Dress Smart, Travel Light
Have a general sense of the weather. If you are going to the tropics, pack light cotton clothes. If you are going to cold places, wool would be your best bet. Wool is easy to launder as you can just hang it in your hotel room and it is as crisp as new the next day. And remember, with single items, most hotel rooms have a clothes dryer...disguised as a way to dry your hair!
Take one light but warm sweater, even if you are heading for the tropics. The plane can be a bit chilly, and many restaurants use the air-conditioning as their revenge on the weak and foreign.
Look at the schedule of activities. If there are events that call for dress code, make sure you have clothes that are appropriate. For women, a simple black dress with different accessories or a few silk scarves. You'll look different each time and most people only see you once anyway. For men, black cotton shirts with black pants can pass for formal events. Add a tie if you want. If where you are going is cold, it can be wool. If you are going to the tropics, try a silk or linen or cotton, as natural fibers breathe easily. If you are going to the tropics, an off-white shirt may take the place of black. Stick to simple basics and just bring accessories that make the outfit different each time you wear it. Accessories vary from scarves to stoles to sashes or boleros or those beautiful eye-grabbing necklaces.
Choose the clothes you think would be appropriate. Place these on your bed and see how coordinated the colors are. For winter getaways, a beautiful coat will hide everything underneath, so a pair of black wool pants and several light wool tops are sufficient. For the tropics, when your getaway is a beach, all you need are swimsuits and a simple cotton dress with accessories to wear for a special dinner. A sarong on your swimsuit can also bring you into fancy restaurants in island getaways. If you plan to visit inhabited islands close by or the city close to the beach, then, bring a pair of shorts or pants and a decent top....pants and long sleeves if it is a more conservative country. The sarong is often useful. Even the male partner can wear this on top of his shorts in fancy restaurants where there is a dress code and he can get away with it. Have a few silk dresses rolled like cigars. They take no room and it looks like you have a separate wardrobe truck following you. ...
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Author: Mary Norton