Clothes to pack for women

Melanie, I bring a windbreaker hooded type jacket that also doubles as a raincoat. It can be stuffed into it's own pocket to make it more compact & easy to carry with you during the day. If you're going to Switzerland, you might want to bring a long pair of pants & a long sleeve shirt. Going up in elevation, you could layer your clothes. I also love wearing capris and short sleeved shirts. I generally take 3 pairs of shorts/capris and 1 long pair of pants. I bring 5-6 tops. I bring as many undergarments and socks as I can fit--I don't like to do laundry. I roll each item up and pack them in cubes for easy retrieval. Everything fits in my Eagle Creek backpack. I wear one pair of shoes the whole time--my Nike running shoes. If something happens to them, I could always buy another pair of shoes there. I wear them with everything--even skirts. Yes, my shoes say "I'm an American"--and I am. They are the most comfortable for me. Have fun.

Melanie...Eurpeans wear running shoes in public, just like we do. Not everyone is wearing business clothes on the street. In Italy a few years ago, I had my mind changed on this subject when I saw middle aged men in nice sweat pants and matching pullover shirts with white or dark running shoes. These were not tourists, but locals, going about their daily business.

I would only add that it is mainly the blindingly white athletic shoes that stand out. If you get a pair of black sneakers, they work for almost anything -- and yes you can wear them to the gym when you get home! And what's this "well over a hundred" stuff?? I have extra-wide feet + orthotics but I can find athletic shoes that work for $39-$59.

Melanie,
you didn't tell us which coutries you are going to go.
for exemple, in Soutern europe you will be fine in capris and light jacket, but in Switzerland will be cold in some areas, even in the middle of summer.I went up in the mountains in chamonix, France ,9this is close to Switzerland) and there was snow, a lot of snow.I would be a fleece, just in case.It light weight and it won't take a lot room if ou use a compresion bag.
I don't agree with the fact that European wear sneackers like us. The younger ones , yes in some areas, but majority of europeans dress nicely anywhere they go, unless they go hiking or running.

"How many tops to bring aprox.?" ,,, um, how long are you going for Melanie, it is impossible to answer a question like that otherwise! LOL
You need to bring a sweater on fleece jacket anyways, so that and a windbreaker or light rain type jacket will do for evenings and cable car rides. It can be cool at night in most of Europe in May, heck , I was in Paris this last August and we had some cool and rainy weather, and I only brought one sweater, and one pair of long pants, which I regretted.
I tend to wear clothes more then once, especially pants and capris, which I can easily wear two, three , even four times before washing. Tops I tend to bring one a day, but I have also hand washed at shirt in the hotel sink and worn it two or three times.
Take as LITTLE as possible!
I would think for a week, two long pants, a skirt or dress , and one or two capris is more then enough. Count what you wear on plane.
I take most things in one or two colors , mix and match.

Thanks everyone. You're right, it's kinda hard to tell when you don't know how long I'm going. 16 nights from London down to Italy. I just like to throw out questions and see what other people bring in general. I think I'll bring a pair of black flats just to wear for a fancier dinner out.

Melanie -- yes if you are planning to hit some big cities, such as Paris, Rome, Venice, etc.. you will see (mostly local) women dressed very nicely, meaning they don't wear sweats and running shoes when out and about. Many tourist do though, and this is fine, but there might be occassions when you want to look a little more sophisticated, say if you go to a nice restaurant or concert etc.

If you're going to choose "running shoes" I would suggest the "non-atheletic" looking type. From what I've seen, you don't often see white running shoes on the street outside of the gym. They are sometimes difficult to keep clean, also.

I would suggest taking the same number of tops etc as you would for a one or two week trip and wash more often. This will be especially important if you are a hardcore carry-on only traveller...

As for the light jacket...A jacket with a detachable hood and removable liner, for me, works well. Dressing in layers is key.
As for the Capris for daytime...Sure, they are a better alternative to shorts, IMO.