City Chic: Here’s What I Packed For A Weekend Staycation

My Refinery29 Australia friend and colleague, Maggie Zhou, is an advocate for the city staycation. Once every two-or-so-months she packs a bag and heads into the city to relax and enjoy her hometown like a tourist. 

Rather than splurging on a plane ticket or hiring a car to head to the country, I recently took a leaf out of Zhou’s book and organised a staycation for myself and my partner. And let’s just say; I’m hooked. 

But what do you pack when you’re only away for a night or two? Here are all of my must-haves for your next city staycation.

Like staycations, I’ve also recently been converted to a smartwatch. So much so that it was a must-have for a city staycation.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is super sleek and with changeable straps, it could match each of my holiday outfits. The watch connects to your phone through Bluetooth and came in super handy when keeping track of my (many) steps as I traipsed across the city from the gallery to the restaurant.

It also meant I could keep my Samsung Galaxy S22 series in my back pocket to really soak up the whole being-a-tourist-in-my-own-city thing.

Underwear may seem like an obvious item to pack for a trip away, but choosing the right underwear is an art. Australian-owned brand Lé Buns is always my first choice for travelling, so unsurprisingly made it into my luggage for the long weekend.

Lé Buns specialises in organic cotton underwear and intimates and tbh, they're so comfy. Would pack them for a staycation (or vacation) any time.

After six freezing-cold winters in Melbourne, I’ve finally invested in a puffer jacket (I'm late to the party, I know). I truly don’t know how I lasted so long without one but layering the unisex Uniqlo U Recycled Down Jacket over my weekend outfits made me feel like a toasty cinnamon bun (as I ate a cinnamon bun from the South Melbourne market).

Staycation or otherwise, this sunscreen is a must-have. The cult classic is hydrating and not overpowered with fragrance. It also has a protective SPF of 50+ which frankly, we should all be wearing every day.

'Tis the season of the trench, girlies. Melbourne’s unofficial uniform this winter, my Friends With Frank Avery trench coat feels more like an old friend than a jacket. And isn’t that the way we should feel about all of our clothes?

I recently got it dry-cleaned so it felt as fresh and new as the day I brought it home. A perfect transitional piece that helped me go from brunch to the gallery to the AFL.

What’s a holiday without a night of skincare? I brought this Susanne Kaufmann Enzyme Peel to the hotel to soak in the luxe vibes. It’s perfect for dull, wintery skin that’s feeling dehydrated. An essential for battling the truly arctic wind Australia is having this season.

Yes, it’s winter but we’re still being sun smart. These Stevie Luv Lou sunglasses in black are a 90s dream and accompanied me on my staycation. They’re giving off-duty model vibes and helped my daydream of being in Europe rather than Australia feel realistic. A+ for staycation accessorising.