I discovered a way to pack lightly last summer while in Paris. I am a YOUNG WOMAN and I like to look stylish, but of course comfort is key. I brought three jersey knit dresses, one jersey knit skirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved polo shirt, a thin, slouchy cardigan, two pairs of tights, one pair of leggings, one pair of leg-warmers, five pairs of thin ankle-socks, seven pairs of underwear, one convertible bra, and a pair of brown Earth negative heel clogs. Every single piece of clothing I brought are bright primary colors i.e. red, blue, yellow, and green. This may seem like a lot of clothing, but everything was thin and folded down to almost nothing. Every peice could be mixed, matched, and layered, and even without a single pair of pants or a jacket I was perfectly comfortable, rain or shine. And there was plenty of rain, even during July while I was there! For a cold day I layered my cardigan over my dress over my short-sleeved shirt over my long-sleeved shirt, and leggings and leg warmers over tights. On a warm day I would wear nothing but a short-sleeved, knee length dress. Along with my digital camera, moneybelt, journal, duct tape (I make and sell duct tape flowers wherever I go), cell phone (with a SIM card), DivaCup (ladies, look this up... it's God gift to women!), pantyliners (to prolong the use of my underwear), and my few toiletry necessities, my bag weighed only 15 pounds, and it was a roll-along! I felt trendy and sophisticated in every versitile outfit, without wearing one single item of black clothing.
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Raine. You know what to bring to Europe. I hope many people planning their first trip to Europe will read what you put here. Having a bag that weighs 15 pounds is great ! People can say anything at this Traveler's Helpline, because it is a part of the "Grafitti Wall". But the website manager requests that the postings that start a discussion thread here be phrased as a question.
Remember, the Greek island that I recommend going to is NAXOS. (Not MYKONOS).
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA
2030 posts
Interesting post, you seem to have things together, but with all due respect, I am a woman who also likes to look stylish in Paris, where I have been several times -- and the clothes you describe do not sound that great to me. Brown clogs? Even in summer I can't imagine wearing these in Paris. Red, green, yellow and blue, wow, I bet you stood out!
I have never been there when black was not the first choice of fashionable women. And must we have the pantyliner suggestion yet again -- particularly for Paris where they have running water for washing things? But kudos to you if you like doing it this way -- I just don't quite agree.
Posted by
Lakeland, Fl, US
59 posts
Hi Raine,
I won't be going to Europe this year; however, I am planning a trip to California near the end of April. I have had in mind to bring some jersey knit items also. I already have a skirt with matching blouse and I have a jersey knit dress. And, you are right, they are wonderful for packing. I can practically wad them up and never have to worry about wrinkles. For my shoes, I am taking my Dr. Scholl's walking shoes. They are styish enough to wear with the skirts and dress and yet are very comfy.
I posted this in another thread, but I have my stuff down to 10.5 lbs and that is including the weight of the carry-on.
I do like to make my clothes and Jersey knit is getting hard to find in the fabric stores.