Help me decide

Layers...I am going to Italy and London in October and plan to bring short sleeve shirts, cardigan, fleece jacket, lined rain jacket to layer on top of each other. I also have pashmina scarves that you can either wear around your neck or wrap around yourself for extra warmth. I'm also bringing a couple of tunic type tops to wear with leggings and figure if it's really cold, I will wear leggings under my jeans. Jodee, I'm from Southern Cal so I can totally understand your concern. When you live in warm weather, it's hard to imagine wearing layers but they do work because you can put on or take off clothes as you need.

I pack only short sleeved shirts because that's what I normally wear at home. If I brought a few longsleeved shirts they would probably stay at the bottom of my bag. With a sweater and a jacket on MY arms rarely get cold. I will pack one light weight, long sleeved shirt if we're going to be in a hot environment and my arms may need sun protection. Do you feel most comfortable in longsleeved or short sleeved shirts at home?

Normally I wear short sleeve.. but I live in Louisiana where it's insanely hot! Thanks for the advice.. I do have mostly short sleeves in my pile that I need to widdle down currently. I just wondered if that was the way to go.. I didn't want to be stuck there and having to buy new clothes because I chose wrong.

Layers is the key to dealing with fluctuating temperatures. I would pack one, maybe 2 long sleeve shirts and the rest short. You can always wear a long sleeved shirt under the short sleeved one or vice versa, and the sweater and jacket should take care of the rest.

You can look up the projected temperatures of the cities where you'll be on weather.com, and then you'll have an idea of how much or how little warm stuff to bring.

Thanks Liz.. I didn't think about putting long sleeves under a short sleeve shirt. Sarah .. I've done that.. it'll be anywhere from 80's when I'm in italy to high 20's/low 30's when I'm in switzerland to mid 60's when I'm in netherlands/germany. That's what I didn't know what to bring.. there's such a big difference.

Thanks Claudette.. Layers it will be! I am originally from Michigan.. but all that used to the cold thing has left me LOL.