To pack or not to pack?
It is no secret that I love fashion! I watch and take note of everything around me. Why would you want to go out there looking your worst? There is enough ugliness around us. Doesn’t your day go better when you are at your best?
I have a friend that is getting ready to go to a wedding in India. She is using her guest room to organize clothes for the four-day-event. She is a gemologist and studied in Italy. She knows her stuff!
The wedding invitation came in the form of a book. She was surprised and excited to see what she will be doing. (The groom will ride through town on an elephant in a parade.) What do you wear to that?
I am getting ready to go to Scottsdale. It doesn’t entail anything like that, but I do have to have clothes for warm climate and I live with snow! It is hard for me to switch gears.
Do you remember when people used to dress up a bit to fly? Now anything goes. I remember the girls from the east coast that changed into their pajamas to fly with us to Australia. My friend Richard, who recently passed away and had a career in men’s clothing, used to remind me that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
I travel wearing jeans a white t-shirt and a black blazer. (That is an old Whoopie Goldberg idea.) I then have a jacket that I can dress up or down, and a pair of jeans that are heavy to pack. It has worked in all my travels no matter where I am going.
I recently read a tip from model Heidi Klum. She buys her t-shirts in the boys’ departments. I have found great, white t-shirts with a pocket in the boys’ department at Wal Mart for $5.00 They are a nice, heavy knit fabric.
If the boy’s sizes are smaller than you would need, then buy them in the men’s department. They are perfect for pairing with a blazer or wearing solo with jeans.
When we travel out of the country, we are limited on what we can take. I always pack with the same plan. I add to the jeans, t-shirt, and black blazer.
I take one black skirt, one black pair of slacks, and one pair of comfortable walking shoes. (Being a shoe person, that just about kills me! Anything comfortable rarely has the style that I like.) I usually get phone calls from friends to remind me to pack comfortable shoes. They hate pain!
I take t-shirts and tops that will coordinate with everything. I take a waterproof jacket and umbrella. I also take a dressy shoe and a little, black dress. I mix and match all through my journey.
It makes packing much easier and I don’t dread it so much. It varies a bit depending on where I am going. (It is sometimes damp and chilly in England and Scotland, so I take a wool black blazer.)
Remember…….if you are a shopper, the more you pack, the less you can bring back with you! I once bought a pair of shoes in Florence, Italy and when I got to Rome and wanted to wear them, I found two left shoes in the box! I have always wondered who got the right shoes?
Have fun with your upcoming travels. The anticipation is half the fun!
Love, Chris
