You might think that as an experienced traveler I pack the bare minimum wardrobe and personal items for an international trip.

You would be mistaken.

The best way for me to illustrate my packing philosophy is to relate this short exchange I had with a U.S. Customs Agent when I was once randomly selected to have my luggage searched upon my return to the U.S. from an international trip.

He first asked to go through my carry-on:

Customs Agent: “Ma’am, you seem to have everything in here except the kitchen sink.”

Me: “You’re right – that’s in checked luggage.”

Granted, I was coming home from being overseas for a month. Still, I like to be prepared for anything, yet still be able to whiz my way through an airport without feeling encumbered by heavy luggage or lots of it.  How do I do it? Here, I discuss how to make decisions about your travel wardrobe and gear, and in “Packing Part II: Packing So You Can Find It When You Want II (For Women)” I discuss how to pack.

1. Understand your own sense of style. Who do you take after? Do you prefer form-fitting clothes or a looser fit? What’s your color scheme? What kind of neckline do you prefer? What about accessories? It helps to know the answers to these questions, not just in life in general, but while travelling: if you know what you look best in (and feel best in), it helps to streamline your packing decisions.

I am in my early 50s, and my style is drawn from, in broad strokes, Coco Chanel (1950s), Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I also once saw a montage in a magazine that summed up French style for the masses and which suits me: a good, white blouse, black pencil skirt, Hermes’ scarf, good sunglasses, jeans that fit, an oversized V-neck sweater (with a white T-shirt underneath), lady-like pumps, and a good handbag (as opposed to several cheap ones). I like a classic look: basic color items (black, white and grey) with a few colorful items mixed in, and that are generally interchangeable. I prefer clean lines with some detailing mixed in, such as a bow or piping. Good style needn’t be expensive: the key, really, is knowing what looks good on you and a good fit. I am a “winter” in the Color Me Beautiful color schemes, so cool colors, such as turquoise blue and white, look best on me.

2. Try to blend in with the natives when you travel. You’ll probably feel like you’re more a part of the locale you’re in, and you won’t stand out as an American (or wherever you’re from). While I can only aspire to be as stylish as Parisian women, the fact that I have my own sense of style helps me to blend in.

It helps to do a little research: When I went to Nicaragua to visit someone, I seemed to draw a lot of attention from the locals. I asked my friend what he thought and he told me, “Women here don’t wear shorts; they wear skirts and dresses. People here think you look like a boy.” I was…humiliated? Embarrassed? Taken aback? I might not be sure of how to describe how I was feeling, but I did know he wasn’t the one for me. I had asked him before I travelled to Nicaragua if there was anything I needed to know about visiting there and he said no, other than it was hot. (This was way before the internet.) This was something he should have told me; clearly, he was not culturally sensitive in a pro-active sense.

3. Plan what you will do on your trip, even in general terms, before deciding which items to pack. Since I knew I was going on a dinner cruise and wanted to attend Mass at Notre Dame, I packed a skirt and an acrylic lavender sweater with black piping and bow. I also took a black & white herringbone ¾ sleeved jacket as an alternate to the sweater. I wore the sweater on the cruise and the jacket to Mass.

4. Don’t pack anything you would regret losing. Leave your $300 sunglasses at home and use a cheaper pair: you might save yourself the heartbreak of losing something valuable as well as not becoming a target for pickpockets and robbers. Look nice without being too flashy or too obviously a tourist.

5. Be prepared. Think of how often you use items like a nail file, scissors, heel file, and band-aids. If you use them once a week or more, think of taking them with you.

When I went to the British Isles after I graduated from college, I was one of the few who was really prepared for rain (with not just an umbrella but a foldable rain jacket with a hood) and cool temperatures (Pringle V-neck cashmere sweater and another light sweater). I also carried Neosporin (a guy cut himself shaving and asked for it) and I had plenty of band-aids and Super Moleskin, so I was prepared for foot discomfort after walking so much (others were not). Also, on every commercial flight I have taken except the last one, I have had a bag of Hershey’s Kisses in my carry-on for fidgety children.  Long plane rides are tough enough for adults: they are even harder for small children with short attention spans. When I see a child who is anxious or whimpering seated near me, I ask their parents if I can offer them one, and then do just that. A Hershey’s Kiss – which is to say, a distraction – is often just a child needs to take their mind off how bored or crampy they feel. (And yes, I offer them to adults, too, especially parents.)

6. For about two weeks before you travel, keep track of weather (and now, political) conditions to see what is trending. For the two weeks prior to my last trip to Paris, the temperatures had been in the 40s (Fahrenheit), and I knew Paris doesn’t get quite as cold as Washington, D.C. (that is, normally – anything is possible with global warming). I packed accordingly: a warm scarf and several turtlenecks were a must.

7. No matter the trending weather conditions, always pack several items for the opposite or nearly opposite conditions. Since I was going to Paris during the fall/winter months, this means I would pack at least one short-sleeved top, a light windbreaker jacket (an Anorak, which folds into itself, probably the best travel item I’ve ever purchased), and an umbrella.

8. It’s better to layer items in winter instead of wearing one bulky item that would make you feel too hot. I often wear a V-neck sweater with a white T-shirt (which is actually European influence), and in the case of unusually warm weather I would wear a T-shirt alone. Wearing layers also gives me more options.

9. Be patient when buying travel gear: look for detail and read the fine print. I shop until I find just the right travel blow dryer and locks for my baggage. Also, I have an eye for what packs well after taking many trips.

It pays to read the fine print: reading the travel blow dryer box I discovered I had to buy converters separately.

So, using these nine points, my initial wardrobe choices and travel gear for my month-long trip to Paris during winter were as follows.

CHECKED BAG

2 prs. Black pants (1 from Cache, 1 travel pants)

1 black pencil skirt (for Mass at Notre Dame and my dinner cruise)

Black & White Herringbone 3/4-sleeved jacket (a little dressy)

Black Velvet Chico long-sleeved Button-up cardigan

Black & White striped Ralph Lauren long-sleeved blouse (a little dressy)

Black Jones of New York (Cotton) long-sleeved blouse

Black long-sleeved scoop-neck (Cotton) shirt

Black V-neck long-sleeved Ireland (Acrylic) sweater

Black long-sleeved (Cotton) turtleneck

White Long-sleeved (Cotton) shirt

Lavender ¾-sleeved (cotton/nylon) sweater with black detailing and bow

Black & White striped short-sleeved (Rayon/Nylon/Spandex) sweater

Black short-sleeved (Rayon/Cotton) turtleneck sweater

2 White short-sleeved (Cotton) shirts

Black Anorak hooded rain jacket

Blue Under Armor Zippered jacket

Black Cuddl Duds Long-sleeved undergarment

Grey short-sleeved (Rayon/Nylon) turtleneck sweater (had to take out)

Blue short-sleeved cotton blouse (had to take out)

Black & White Forever Scarf (had to take out)

Black (Velvet) Scarf (had to take out)

Lingerie

4 prs. Black tights

Travel blow dryer

Hair spray

Baby wipes

Scissors

Nail care items

Personal care items not allowed on plane (including laundry soap and fluid makeup)

16 packs of personal Kleenex tissue (10 per pack) (packed in inside zipper, on top of suitcase hardware, as well as several grocery bags and a foldable, plastic shopping bag with handles)

Epsom Salt (had to take out)

Delicates laundry bag

Swiss Army Knife

Leather Fanny Pack

BACKPACK CARRY-ON

3 pairs of shoes (5 prs. socks inside shoes)

Travel bedroom slippers

Pajamas

Sleeping mask

Prescription

Magic Marker (to label food in hostel refrigerator)

Flashlight (to use outside and to navigate in the room without waking up roommates)

AAA batteries

3-1-1 personal items

Small lint brush

L’Oreal makeup remover sheets

Non-fluid makeup items

Foot roller (ball)

Travel books/Travel Diary/Pamphlets on new electronics (phone, camera)

Chargers for cell phones, camera

Pens

Umbrella

Hershey Kisses (had to take out)

TRAVEL HANDBAG

Filofax Daily Planner

Sunglasses

Reading glasses

Make up

Camera

Pocket Tissues

Pen

2 cell phones

WORE ON PLANE:

Black Zella (Polyester/Spandex) Yoga pants

Black tights

Black Ann Taylor (Wool) blazer with pockets

Pringle blue V-neck (Cashmere) sweater

White long-sleeved (Cotton) shirt

Money belt w/money and passport

Purple overcoat (Wool) with black detailing (carried in bag on plane to protect it in overhead bin)

Black (Wool) scarf

Black Earmuffs

Black short booties

Earrings, ring, sports watch that could take abuse

I made sure everything was clean, had buttons and no tears. Glad I checked: I had to have a black short-sleeved turtleneck repaired at the neck, two blouses needed buttons strengthened, and my purple overcoat needed to be dry cleaned. (I cook, I clean, I bake awesome chocolate chip cookies and blueberry scones, but I don’t sew.) Everything else looked great. Note that I didn’t take any extra jewelry; I only took what I wore. Many travel guides recommend that you don’t take extra jewelry that you would regret losing.

Since most of my Hartmann luggage I bought for my overseas trip after I graduated from college had bitten the dust – and I didn’t want to take the luggage piece I took to Moscow because it didn’t handle well – I decided to spend less (a lot less!) on luggage and see what happened. In addition, although I knew my baggage allowance with Turkish Airways (a handbag/purse [or “personal item”, which could also be a laptop case or umbrella], carry on [30 pounds* up to 21.7 inches high] and two checked bags [50 lbs. each, up to 62 inches high]), I wanted to do with less. I set out to buy a travel handbag, a backpack to use as a carry-on, and a small suitcase.  (*Note: This weight may have changed. See Turkish Airlines’ website for luggage allowance. Click here to convert centimeters to inches, or here to convert kilograms to pounds.)

I found my travel handbag at The Container Store (Hugger Backpack by Baggallini for $49.00). I love this handbag! It easily drapes over the front of my coat for protection against theft (and is adjustable to fit without a coat), it has lots of pockets that are easily accessible, and is easily cleaned. Perfect!

Next, I went searching for a backpack to use as my carry-on which had lots of compartments, lots of space, was made of durable material, and had zippers that could lock. I found all that I was looking for in a black Ogio backpack at Luggage Center, a local store in my area. The retail price was $79.00, and the proprietor gave me $10.00 off. I was ecstatic: I love all of the compartments and am impressed with the fabric. I looked at backpacks that were twice as much (and more), but this suited my needs perfectly.

Finally, I found a 21-inch Samsonite rolling suitcase (wheels are included in the length per TSA Regulations) that had lots of space, an expansion zipper for extra space, a fluid handle that snapped in the “up” or “down” position, and wheels that easily changed direction. Perhaps most importantly, it wasn’t black. The price: Just under $80.00 at Marshall’s. Sold! (Image is approximate.) Why don’t I buy black luggage that I have to check? Because everyone buys black luggage! Black doesn’t show wear and tear as a bright color would, and it looks professional and classy. But what happens if your suitcase gets lost and your identification gets ripped off? While I have always known not to purchase black luggage, this was brought home to me when I once returned to the U.S. from overseas and two out of four of my bags were temporarily lost. The airline employee I dealt with told me what helped them locate my bags was that they were “any color besides black.” He said, “You should see our warehouse: It’s nothing but a sea of black luggage.” My Hartmann luggage was beige parachute nylon with orange trim. They had no trouble locating it, even though both of my identification tags got ripped off of one of them.

I also bought Voltage Valet travel blow dryer and a 220 voltage converter, Lewis & Clark combination locks for my suitcase and backpack. As I’ve already mentioned, only by reading the blow dryer’s box did I understand that while it stated it was for “worldwide use” it didn’t come with converters. I love the blow dryer anyway. It does a great job and weighs just over one pound.

Before packing these new luggage items, I sprayed all of them with fabric protector even though they all seemed to have been chemically treated already. I allowed all three pieces to dry for 24 hours. While the luggage items were drying, I gathered together my wardrobe selections, travel gear. Read future post “Packing Part II: Packing So You Can Find It (For Women)” to find out how I pack.

Salut!

 

 

 

Image of Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” courtesy of Blu-ray. Used by permission.

Voltage Valet Blow Dryer courtesy of Amazon.com, CCBY 2.0.

Hugger Backpack by Baggallini Travel Purse courtesy of The Container Store, CCBY 2.0.

Ogio Backpack courtesy of Ogio.com, CCBY 2.0.

Samonsonite Spinner courtesy of Indulgy.com, CCBY 2.0.

Mademoiselle Paris Black with Text Fabric Journal courtesy of Papyrus.com, CCBY 2.0.