Style Files: Exploring the Irish Coast

[This post features items ℅ Blacks Outdoor and Millets Outdoor Store. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Our trip to Ireland was one of my favorite trips to plan during our time living abroad. Not sure if it was the allure of vast rolling green countryside or the fact that we were visiting an English speaking country for once, but we were so excited to finally be able to explore all Ireland had to offer. We spread out our 4-day visit among a number of different areas of Ireland…many with different terrain and weather, but all super flippin' gorgeous. 

When packing for our trip, I remember telling D to pack boots, gloves, and a heavy coat. Even though we were visiting towards the beginning of spring and Europe had already been giving us some unseasonably lovely weather, I knew we still needed warm duds. Ireland is known for having bouts of rain, sharp winds, and mud puddles the size of a Guinness hangover, so being prepared for all of the above seemed like the safest bet. The insanely kind folks over at Blacks sent over a fabulous Jack Wolfskin 3-in-1 coat for me to stay dry and warm during our Cliffs of Moher experience. While the sun shined for most of the day, thank goodness for that coat! It saved me from the multiple random hail showers we encountered along the coast. Seriously, it sun-hailed like 7 different times over the course of our 9 hour tour. Ireland weather might just be more bizarre than Germany weather, if you can imagine such a thing. And just a note (because I wish someone would have told me this years ago)--if you guys are scratching your head thinking you've never heard of the Jack Wolfskin brand before…it's because JW is a European retailer (German, to be exact!). When D and I first moved to Germany, we noticed everyone around town sporting Jack Wolfskin attire, but neither of us had never ever heard of him before our time abroad. A few short weeks later, I bought my first rain jacket from Jack W and have only grown to love the brand more as I keep adding pieces to my wardrobe. Especially since my Jack gear keeps me looking European. Note to future expats to Germany…buy Jack Wolfskin anything and you'll blend right in. Swear it! 

Another seriously awesome piece of Ireland-necessary wardrobe? These North Face Etip gloves. They are a blogger/instagrammer/smartphone-lovers DREAM! When that Millets box arrived in my mailbox, I had no idea I'd fall in love with a pair of gloves so much. With one fingertip, I could toggle any touchscreen WITHOUT having to take my gloves off. I spent all of Christmas market season sliding my gloves off and on, freezing my hands to ice cubes just to snap photos with my iPhone. In Ireland, I Instagrammed to my hearts content thanks to my new gloves. I know we're on the brink of summer, but seriously, y'all…go do yourself a favor and stock up on a pair of these for next winter. I may have to book a ski trip just be able to use these bad boys again. Thanks, Florida. ;)

I'm happy to report my new coat, gloves, and even my favorite wellies were well used and appreciated during our Ireland adventure. After traveling all around Europe the last 3 years, I've learned to invest in quality pieces that are not only cute, but also hold up to whatever terrain or weather condition I might put them through. You tend get more milage from the good stuff. This dynamic duo definitely passed the test! 

Look out for more from the Cliffs of Moher this week!

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