Subscribe 
Style In Transit: Zara Wong on the Art of Packing, Travelling & Dressing Well
From packing hacks to airport dressing, Zara Wong shares her style secrets.
For Zara Wong, good style has always started with pieces that work hard, especially when travel is involved.
Having spent much of her career moving between cities, flying from show to show, the former Vogue editor and voice behind Screenshot This (one of Australia’s leading Substack newsletters) knows a thing or two about life in transit.
These days, as a mum of two, the pace looks a little different. What hasn’t changed, though, is her focus on pieces that balance function with style. It’s a perspective that makes her latest collaboration with July feel so aligned.
Known for its design-led approach to travel, the Melbourne-born brand made luggage feel more fashionable, more personal. Together, they’ve created a 16-piece collection that blends thoughtful design and everyday practicality. The collab also marks a notable shift for July, with pieces that carry you beyond just the airport.
With the collection now live, we caught up with Zara to talk travel and style. From her exact airport outfit formula to the go-to labels keeping her wardrobe afloat, consider this your introduction to the art of packing, travelling and dressing well.
What’s your go-to airport outfit formula?
Pants with an elasticised waistband in a dressier fabric (Onte, Harris Tapper, A. Emery), t-shirt and a jacket or coat – a barn jacket for a more casual look, a blazer if you need to be a bit dressier, a trench or knit (obsessed with Muji menswear polo necks at the moment) if it’s cooler at the destination. I don’t usually wear sneakers, but they are more comfortable on a plane; I like my Onituska Tigers or Nike Daybreak.
What’s the one item you never travel without? After your July suitcase, of course.
My toiletry bag, and if you want something specific – my contact lenses! You can’t just buy them when you’re on holidays and I have bad eyesight.
You’re heading somewhere warm – what are the first three pieces going into your suitcase?
1. Swimmers: I’ve made the mistake of not packing them before! They’re small enough so they don’t take up lots of room. At the moment, I’m wearing Peony and Hunza G.
2. Large scarf: they’re so practical to wear when you get out of the pool, and to even tie around yourself to turn it into a top/skirt/dress. My tip is to search for good tutorials for scarf-made outfits on TikTok or Instagram. I managed to turn a P Johnson sarong-sized scarf into a one-shouldered dress.
3. Strappy flat sandals: I have a pair that I bought in Positano way back when from one of the tiny stalls but that is on its last few months of wear. I’ll be buying a pair from A. Emery next. You can wear these to the beach but also with a more dressier look.
Any general travel hacks or tips you swear by?
Flat pack. This is a hill I die on. When I used to travel for a month of a time for fashion weeks, I tested the most effective way to pack and this won out. It’s also faster, too.
Love this feature? You might also like…
18 Cool-Girl Jackets To Wear This Autumn
What are three wardrobe workhorses you’d buy again in an instant?
Elasticised waistband pants as above – especially in a bias cut with a slight sheen to them.
Maggie Marilyn Freddie jeans. I bought them a few years ago – they’re a straight-cut with a bit more of a relaxed feel without being entirely overwhelming with the shape so they go with everything. I don’t think they make it in my classic wash anymore – I’m relieved I bought them when I did!
Camilla & Marc trench coat. It doesn’t have the traditional collar so worked more seamlessly with different outfits. I wore it the majority of last year.
Which labels do you rely on when building an everyday wardrobe?
Harris Tapper, Camilla & Marc, Posse, Roucha, Vir Vita, Muji, COS, By Malene Birger, Beare Park, Zara, H&M, Onte. I love high low dressing. I’m sure I’ve missed something!
What’s on your fashion wishlist right now?
The Bulgari Doppio heart ring.
If you could add just one piece to your autumn/winter wardrobe this season, what would it be?
The Bambi jacket from Carelli.
What helps shape your style the most?
I really enjoy reading about fashion history – like Queen of Fashion about Marie Antoinette’s significance in French costume of that period, to more contemporary books like Andre Leon Talley’s memoirs. Then art and art history – just seeing how different colours, shapes and forms work together, and what they say about the era they are from. And of course, travel.
When you’re at home, what are some of your go-to spots?
Fave place to go for a fashion fix: Poepke, Maggie Marilyn in Paddington, Incu in the city.
Go-to coffee shop: Honestly, my Breville at home. If going out for to a cafe: Tento, Pina, AP Bread in Darlinghurst.
A hidden gem or local love (venue or nature): Not really hidden but really, just catching ferries around wherever possible. Civico 47, I Maccheroni, Paski for pastas. They’re maybe not entirely hidden but I think underrated compared to some other places in Sydney for Italian.
Best spot for a date night: Bar Copains, Osteria Mucca
Best kid-friendly spots: Bills, AP Bread in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, Tento, Pina.
Enjoyed this chat with fashion insider Zara Wong? You might also like our feature with Poppy Lissiman or our guide to nailing Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s minimalist style.
