Alpine Car Tour
For our first day in Monaco, we had plans to meet Alpine driver Esteban Ocon and get a tour around one of the French car brand’s oldest and most prestigious models from the 1970s: the Alpine Renault Berlinette 1300. As someone who clearly loves cars, especially vintage ones, I was psyched, leading me to choose my best outfit of the trip for this occasion.
I’ve been obsessed with Prada’s S/S 22 collection ever since it debuted on the runway at Milan Fashion Week, searching for pieces from it at The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and eBay every morning for years. Just before my Monaco trip, I finally scored a knit skort from the collection at a fantastic price, practically forcing me to bring it along. I styled the brown bottoms with a white sleeveless tee from Zara’s latest Studio Collection and my go-to black satin mules from BY FAR that I’ve broken in to the extent that they’re essentially as comfortable as trainers at this point.
After chatting with Ocon and getting an impromptu joy ride around the streets of Monte Carlo, we decided to adventure around the municipality, stopping to do some shopping—both vintage and new, including Prada, Zara, and Bottega Veneta—before heading to dinner at Crazy Pizza, a restaurant located literally on Circuit de Monaco.
Shop the Look:
The logo belt is such a nice touch.
Though my heels from the day before are my most comfortable, they’re still heels, so with media day being so jam-packed in Monaco, I knew I had to select an outfit that worked with flats for the busy schedule ahead. My solution was this white mixed-media maxi from Zara. I paired it with leopard-print ballet flats that feel like you’re wearing nothing at all (bless) and my favourite Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag that surprisingly fits so much and can be worn in three ways. This makes it great for those situations when you need to be hands-free, like, for instance, when you’re interviewing F1 drivers!
After my interviews with Alpine driver Pierre Gasly and Ocon, I spent some time exploring the F1 paddock, especially Alpine’s garage. From the balcony above, you can see Gasly performing more of his media-day duties, being filmed explaining the dozens of different, very important functions on his steering wheel. After our own commitments were completed, we headed back to Nice and enjoyed a sunset dinner on the rooftop at Le Méridien Nice, a seaside hotel with stunning views and even better frites.
Shop the Look:
A white maxi dress is a summer staple.
Sézane
Matilda Ballerinas
Cheetah print will never date.
Outfit 6: Free Practice 1 and 2 at the Monaco Grand Prix
For Free Practice 1 and 2 on the Friday of the Monaco Grand Prix, I was an outfit repeater, but luckily, that’s never something I’d ashamed about, especially when I’m living out of a suitcase. I loved the way this Zara halter looked with denim shorts, but I wanted to dress it up a little bit the second time I wore it. I swapped out the jeans for my new favorite capris from Donni that I’ve been wearing nonstop ever since I got them a few months ago. Because everything from this outfit was super stretchy and comfortable, I felt ready to bring the heels back out.
We watched both practice sessions from a balcony above Alpine’s garage, giving us the absolute best view of the pits and turn 15 and 16, which arrive after Monaco’s famous swimming pool.
Shop the Look:
Bottega Veneta
Small Andiamo
The bow on this is so cute.
DONNI.
The Rib Petal Pusher
Pedal pushers are a big trend for 2024.
Alexandre de Paris
Slim Tortoiseshell Headband
A chic way to keep your hair out of your face during the warmer months.
Outfit 7: Qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix
Qualifying in Monaco is what race day is at practically every other race on the F1 calendar. The streets are so tight, and modern F1 cars are so big that the position you start in on Sunday is usually the same one you end in, barring any major crashes or strategic errors. Knowing that, when I went about deciding what to wear on Quali day, I knew I wanted it to be my best, most standout outfit of the trip. This is how I ended up watching the excitement unfold in a draped silk-jersey minidress from Tory Burch’s S/S 24 runway collection that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I watched it debut way back in September 2023. It’s a perfect dress—period—which worked out great since Saturday was a perfect day.
We were lucky enough to watch qualifying from Alpine’s yacht, which offered a view of the straight between the Nouvelle Chicane (turns 10 and 11) and Tabac (turn 12) and some truly stellar catering, including dessert trays full of madeleines, macarons, and more. The look was just the icing on top.
Shop the Look:
Tory Burch
Silk Jersey Dress
I predict this colour is going to be very popular for summer 2024.
Outfit 8: Race Day at the Monaco Grand Prix
Qualifying is often called the most important day of the Monaco Grand Prix, but given that this year saw a local Monégasque driver start from pole position (first place), race day was hardly chill. I had initially planned to wear a red Prada dress from the same S/S 22 collection as my skort, knowing that it was fit for the occasion. However, when I found out that we’d once again be watching from the Alpine boat, I decided against a fitted pencil dress, as the shape is not exactly flexible enough for boarding and deboarding a yacht via rope ladder. Instead, I opted for this casual but still polished ensemble. Specifically, I chose a cropped white V-neck knit from Zara and some old Proenza Schouler chinos that are perfect for wearing with ballet flats.
The race began with a whole lot of chaos, but after lap one, things mellowed out significantly. In the end, Gasly scored his first points of the season in 10th place, which our group celebrated beautifully with entire pizzas at our go-to restaurant just a few streets up from the paddock entrance. By way of a miracle, no sauce made it onto my sweater or pants, further proving that this trip was an epic success.
Shop the Look:
zara
Basic Elbow-Length Sleeve Knit Sweater
This sweater gives off major quiet luxury vibes.
Róhe
Pleated Cotton Wide-Leg Pants
So easy to dress up or down.
