When moving to the United Kingdom there will be lots of things you will want to bring: personal memorabilia, photos, clothes, shoes, books, etc. As a massive over-packer, I tried to bring as many things as possible when I moved to Scotland. I, however, did not use it all. I thought I would write up a list of the 10 things I found to be most important to bring along for a trip to the UK.
Shoes:
1) Wellies (Wellies is the British term for rain boots).
Don’t ask questions, you will need them and you will be thankful on rainy days to be wearing waterproof boots (big woolly socks also add to the comfort).
2) Good walking shoes.
If you are new to a country and want to discover, you will probably be brought to walk A LOT. Personally my good walking shoes are converse, but to each their own, right?
3) Sandals.
Ha! Just joking! If you plan on visiting other countries during the summer while you’re in Europe, then you should probably just buy a pair once you’re there.
…Real 3) A closed boot.
Ankle boots are my personal favourite at the moments. They are good to dress casual but also to go out (you can get them with a higher heel too). Since they are closed, it makes them perfect with the constant mild weather of the UK.
Clothes:
4) Raincoat/Trench
A good raincoat is a must in the UK. Also, living in Scotland, I found that having a winter coat that is waterproof goes a long way.
5) Jumpers.
The weather is really fickle in the UK, so layers are the way to survive. Having a jumper on top of a lighter layer and under a jacket might just help you get through the British weather.
6) Evening/black tie outfit.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, it is always good to have a go-to outfit for when you need to dress up. Brits just know how to dress up and they don’t go halfway! I went to a university with a massive ball culture and ended up needing a lot of dresses and nice pumps (and by ‘need’ I mean I jumped at the opportunity to dress up every month or so).
7) Leggings/tights.
Leggings and tights are your friends. This is again a question of layers. Shorts, skirts and dresses will probably feel better with a layer underneath. So it keeps you stylish while keeping you warm!
8) Scarves.
The great thing about scarves is that they work as accessory and clothing at the same time. Scarves are great to hide into when the biting wind is hitting your face on a cold morning. It also is a great way to add colour and texture to an outfit.
Miscellaneous:
9) Products you love.
Some brands, especially some that are specific to the region you’re from, might not be available in the UK so you might want to stock up before leaving if you can’t live without them.
10) Umbrella.
That might depend on where in the UK you are heading. The east coast of Fife is crazy windy and I know more than one person who went through multiple umbrellas in a year. Sometimes the wind just makes the umbrella redundant.
Do you agree? Anything to add to my list? What are some of your essentials?