By Guest Blogger Ashley McAfee

Have you just booked up your Winter City Break with Barrhead Travel? Whether you’re heading to London, Prague or Milan, here are this season’s key pieces that’ll have you looking effortlessly chic from boarding the plane to touching back down at your local airport!

Over the knee boots

No Winter City Break would be complete without the over the knee leather boots are one of this season’s major trends, with the bonus that they can be worn casual or dressed up. The boots accentuate the legs and will definitely make a statement in cities full of style icons. Perhaps opting for a flat or block heel is more sensible if you are going to be doing a lot of walking…or maybe you want to take on the fashionista challenge and go for heels – after all, they say you need to suffer for your art!

This trend can be worn over jeans, with shorts and even with a dress, so wherever you’re headed to, you’ll look the part. Try mixing up textures, pairing suede boots with an oversized wool dress for a classic yet comfortable look.

The cape and wrap

The personalised Burberry blanket cape/wrap became one of London Fashion Week A/W14’s most photographed and iconic items. If Burberry’s outwith your budget, and let’s face it, for many of us it is, there are now lots of less pricey alternatives on the high street, in many variations. The wraps look amazing over layers, which ultimately will keep you incredibly warm if you’re heading off to a chilly destination. You can also use a belt to add definition to the waistline and change the look of the cape, getting more wear on your weekend break. Picture yourself shopping on Regent Street in London wrapped up for the weather with your stylish cover-up, or strolling the Camps Elysees in Paris in this season’s must-have.

Fedora Hat

The fedora hat has been present for a few seasons now, and it’s popularity stems from the fact that it can completely transform an outfit, whether it be for day or night. Choosing a black fedora will perhaps increase the wearability – after all, you can’t go wrong with black, because it goes with (almost) everything! Of course, there are functional benefits of the hat too, including hiding a bad hair day and keeping your head warm, whilst ultimately creating a stylish look.

Sports Luxe

The sports luxe trend has been a continuously popular look for the past few seasons, due to the increasing consumer demand for sportswear which is not solely for sports purposes. The trend simply takes inspiration from sportswear and combines that with leading fashion trends. There is nothing worse than travelling when you are uncomfortable; whether that be passing through security, during your flight or commuting from the airport, so this trend allows travellers to be comfortable and fashion-forward at the same. Lightweight fabrics are easy to wear and keep you cool, leaving you fresher when arriving at your destination. So ditch the skinny jeans for the flight and save them for the city!

Tote Bag

Finally, whether it’s branded Mango or Mulberry, you can’t go wrong with a statement tote bag. Not only is it an ideal size for hand luggage, but it can double up for carrying those sightseeing essentials – after all, we ladies need space for our cameras, maps, money, makeup and perhaps even a selfie stick? This season the tote bag is structured taller and slimmer, and be sure to opt for lighter shade to stand out in the crowd and make your fellow tourists and the locals ghreen with envy.