packing Archives

Trying to Forecast Weather – Packing for May in Ireland!

Honestly, if I could tell you with any degree of certainty what the weather is going to be in May in Ireland, I would be doing something to make a fortune, like buying penny stocks and selling them for millions of dollars. The weather requires that level of omniscient genius!

But you can be strategic, right? Let's start with a beautiful photograph of an Ireland shore, to help define a color palette:

Okay, time for strategy. First, you can't take ALL of your wardrobe with you, so you have to make some smart choices. If we accept that it's not possible to pack for every possible kind of weather, I submit that it's smarter (in the spring and summer) to carry with you clothes for cooler weather, working with the assumption that if the ... View the Post

Ireland: The Amazing, The Great, and The Less than Perfect…

Yes, you really do see things like this all over the country; their history is LONG, and cherished. They haven't been able to preserve absolutely everything in pristine condition, but even when things are a bit mossy and crumbly, they're beautiful!

Much of what we did on our vacation was to drive to someplace beautiful and amazing, and then get out and WALK a ton. Some of the roads aren't quite what you're used to (unless you live in rural West Virginia, maybe), but they're worth braving for the isolated pockets of wonderment that you will find...

And my packing was... overall, great! Getting dressed was easy, and I was pretty comfortable (with 1 exception, which I will share in a minute!)

At the last minute, I tossed my Uniqlo ... View the Post

Packing Accessories for a Cruise, in a Navy, Blush, Grey and White Travel Capsule Wardrobe

Monday we chose some clothes for our heroine to pack on a springtime cruise to Italy and the islands near there; we used this lovely painting as our inspiration:

We left her with these clothes:

So let's start with shoes! They're always the most difficult thing to pack - they take up a ton of space, and they make a great deal of difference in the appearance of an outfit. Dress shoes especially...

The dresses she is packing - and the navy skirt - can be worn with any of the 2nd layers. The lace jacket is quite dressy, and of course the denim jacket is quite casual. What shoes will work?

(of course, lots of tops can be worn with the navy skirt - I'm just using the navy top for illustrative purposes...)

Similarly, our ... View the Post

Packing for a Spring Cruise, with some Inspiration from Caillebotte

Lots of you go on cruises! And right now, my mail box reflects that; anticipation is running wild in at least a few minds right now...

So how about a spring cruise in Italy and the near islands? The temperatures might reach into the 70s Fahrenheit, and evenings will be in the 60s. Right now, that sounds SO appealing!

I picked this painting to inspire us, although it is from a French artist, and has nothing to do with cruises... but it's lovely, and I find this woman getting dressed feels very... hmmm... romantic and evocative to me.

And yes, I suspect that her skirt is indeed black, but this wardrobe is built around navy, so I'm fudging that a bit. You could certainly use black here, or a wide range of shades of grey. Maybe other ... View the Post

Living Without Shopping – 1 Month Completed!

On New Year's Eve, I made the brave commitment to not purchase any clothing during 2019! My plan for managing this is to have 4 5-piece clusters each month from which I will get dressed. Because I spent so much of January in Florida, my normal wardrobe didn't really apply (when I'm there, I wear a lot of gym clothes, and just the occasional "normal" outfit...) and so I only put together 2 clusters for January.

But now, moving into February, I'm going with the original plan. Four clusters, 20 pieces of clothing. From this, I'm going to pack for 10 days in Ireland!

Two of these clusters should look pretty familiar:

This last cluster is for getting dressed up - we won't be in Chicago for Valentine's ... View the Post

Packing for a Car Trip, with a Gradual Change of Temperatures

What if your trip is by car? And what if you're going to take your time, and drive from the single-digit temperature fun of Chicago to the balmy deserts of the Southwestern United States? And what if you're going to take your time - every day in a slightly warmer place?

I'm thinking.... Pack separate, but closely related, outfits for 4 different kinds of weather. That way you're prepared for each warmer day, and at the same time the "relatedness" of the outfits gives you options for interchanging your garments to adapt to unexpected conditions.

A basic application of this idea would look like this:

When you start out, you're going to need to be warm, so a couple of layered jackets, and a warm scarf, will take care of you. ... View the Post

Traveling with a Group – Keeping Your Luggage Small when Your Gang is Large!

I heard from her last week - she and TWELVE of her friends are traveling to England and Scotland in September! Twelve... oh my...

They share an interest - somewhat of a hobby, a little bit of an obsession. It doesn't matter if it's growing a particular flower, or baking a specific delicacy, or delving into the history of a certain historic figure. They've all decided that they want to travel together! I admire and respect this in so many ways...

But everybody is going to have to come to an agreement about not packing stacks of luggage. It's a sure way to slow things down appallingly, run the risk of losing things, and over-crowding hotel rooms.

Thus, there has to be an understanding among these women, which (in my mind) includes ... View the Post

Winter Travel: Street, Berlin by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

When they retired, they had a list of places that they wanted to visit. So, this first year of freedom, they're going to a new destination EVERY THREE MONTHS! Just for a few days, but they're going to do as much as they can manage, while they're still young enough to enjoy it!

When she started planning for all of these trips, she chose this painting as her inspiration. They're going to visit large cities, somewhat glamorous (to her!). So she's going to dress up and enjoy every minute!

There are quite a few colors in this painting, but she has isolated her wardrobe plan to these:

If you look closely, you can easily find grey, and 2 other shades of blue...

Their destination is warmer than where they live, so she's dressing ... View the Post

How to Dress and Pack when Traveling from Cold Weather to Warm Weather

Someone asks me this question almost every week in the Northern Hemisphere winter - how do I dress when I know it's going to be warm when I get off the plane?

I do this often - I spend quite a bit of time in Florida! My system is to layer 3 tops (what I call the Triple Top Secret...), and then peel off layers when I'm on the ground in my warm destination.

My other trick is to leave room in my carry-on bag for my shoes and socks, and I carry my sandals with me - that's a change I make right away! I also make certain that I can fit my cardigan and long-sleeved shirt in my carry-on, so that I can just wear a tee shirt, pants and sandals for the rest of my travel day. So far, this is working well...

I thought that I would build a ... View the Post

What I’m Packing for Paris – The 3rd Time’s the Charm…

Yes, I didn't go in December, and I didn't go in February, but tomorrow I am going to Paris! (with an overnight side-trip to London!!!)

I've packed for this trip quite a few times, but I still always like to plan, and ponder... This kind of thinking ahead can help me remember to pack essentials, to choose appropriate clothes for our activities, to be aware of weather... And it's fun to anticipate!

We're going to Paris, with a quick overnight to London to meet with the women of Kathkath scarves (!!!). We're both flying and taking a train, so comfortable clothes (but not sloppy, nor pajama-ish) for flying will be handy. Our plans are pretty casual, so I'm not going to need a ballgown, nor a tiara. And the weather should be very ... View the Post

A French 5-Piece Wardrobe in Blooming Dahlia

Maybe black and white isn't your thing... maybe now that warm weather is approaching, you're in the mood for LIGHT...

And maybe you're very casual. Not a scarf person. Really, VERY casual, relaxed, leisurely...

Maybe start with this:

You've got every kind of white top from sleeveless to long-sleeved, and everything to cover your legs a little, a bit more, or all the way! Layer on a sweater or a sweatshirt and you're good to go.

This is NOT boring.... this is subtle!

You're ready for an update, and a bit of an accent color for the upcoming warm weather. But nothing overly dressy - why buy things you won't wear? You can update just as easily with canvas shoes, tee shirts, and a fresh backpack...

Everything just looks a little ... View the Post

Paris Packing – A Parka, and Lots of Stripes

You might remember that I was supposed to go to Paris back in December, when a sudden fibromyalgia "interlude" caused me to cancel; I was literally IN THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA OF THE AIRPORT when I realized that I wasn't strong enough to make it up the escalator to check in, let alone fly all the way to Paris...

But this is better because (a) Belovedest is going with me! and (b) we'll be there for Valentine's Day! Sweet, eh?

As much as it's fun to be in Paris for a romantic holiday, we have to bear in mind that the weather will be cold, and quite wet - and as much as I'd love to travel without a big heavy coat, it might be plain stupid to try to get by without it - nothing is more miserable than being cold every day. So this wardrobe is ... View the Post