An exclusive peek into the best activities during Paris Fashion Week.

The first week of March in Paris is a bubbling slough of slender heels and long jackets, heels which are mostly inappropriate in an old city where the brick roads are paved with slick spring rain. Alas the idealized romance of Paris during Fashion Week has been whittled down here to a packing shortlist; here are the stylish essentials to be ready for any twist you might run into in the City of Light.

Don’t Forget The Data

The streets of Paris are a notorious web of crooked roads. A couple of years ago, we decided to try and navigate via screenshots of Google Maps instead of buying extra cell service. A supper out at La Belle Epoque ended by trekking the seedy blocks around Saint-Denis, scoring for a wifi signal to message our hosts for the front door code. Check with your phone provider and make sure you’re set up with a travel plan, with data.

Visit Jardin du Palais Royal

There is beautiful greenery everywhere! If you have an afternoon free we suggest you check out the Jardin du Palais Royal. The block is like a huge park, enclosed by a rectangle of arched-in shops and showrooms. Part of the park is also man made, with pillars painted in black and white stripes sprung at different levels (which is insta-worthy). Check out the slinked mink curtain in the Rick Owens store located in the shops surrounding the Palais Royal before you move onto the Louvre grounds nearby. Pack a collapsible umbrella for walking, park and shopping days like these.

Pack Lots of Black

Paris is moody – match it by packing your bags with a look that is all black. You might stumble upon a grass green Balmain trench at the vintage stores near the Hotel de Ville (city hall), so when you have to wear that “I am cool and I shop vintage” hue to lunch the next day, you’re set with a dark wardrobe that matches any outfit vamp or outing occasion, like say to the Catacombs in the 14th. All black also bodes well for work days turned to suppers out at night. Bring a pair of black jeans, a pullover and black boots to take you far through the je ne sais quoi attitude of day to night in Paris.

Tote Bags are Essential

In case you have a meeting to attend, another essential includes a tote bag like these from the Parisian accessories brand Longchamp. We travelled with one on a full flight and it easily fit into our suitcase so we didn’t have to check our handbags or our carry on. Longchamp totes fold up flat and they double as a shopping bag for groceries on a Saturday at grocery chain Carrefour (sometimes the grocery stores are closed on Sundays). A light cross body bag can carry your passport while you travel and be reused as an evening bag or a wallet – we like these at Louison Paris – a little sparkle for a moody all black outfit, non?

How do you pack for a busy week away? Let us know your essentials @holrmagazine