How many of you have known the following two scenarios when you are travelling?
1. Arriving home and feeling foolish because you’ve only worn a third of the clothes in your suitcase.
2. Being invited out to dinner half way through your trip and going, “Damn! I knew I should have brought that sexy dress!”
And how many times have you read articles in women’s magazines about these dilemmas? Their suggestions are often either impractical or governed by the latest fashion “must have”. Why would you take a pair of platform espadrilles on an overseas holiday? That’s my question. They are perfect for sitting in a hotel lobby with a drink in your hand, but if you want to go on a little sight-seeing jaunt you’d have to change into something else, or risk serious ankle injury.
Packing for a holiday or a business trip is fraught with problems, and only people who travel a lot seem to get it right.
My secret is to bring only clothes that work together, and to make sure that what I wear on the aeroplane is useful for the whole trip.
A wise friend once told me that you should never dress down for a flight. You never know whom you might meet. Also, while they are checking you in, airline staff are checking you out! You are more likely to get an upgrade if you present well.
This rule suits me perfectly, as I loathe looking daggy. I don’t own a tracksuit. I have a pair of yoga pants, but I leave them at home when I’m travelling. I still practise yoga, but my silk pyjamas double up as my hotel room active wear – lighter in my suitcase, and far prettier.
My aeroplane outfit is carefully considered. Black tailored pants, with some stretch in them so they are comfortable. Black cotton T shirt worn under a black, fine wool polo-neck skivvy. I bring a light, down jacket in my hand luggage for when we reach altitude. (You will notice that’s a lot of black. I rarely wear all black, but it’s useful on a plane, in case of spillages, and I can mix all the garments with other colourful pieces later, and roll the pants up if I’m going to a summer climate.) My final addition is a pair of María Perón loafers in navy. No high heels on a long flight for me thank you very much! I want to be able to walk in those precious half hours between flights, and stuffing swollen feet into high heels is not my idea of fun.
So that leaves my suitcase. My first piece of advice is to invest in a good suitcase – preferably one of those really light ones you can lift with one finger before you put anything in it. You will never regret it, I promise you.
In my suitcase I take the following: 1 pair jeans, 1 light jacket (if I’m travelling to a winter climate I take an overcoat on the plane instead), 1 light dress, 1 evening dress, 1 skirt, 1 cardigan (either pink or black), 1 pair shorts (if summer), 1 white shirt, 1 white T shirt, 2 silk blouses (one plain, one print), silk pyjamas, underwear, socks, stockings, 1 hat that doesn’t mind being squashed.
The tricky bit is making sure everything goes with everything else. For example, I make sure that at least one of the blouses can be worn under the black polo-neck. There should be no frills that stick out to look peculiar, so I bring a simple silk blouse, plain or print.
I like the shirt look too, so my other blouse will have a pussy bow tie, or if I’m going to winter I’ll bring a button-up that I can wear with a cardigan and coat.
The dresses I take will also depend a little on the climate I’m going to. I love colour, so I often bring the flower print dress shown below when I’m travelling. It’s a stretch fabric, perfect for packing, and goes with so many colours. It’s versatile too, as I can wear it during the day, but make it work for evening with a sensational pair of shoes. If I’m going to a summer climate, I’m more likely to take something like the sleeveless silk number shown.
Lastly, and most importantly, there is the footwear decision and, mamma mia, have I got that wrong numerous times! I’ve been known to travel with eight pairs of shoes in my luggage – only two of which got worn.
Now I travel with two or three pairs of shoes in my suitcase (well, four, if you count my tango shoes, but that won’t apply to most of you). I take one pair of heels (at the moment I’m favouring Kathy in beige or Megan in pink from the Maria Peron range), 1 pair of day shoes that I can stand in (like the Annika or Alice shoe) plus 1 pair of walking sandals (or boots if I’m going to winter). Don’t forget I’ve also got my loafers.
Between these I have something for sight-seeing, that little trip down to the shops or a café, and something for that night out or special luncheon. Travelling this light means I can either take a small suit-case, or have plenty of space for international travel purchases. How marvellous is that?