Heading East: This Travel Tale faces the rising sun

A key to smart travel is a capsule wardrobe focused around comfort and versatility.

Jane’s Paprika Tuxedo Top accessorized with some well-chosen scarves served her well on a recent Japanese trip.

This Travel Tale focuses on a creatively simple packing plan. When Jane Averill packed for her recent trip to Japan, simplicity was a key element. As she writes, “The (Tuxedo) top was one of the few things I took with me, as I was trying to travel light and I layered it in cooler weather and added several different scarves, so I felt as if I had quite a few outfits.”

Travelers like Jane know that building a travel wardrobe around a few fundamental pieces (and comfy walking shoes) keeps things simple yet versatile. I love what Diane von Furstenburg had to say on the subject of travel: "I get ideas about what’s essential when packing my suitcase.”

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How to put together a capsule wardrobe

As Diane von Furstenburg suggests, the key thing is to identify the core garments that will cover you appropriately throughout your itinerary. That means considering every step of the journey. Though your destination may be sunny and tropical, you’ll also need to weather chilly air conditioned airplane cabins or buses. 

If there’s a single commandment to observe in packing for travel, it’s DON’T PACK TOO MUCH! On a six-month trip around the world with my family in the mid-1990s, we took too much of everything. Trying to account for all the possibilities we unnecessarily burdened ourselves making harried transfers in stations and airports far more challenging. We ended up giving away or shipping about half our stuff back home from Asia. 

To deal with the variable temperatures and conditions you’ll face traveling, layering is a smart strategy. Put together garments that coordinate but also work well separately. In choosing from the Sympatico collection of women’s tops, skirts, and pants, consider the dressing norms where you’ll be traveling. 

Comfort is crucial too. A garment that’s slightly snug can become a source of misery on a long trip where your movement is limited. Conversely, when you’ve got the room to stretch your legs and stride, you want clothes that won’t encumber that.

9 ways to make sure your capsule wardrobe will work 

Here are some of the key considerations when you pack: 

• Focus on versatility; things that will work night and day and that layer easily. 
• Select items that easily dress up or down. 
• If you opt for a new garment, give it a trial run before your departure. 
• Choose comfortable favorites that coordinate and mix and match well. 
• Consider packability and select items that resist wrinkling. 
• Lay out your “short list” of garments and weed out any with special needs like dry cleaning. 
• Are your short-list survivors easy to wash and dry on route? Culture- and temperature-appropriate? 
• Sturdy, comfortable shoes are not an option, they’re a must! 
• Always take a bathing suit (unless you’re headed to Arctic climates).

More: Easy care travel wear without synthetics

Tell us your Travel Tale!

If you have a  Travel Tale (and photos) that include Sympatico wear, I’d love to hear from you. If I use your Travel Tale in a future newsletter, I’ll send you a $100 Sympatico gift certificate.