MariaOnPoint

A Perfect Getaway in Champagne, France And Everything I Packed to Get There

Maria Abad — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:53:29 +0000

DAY 1 DRESS: DOEN ISCHIA DRESS IN SALT | DAY 2 DRESS: STAUD MINI VINCENT DRESS | DAY 3 DRESS: FARM RIO DRESS (FROM LAST YEAR BUT THIS IS SIMILAR SHORTER VERSION)

Champagne had been on my bucket list for years — so when it was finally time to go, I promised myself I’d do it the way I do everything now: simply, intentionally, and with one carry-on. For my birthday this year, we turned that bucket list into a road trip — Reims to Épernay to Verzy, chasing bubbly through some of the most storied maisons in the world. It was everything I’d hoped for: cobblestone streets, rosé at a vineyard picnic, and a lot of very good champagne. But if you’ve followed along for a while, you know I can’t talk about a trip without talking about what I packed for it — because for me, the two are inseparable.

Every look in this post, from the vineyard mornings to the Paris evenings before, came out of a single carry-on. Nothing sat unworn, nothing got left behind, and I never once had to unpack a full suitcase at a new hotel. That’s the whole point of packing intentionally after 40: fewer pieces, more outfits, and a lot less to think about — so you can just enjoy where you are. Champagne was the second half of the celebration — the quieter, slower half after a weekend in Paris for my birthday (if you missed that post, it’s here). And through both, it was the same carry-on. Not a single new piece added between cities, nothing swapped out for the next stop.

Day 1: Reims
Morning: Started our day at Maison Ruinart tasting some bubbly. You can do a tour, have an extravagant lunch or dinner or simply swing by to enjoy a tasting or a couple of glasses of their champagne and walk around the beautiful property, which is surrounded by stunning art installations. Google reviews may say that you can’t go unless you have a reservation, don’t pay attention to it. We went and had a great time! I wore this cute Doen Ischia dress that was perfect for French countryside, versatile, comfortable and simple yet elegant. Light for the hotter afternoons and beautiful for champagne tastings throughout the day.

Afternoon: Cafe Clicquot
Early lunch at Cafe Cliquot because I’m a fan, love the story of Widow Cliquot, such a strong boss woman role model; I’ve been to their Carnival in Miami and had to swing by their only permanent Cafe. When in Reims, right?

Evening: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre site, sat across from it and just looked at it for a while, every corner was so breathtaking, walked all over town, the cobblestone square is cute. Plenty of cafes and restaurants to go to go for a glass of champagne, wine or whatever you are in the mood for. You can have a cheese plate or a full dinner. The city center has more popular places from high end to quick bites and the shops of course. You can vary depending on your mood.

Day 2: Épernay
Morning: Started at Château Comtesse Lafond because I had this pinned for the longest time. Did a tasting, learned about the house and sat in their courtyard just enjoying a leisurely morning. Next on the list was to walk the Avenue de Champagne, yes, that’s the actual name. It’s a UNESCO mile filled with some of the most expensive champagne in the world right now underneath you. You can take your pick at museums, hotels, cave tours, tastings or simply pop into one or many of the champagne houses and gardens. No reservations needed, only for the tours.

Afternoon: Moët & Chandon bar. Enjoyed a cold glass of Dom in their beautiful patio, then switched to their garden for another glass to switch up the scenery. Swing by the Perrier-Jouet garden bar, adorable! Afternoon: Pressoria Museum, great spot to learn about Champagne region and end up with a tasting overlooking the vineyards.

Evening: Back in Reims for a little tasting at Champagne Jacquart, quaint, quiet and everything we needed before wandering for dinner. I wore my Staud mini Vincent dress for a pop of color and to bear the hottest afternoon we had in Champagne. It’s simple but never boring, add a cute hat and you’re golden! Later did a tour at Thienot champagne house, it’s a newer champagne house but their story is one worth knowing. The perseverance, the modern twist and vision and how they make every space count, plus they have a rooftop with great city views.

Day 3: Verzy
The Veuve Clicquot picnic at Manoir de Verzy was cute, we were welcomed with rose champagne, toured the property, stunning by the way, enjoyed a long picnic and half a bottle, took the other half home and had a little bit before we went out again because none will be wasted on my watch! I wore this Farm Rio dress (from last year but similar here), which was made for weekends, and chillier days. Thank goodness it was cloudy because outdoor picnic and heat was not on my list. The crochet trim and floral print on this dress were perfection, and I had been waiting all summer to wear it again.

By the end of the trip, I’d worn everything I packed — some pieces more than once, and I loved that just as much. There’s a real kind of relief in not overpacking: no living out of a suitcase, no repacking chaos at every hotel, nothing left behind unworn. Just the pieces I actually needed, chosen well, and worn often. That’s the part I hope you take away from this one — not just Champagne (though go, it’s everything), but the reminder that you don’t need more to feel put together. You need the right things. Quality over quantity, always. Simple, sophisticated, intentional — that’s the whole approach, and it’s never let me down yet. Cheers to Champagne, to birthdays, and to traveling light.

Style Is Confidence: Turning 42 in Paris

Maria Abad — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 12:15:44 +0000

TOP: ZARA ZW COLLECTION PEPLUM TOP | SKIRT: ZARA FEATHER SKIRT ZW COLLECTION LIMITED EDITION | SHOES: TONY BIANCO CAPRICE HEELS (THE ROW DUPE HEELS FOR A 10% OF THE PRICE) | NECKLACE: ARENA ROJA MAREA BAJA NECKLACE.

This entire look is Zara. The peplum top, the feathered skirt, the beaded bag, the whole silhouette that stopped me in the middle of the Palais Royal courtyard on my 42nd birthday — high street, top to bottom. And I’ve never felt more like myself in an outfit. The philosophy behind the look. Style evolves. What I reach for now isn’t what I reached for in my twenties, and it’ll probably keep changing — that’s part of the fun of it. But one thing has stayed constant through every version of my style: confidence. It’s not the dress that makes you look good. It’s how the dress makes you feel — and that feeling is what actually reads on the outside.

You can put the exact same outfit on two women and get two completely different results, because style was never really about the garment. It’s about what happens when something feels like you. That’s when it stops being clothing and starts being confidence you can see. It’s deciding that a peplum silhouette works for your body. It’s deciding that pearls and gold layered together read as intentional, not mismatched. It’s deciding that a beaded floral bag isn’t “too much” for a feather skirt — it’s exactly enough. None of those decisions have anything to do with a price tag. They have everything to do with knowing what makes you feel like you, and then committing to it.

That’s the whole idea behind “dress for the life you want.” Not the life you think you have to earn first, with the “right” wardrobe or the “right” budget or the “right” brands. The life you’re already living, dressed like you know it. Turning 42. I chose Paris for this birthday on purpose. There’s something about this city that makes you want to dress a little more like the woman you’re becoming and a little less like you’re apologizing for taking up space. Forty-two doesn’t need permission to feel like this — polished, a little dramatic, fully yourself. Standing in that courtyard, sunglasses on, feathers moving in the wind — I wasn’t thinking about where anything came from.

I was thinking about how it felt to wear it. The real lesson. Style is confidence. Full stop. The brand doesn’t dress you — you do. Styling is the skill; the label is just packaging. Today, I wanted to lead with the why before the what — because the why is the part that actually changes how you get dressed every morning. Here’s to 42, to Paris, and to wearing exactly what makes you feel like the best version of yourself — regardless of what’s on the tag.

One Shirt, Two Ways: Airport to Dinner Without Repacking

Maria Abad — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:34:22 +0000

SHIRT: OVERSIZED SHIRT | PANTS: AMAZON VIRAL PANTS.

If you’ve been following along on @mariajabad, you saw the reel — plain white shirt, Amazon pants, Away carry-on, and out the door. That’s the whole trick. No overthinking, no five outfit changes crammed into one bag. Just pieces that already work, worn in a way that works harder.
Here’s the thing about getting dressed after 40: it’s not about having more clothes, it’s about having the right clothes and knowing how to rework them. I don’t buy for one outfit anymore. I buy for versions of an outfit. That white shirt isn’t a “travel shirt,” it’s just a shirt I already own, and I build the day around it.

The Formula

1. Start with a shirt you already trust. Crisp, plain, white (or off-white if you’re avoiding the stark bright-white-under-airport-lights look). It shouldn’t need ironing to look intentional. If it wrinkles into “lived-in” instead of “slept in a car,” that’s your shirt.

2. Pants that do double duty: The Amazon pants work precisely because they’re not trying too hard — a relaxed straight or slightly wide leg, a fabric with a little stretch, a color that isn’t fussy. Comfortable enough for a security line, structured enough that nobody can tell you’ve been sitting for four hours.

3. Jeans, for the same shirt, different mood. Swap the travel pants for a good pair of jeans — mid-rise, straight or slightly relaxed, nothing you have to suck in for — and suddenly the exact same white shirt reads “dinner,” not “departure gate.” Tuck it in loosely, roll the sleeves once, add a shoe with a heel or a clean flat, and you’ve changed the entire outfit without touching 80% of it.

Why This Works Over 40.

We already know: quantity isn’t the goal. A closet full of “cute” that you never reach for isn’t a wardrobe, it’s clutter with good intentions.

The shirt-and-pants formula works because: It travels light — literally. One carry-on, two outfits, zero stress about overpacking. It photographs well without trying — clean lines read as put-together in every airport bathroom mirror selfie. It’s actually comfortable — no waistband digging in on a five-hour flight, no fabric that needs a steamer at the hotel. It reworks what you own — this isn’t a shopping list, it’s a reminder to look at your closet differently before you buy anything new.

The Real Styling Trick

The difference between “airport” and “dinner ready” isn’t the shirt — it’s the bottom half, the shoes, and about ninety seconds of effort. Travel pants and sneakers get you through TSA. Swap in the jeans and a low heel or a clean loafer, and you’re at the table looking like you didn’t just get off a plane. That’s my whole philosophy: style what you own, wear it more than once, and stop treating “put together” like it requires a suitcase full of options. One good shirt. Two bottoms. All the confidence. Both options are great for easy travel day.

Style What I Own: The Same Carry-On Does Sicily

Maria Abad — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:52:42 +0000

If you followed along for 7 days in Puglia with one carry-on, you know the drill by now — same bag, same handful of pieces, endless outfits. After Puglia, I didn’t go home. I kept moving, same suitcase, straight into Sicily: 24 hours in Palermo, 24 hours in Taormina, 24 hours in Syracusa, and four slower days in Agrigento to close it out. Different island, same philosophy: comfortable, versatile, easy to move in. Sicily in summer means a lot of walking, a lot of sun, and outfits that need to go from cobblestones to dinner without a costume change. Here’s how the carry-on held up.

Palermo for 12 hours: Landed very late, went to hotel, woke up and took on the town. Sprinted through markets, churches, and walked a lot, so the outfit had to keep up. I leaned on my most breathable pieces and comfortable shoes I could walk in for hours without thinking about them. Nothing precious, nothing that couldn’t take the heat. Rewore this Wayfr cotton A-line dress to feel put together but take on the heat. I got the cutest leather clutch for 5 Euros from a man sitting with his friends in the market selling old trinkets they had collected. They were all retired, some had lost their wives but kept coming to the market every day as that is what they were used to.

Taormina for 24 hours: Taormina is all hills and views, so I wanted something polished enough for the piazza and our anniversary lunch at Rosso, in San Domenico Palace at the Four Seasons so I wore my Staud dress. After taking in all the wonderful views, wondered through the gardens, I changed into shorts and a bodysuit, practical for the climb up to the Greek theatre and the afternoon heat. This is where the mix-and-match really earned its keep — the same pieces from Puglia, restyled to feel a little dressier for our wonderful lunch. Don’t miss the Fondazione Mazzullo, the gardens are beautiful!

Syracusa for 24 hours: Syracusa’s Ortigia old town is made for wandering, and the heat here was some of the strongest of the whole trip. I kept things light and loose, layering the same basics differently so the carousel never repeats itself even though the suitcase barely changed. Amazon skirt that is an MVP in my closet, versatile, comfortable and I can wear it from day to evening. This little hat came in handy as we wondered in town after breakfast but at a slower pace. We already walked everywhere the day before after dinner, much cooler.

Agrigento for 4 days: This is where the trip slowed down, and where the wardrobe had to flex the most. My hotel looked straight out over the Valley of the Temples, so mornings were spent by the pool, afternoons walking the Scala dei Turchi, and evenings watching the temples light up at sunset. Four days meant real rotation — poolside cover-ups by day, the same comfortable walking pieces for the Scala dei Turchi’s chalky white cliffs, and easy, breezy layers for evenings among the temples. Pareos, same Amazon skirt styled with an oversized tee this time, same as I did back in Hamburg last month.

The takeaway: One carry-on, two regions, thirteen days, and not once did I feel like I was missing something. That’s the whole point of “style what I own” — not more clothes, just smarter ones. Pieces that mix, that breathe, that don’t ask you to choose between comfort and looking put together.Full outfit breakdowns and shop-the-look links in previous posts — as always, you can catch the day-by-day on Instagram @mariajabad.