Pack Your Bags…Part Two

So, now that you are properly educated on the necessity of travel size sundries, let’s move on, shall we? There is a lot to cover and I fear once again that I will run out of room long before I run out of words. That being said, I’m going to skip make up for now and go straight to your wardrobe. Chances are you have been unable to escape the constant bombardment of TV shows, books, magazines, and other media regarding fashion and helpful tips on why everything you are buying and wearing is wrong. I myself am guilty of owning such media. Not only do I have the books Color Me Beautiful and What Not to Wear, I even went so far as to buy my color palette so I had small swatches of the colors I should be wearing (I’m a Winter). And STILL I can stand at the door of my overstuffed closet on any given day and bemoan the fact that I have “nothing to wear” and that I hate everything that I own.

Well, I wish I could tell you that I had the answers to all your burning questions on fashion, but I don’t. Like the supposed experts and the general laymen, all I have are opinions. Lucky for you, I’m not even going to charge you for them. As I face yet another week of business casual/airport chic, I thought I would share more thoughts on what in the Hell runs through my head when trying to pack my suitcase. Again, take it or leave it, you’ve all seen the way I dress.

A General Thought on the 4 C’s of Fashion (which I have just now made up)
So, this could be it’s own topic, but I have a thought on the different categories of fashion to keep in mind when out for a day of retail therapy. Just like the 4 C’s of diamond shopping (color, cut, clarity and carat) I think we can apply something similar to clothes shopping. My thought is something like Color, Cut, Cost and Changeability. (Really stretching for the fourth C. I had to use a thesaurus for “versatile”) That fourth C could also have been coffee, since it’s not uncommon for me to shop while drinking a cup. However, when you have suitcase real estate to think about, versatility becomes a very attractive quality in the clothes you are packing and therefore buying.

What Color is your week?
One very easy way to pack for a trip is to just pick a color. Starting with your preferred neutral, pick another color to go with it and coordinate from there. I’ll give you an example. This week was red, black, and white week for me. Not a very tough thing to pull together for a 4-day trip. A couple of black skirts (which save space and are good for summer anyway) white Oxford, red tank top, lightweight black cardigan and another red tank, and so on. You get the idea. I even made it with a single pair of shoes. Red sling backs, baby. Throw in a red belt and my red purse, and I was done. (Actually, I decided on this for my color scheme this week because of the new red purse I bought last week, but the accessories talk will come later.)

So based on the neutral colors of Navy, Brown, Black and White I have a few color weeks that rotate through. I don’t like wearing the same things every week for work, so I need the variety. If that’s not your thing, so be it. I am also going to make a leap of faith here (or if I can borrow a phrase from a friend and “Press the I Believe button”) and assume that you have neutral shoes, belts, and purses to match. Although, these are also areas where your accent colors can really help you spice things up.

Airport Chic (or another dinner at a chain restaurant)
Now, I don’t know about you, but there is no way I could pack just my business clothes and be done packing. Unless you have to step off the plane and go straight to a meeting (which sucks), then you are probably going to wear something more comfortable and casual when you travel. This is not the time to be in denial about what size you actually wear. I think the length of your flight should help you determine what kind of outfit to wear. The longer the flight, the more toward the “pajama” end of the spectrum you should be. Let’s just say that for my 5-hour flight (one way) on Sunday mornings, I am not going to make anyone’s Best Dressed list.

Packing some casual clothes also makes sense for when you are done with your business day and finally on your own time. Unless you like wearing that stuff all day, then by all means disregard. So, in addition to the business clothes, I also pack a couple of items that are more casual and yet still coordinate with the business clothes I packed, so I don’t have to pack a second set of clothes. Apparently right now I am in an Old Navy frame of mind, because I am loving the Capri-length jeans and the uber-thin hoodies that are good for the plane, as a cover up for whatever tank top I’m wearing that day, and general lounge wear. Throw in a sensible pair of airport-friendly shoes and you’re done. I recommend the $3 white canvas tennis shoes from Wal-Mart or I must admit I have finally come around to the ballet flat. I resisted, really. But when they made a pair with cherries on them…what was I to do? I think the slip-on shoe in general is good for the airport and specifically, getting through security hassle-free.

Finally, rounding out the last odds and ends of the wardrobe are some miscellaneous things. This is not a discussion on underwear, I assure you. Although your mother might be very concerned with the state of yours, I for one am not. I was thinking more along the lines of pajamas. Or some people take clothes to…wait, what is the term they use…oh yeah, work out. That’s it. Yeah, some people do that too.

Wardrobe Woobies
It occurs to me, that no matter how much I enjoy the variety of my wardrobe, there are certain items that seem to always come with me. I wonder if this is the same for you? I actually mentioned a couple of mine earlier with the Old Navy stuff I have. I love it. I also have a pair of black pants that I love to travel with because they just don’t wrinkle, and they are a terrific cut. If there was ever a last minute meeting/dinner/gallery opening that I had to get ready for, these are the go-to pants to wear.

So much I still haven’t covered, but I think this is probably enough for now. Time to go make sure all of my “woobies” are clean and ready to go. Plus, its time to decide what color my week is. Maybe the next installment will head back toward the make up/jewelry/accessory discussion (which is much easier to coordinate if you are wearing the same color all week).