Fashion and Lifestyle Sense for Real Women with Real Bodies!
|
Fashion and Lifestyle Sense for Real Women with Real Bodies! |
|
|
Vacation
Packing Vacation travel presents some very interesting challenges. You will want to look your best over several days or weeks. You have to be prepared for everything from a long walking tour, to a day at the beach, to a candle lit dinner. You have to do all this without access to your wardrobe or washing machine. And sometimes you only have to do it with the clothes that you can fit in one suitcase and two carry-ons. But don't despair; if you follow the guidelines below, you will be able to just throw what you already have in your suitcase and go.
Choose your separates in three colors that match -- i.e. rust, gold and beige or red, white and black. Make one of the colors neutral (white, black, ivory, tan or beige). Try not to wear all neutrals. You'll blend into the background, especially in the desert.
Separates are best for a lot of reasons. They're easy to "layer" when it goes from warm to freezing. One-piece outfits need constant washing and you don't want to be seen in the same thing too often. Lingerie, sportswear and even your pajamas can be counted as a separate. Two words about jumpsuits - don't bother. You'll know what we mean when you try to struggle out of one in the confines of an airplane bathroom.
Fabrics that travel well are silk, light wool crepes, stretchy nylon and believe it or not, some velvets. And don't forget the old stand bys denim and khaki. They go with anything, can withstand a nuclear winter and you can actually get away with wearing them more than once before washing. Avoid linens and heavy cottons. They wrinkle like crazy.
No matter how hard
you try to rationalize it, you will only need three, yes, three pairs
of shoes on an average vacation.
Accessories can do more than gild the lily. They can take Miss Lily from Sunday to Saturday and from day to evening. The right scarf or jewelry can turn a jersey two piece from a day touring the wine country to a night on the town. Let scarves and jewelry set the tone for the outfit.
Pack at least two that fit your color scheme and that can be either casual or dressy. A casual scarf should be long, thin and simple in color and pattern. A dressy scarf can be larger, and more complicated in color and pattern. Try animal prints or something with a metallic thread in the pattern. A larger scarf can be tied around the waist or over the shoulder.
A good hat can shade your face from the sun, finish off an outift and hide the fact that you haven't had a chance to wash your hair since you left home. Straw hats are the best to go from the beach to brunch or from a walk in the woods to a seaside dinner. If you want to go for a really pulled together look, use your casual (see tip #6) scarf to create different hat bands.
Since the space jewelry takes up in your suitcase is minimal, it's not necessary to limit yourself. A word of warning. Do not flash a lot of expensive jewelry when traveling. It will attract the kind of locals you don't want to meet.
One matching belt per pair of shoes will do. Also try bringing along a metallic belt that can dress up an outfit in an instant.
Pack one for day and one for evening. Hand Bags present an interesting problem. While traveling, a woman has to carry her wallet, passport and make-up but she also has to carry a still-camera, a video camera, extra batteries, tapes, guidebooks, maps and, depending on the country, toilet paper. If she has children in tow, she's carrying more bags than a redcap at LAX. For day, the best vacation purses are tote bags with long shoulder straps, backpacks or slings. In other words, take along any bag that leaves your hands free for customs inspections and/or the sale racks at Harrod's. At night, you can switch to a smaller Coach or clutch bag. A word of caution if you're traveling internationally with animal skin accessories: In some countries, accessories made from the skins of endangered animals can get you arrested.
For your own safety, never wear anything less when answering the door of your hotel room or letting in anyone from room service.
The word to remember for traveling is "layering". Things can go from hot and stuffy to freezing in an instant. Don't forget your feet. Keep them warm and comfortable. The shoes you left New York in will be killing you by the time you get to London. Also check the weather
of your destination and pack for the lowest and highest temperatures.
If you are truly anal (as we are), also carry on the plane or train with you a small pouch with the necessities for the pre-arrival touch up - toothbrush, mouthwash, make-up, eye drops etc. For air travel, you'll also need to apply lots of skin lotion. But remember, nobody looks fresh coming off the red-eye.
Few places in the world carry make-up dark enough for women of color. Women of color do not constitute a large enough part of the marketplace in these areas. This is true for countries like Australia or cities like Beverly Hills. Take extra with you. Also there are few places outside the U.S. that can handle relaxers and African-American hair. If a relaxer needs touching-up, a stylist should take care of it before you leave. And to keep that relaxer from frizzing up don't forget your shower cap.
Use the pick, mix and nix method. 1.) Pick all the clothes you want to take. 2.) Mix and match the pieces to make sure you can co-ordinate several outfits. 3.) Nix anything that doesn't go with at least two outfits.
Take nothing that has to be Dry Cleaned. It's expensive overseas and not every hotel offers an in-house service. Travel steamers are a good idea but most hotels will provide you with an iron. When you get to your room, hang everything immediately. If anything has wrinkled, just hang it on the shower rod (away from the water) and turn on the hot water full blast. The steam will do wonders. A good stain remover is a must.
The fastest way to get wrinkles in your clothing is to fold everything into neat little bundles. The key to minimizing wrinkles is to fold long items (pants, long skirts etc.) only once and to place them one on top of the other like layers on a birthday cake. You can put tissue paper in between the layers for extra protection. Pack with the heaviest items on top. Cushion your electrical appliances (hair dryer, curling iron etc.) by placing them in the center of your packed clothing. Place smaller items like jewelry and panty hose in your shoes. But only your costume jewelry. It's amazing how many sticky fingers can get into a locked suitcase once it leaves your hands.
If you're going on a three hour boat tour and the first mate's name is Gilligan, cancel your trip or pack more clothes. Bon Voyage! ****** Janet Behmer and Shirley Pierce are the authors of the book that's changing the way women think about clothes and themselves -- Dress Me Now: How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave. http://www.dressmenow.comCopyright (c) 2006 DressMeNow.com. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be copied, published, broadcast, or otherwise distributed or reproduced without the prior written permission of DressMeNow.com. Click here for a free preview of Dress Me Now - How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave! |
|
|
10% of profits are donated
to children's charities.
|
Home | Dress Sense | Shopper | Inner Beauty | Smile Lines | News | Book
| |
|
 |
|
© 2000 Core Concepts, Inc. All rights reserved.
