Travel Tales: Travelwear tips from an intrepid voyager

This Sympatico customer appreciates the virtues of a long travel skirt.

When I recently put out a call for Sympatico fans’ travel tales (and photos) for publication here, I didn’t know that I had Edith Vermiji in mind. But in reading her submission, I realized she’s emblematic of so many women who visit my booth at craft fairs. Smart, educated, engaged in interesting work, and widely traveled. She has, among other places, worked in Africa, Australia, Japan, and Central America.

Like a lot of the well-traveled women who wear Sympatico, Edith has discovered the benefits of  long travel skirts such as Sympatico’s Angled Skirt.

A couple of years ago, Edith and her husband Gary, both biologists, undertook a globe-spanning trip that took in professional conferences and field trips around the world. The itinerary was a tricky one spanning The Netherlands, England and Patagonia. As she writes, “There were many climates and degrees of formality. My  Tuxedo Top was washed and hung overnight to dry in a diversity of bathrooms and was ready for wear in the morning.”

Edith adds, "You can believe I chose clothing carefully to fit that trip into two carry-ons. (My husband is now insisting on one carry-on for both of us next week on a trip to Holland and I'll probably wear the jacket again, perhaps with the  Graphite Angled Skirt.)

Rose Gerstner is the founder and designer at Sympatico Clothing in Oregon. Her line of hemp and Tencel women’s wear is ideal for intrepid voyagers looking for a sustainable travel wardrobe. Rose blogs weekly with fashion tips and news about sustainable fashion. You can sign up for her posts below.

Left: In Trelew, Argentina, Edith (in her Grey Fog Princess Top) and associates view the world's largest dinosaur fossil. Photo on right, you can see just a slice of her green Stovepipe pants on a field trip in Alberta, Canada, where Edith and associates look at fossils.

"My unexpected best travel outfit has been a Grey Fog Princess Top in your Light Weight fabric. I've worn it as both a shirt for overnight flights (doesn't wrinkle much, you can undo your bra under it, and it dries overnight). There's something slightly dressy about the collar, and it can be worn over short sleeves later. The lighter material takes less time to dry when washed in hotel room sinks and looks decent after overnight red-eyes. I often take two and use light knitted shirts under them, preferably of cotton, rayon, linen or a mixture. Your Stovepipe pants are good jeans replacements for field work on land but I would rather wear the longish skirt for comfort on a plane. The dark grey covers a lot of sins.”

Lastly, Edith counsels, an excellent pair of walking shoes is essential. And if in doubt about what sort of clothing is socially acceptable where you’re headed, she suggests looking at photos of the places you’ll be to get a sense of local dressing standards. (The web should be a great resource in this process.)

What about you? Have you gone somewhere interesting wearing Sympatico? Send me your story and pictures, and if I publish them, you’ll receive a $100 Sympatico gift certificate. Email your submission here.