What's your favorite travel dress?

Actually, I prefer a skirt. I can throw on many different tops that I use with pants and make it good for any type of weather. Skirts also take up less space when I pack. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

I love a skirt, too. I have a knit jersey black, slightly gored, skirt that goes in my bag every trip. For all seasons, folds into practically nothing and can go with almost any top I pack.

Hi Gloriajz and Laurie Beth, thanks for your replies! I love a good skirt, too, and packed two on our last trip. But when we arrived in Germany it was in the middle of the heatwave, and one of the things I really wished I had was a good lightweight dress. Even the waistband of my skirt felt too warm. :)

Anything from Uniqlo. But don’t forget to wear bicycle shorts underneath to prevent thigh chafing.

Hi Emily, thanks! I'm not familiar with that company. Time to check them out!

My favorite was a black sleeveless dress from the brand "Lucy", which doesn't exist any longer, and I somehow left it behind in New Zealand, most likely hanging on the back of a door in the bathroom. I haven't found a new favorite yet...so hoping someone has some great options here.

:)

In a heatwave, good quality linen. The better the quality of the fiber, the less see-through. The first day we wear it, it neat and ironed. After that, keep it on a hanger and just re-wear or let shower steam perk it up.

There's one that Jean loves that I tried to order when it was on sale a while back. For some reason the site locked me out and I never did successfully sign on, so couldn't get the dress. I still want it since it looks and sounds like the perfect travel dress for my style. I can't remember the details now, but she'll probably see this thread and sign on eventually to tell us about it. I'm not a dressy person, but did meet a nice man in Italy a few years ago and ended up on a dinner date. I wish I'd had a dress that evening. I would love to find a few quick dry pretty blouses to upgrade my wardrobe a bit as well.

How about this one? Several folks on the Forum like their clothes for travel.
I tried to post link, but it was too long. Go to Quince.com, then 100% European Linen Tank Mini Dress. It offers color options & looks both cool & cute.

I'm not a dress person but few years ago I had to buy some knee length skirt during a trip. I got black skirts in what feels like jersey fabric, really soft and lightweight. I wore it with different tops, but I also had to get an anti-chaffing pair of shorts. It has become my "travel skirt".

If I were to buy a dress, I would opt for a solid color so you can pair with different accessories to make the outfit look different.
I have a friend who moved to Asia and swears by Uniqlo (Ultra Stretch AIRism Dress), but she had it hemmed just above the knee as they were too long for her (mid-calf). She said it's perfect for the heat and humidity, and she dresses it up with a cardigan when she goes somewhere cooler. She told me the fact it doesn't have a waist elastic was what made it even more comfortable.

SKfromthePNW, I'm glad I'm not the only one who misses the Lucy brand. My favorite travel t-shirt was a Lucy one. I wore it out. I read that they were bought out by VF/TheNorthFace. Sad.

LaurieBeth--I don't have that one, but have the linen swing dress (in 3 colors) plus one of the same style in the gauze. Love them!!! I have been living in them this spring/summer. They dry overnight too, which is nice.

https://www.quince.com/women/linen-sleeveless-dress

Hi all! Thanks for the suggestions! I'm always happy to buy more linen clothes, so thank you especially for that endorsement. :) Regarding the Lucy brand folks have mentioned, I checked on thredup.com (second-hand clothes online retailer), and found a lot of clothes from "lucy." If that's the same brand, folks might be able to grab some inexpensive pieces if they don't mind secondhand. I'm looking through it now...

Hi, yes, I have a favorite travel dress! And a funny thing happened at our last local RS travel meet up in Coeur d’Alene! A woman who just moved here showed up in my favorite dress (she saw my post a few years ago), and I was wearing it, too, in a different color pattern - LOL!

My dress is the Royal Robbins Spotless Traveler Tank Dress. I bought one in 2023 in navy - nice to pair with scarves or a necklace, and I purchased another in 2025 and 2026 in patterns. The dress is knee length (I’m 5’8”), and the hem dips a tiny bit in the back. On hot days in Italy, I have sink-washed it and worn it every other day. It easily dried overnight. I like that the cut allows a slight breeze to your legs when walking. I wear a half-slip cut in a culotte style (bought on Amazon), so there’s nothing hot or tight on my legs which would defeat the purpose of wearing a dress to stay cooler. During Summer here at home, I typically have one or two in my weekly laundry basket.

By the way, the short sleeve dress they sell that sounds similar looks very frumpy. I returned that one.

Thanks, Jean! I just put myself on the 'notify me when it's back in stock' list. Cute dress!

Another company to check is Toad & Co. I had a favorite cotton dress from them several years ago, and it was a midi length. Unfortunately, it was ruined when Proctor & Gamble changed their laundry detergent formula which gave me instant headaches. The cotton was a nice breathable fabric, and the cut with a side gathering shirring tie that could be adjusted was pretty.

Another dress I use off & on trips is a midi cotton v-neck t-shirt dress. I bought it at Kohl’s five years ago. VERY comfortable & looks okay for dinner or a concert with a large formal scarf covering the t-shirt sleeves. I don’t know the brand of it (I cut off my tags).

Update: Uh oh! I think you might have just set me up to buy another Toad & Co. dress! I’m seeing some good options, and I love that they’re organic cotton!

Two brands I like are Dunes and Oh my Gauze. Made with crinkle cotton gauze they are designed for hot weather with a relaxed fit. Both brands are well made, no split seams and lasted me for years. Easily washed by hand, hang to dry - no ironing needed. I am 5 ft 3” and found any dresses were maxi on me! When googling specify Dunes clothing otherwise you will get a lot of geology references!

Thanks, Lesley! I'm not familiar with either brand, and I'll definitely check them out.

https://www.titlenine.com/p/travel-dress-round-trip/120928.html

I have this dress in a pattern no longer made. It is comfortable. I like the length. It does not wrinkle. It washes and dries well.

I take it on every summer European trip.

depends on the weather. We are going to Ireland in a couple weeks and I'm bringing mostly pants, but I plan to bring along a mid sleeve denim dress from LOFT. I can wear it with a sweater and even with a long sleeved shirt under it. I'll bring calf length and full length leggings that I can wear under the dress for chilly mornings.

For hot weather, I like a light weight skirt with cooler tops. I also generally will bring a Quince linen dress same as the one above, but I ordered the one with sleeves.

Favourite travel dresses are from Mela Purdie, either the Mache or Microprene as they are light weight and do not need ironing. Alquema for a dressier look - again no ironing. If the weather is hot, then linen as I don’t mind creases. Have never understood wearing bicycle shorts under dresses and skirts - it must be an American habit. Blue Bungalow have a great travel clothing section - online.

Bike shorts under dresses is definitely not just a US thing - growing up in Australia, my friends and I always wore them under school uniform dresses so we could run around the playground / hang on the monkey bars / play sport at lunch without flashing anyone. And as an adult living in the EU, I still wear light cotton or bamboo bike shorts (not the sturdy exercise type) under dresses because a) I actually cycle in my dresses as my main form of transport [resident of the flat northwest here], and b) as someone who's always been fairly curvy, I know that nothing ruins a day out faster than unpleasant, er, chafing.

On dresses, Seasalt (of Larissa shirt fame) has some very nice light jersey and linen options which travel well. White Stuff, Boden, and Fat Face are other UK brands with similiar styles. Watch for sales as their dresses are undeniably pricey. I also have one wool& dress I wear as a tunic.

The rest of my dresses are German brands, but on the off chance: my favourites are all Opus, especially some light long-sleeve muslin flowy numbers that dry super-fast, are supposed to crinkle, and prevent sunburn. Oh, and my bike shorts are Calida and Sylvia Speidel.

Thank you for the continued suggestions! Some of the suggestions make me think that next time I travel, I should deliberately under-pack, and then do some clothes shopping for myself. :)

My favorite for travel is the Armachillo dress from Duluth Trading. Maybe not as long as the OP is looking for (hits just above knee in me, a fairly tall person), but I think it’s a modest, comfortable length. Series very quickly after sink washing, and also has zippered pockets! I also get Duluth’s women’s long boxer briefs, otherwise I get chub rub in the heat.

I hadn't even thought of Duluth; thanks for the suggestion! Armachillo is a nice fabric, and zippered pockets would be a definite bonus.

BarbaraG--I love Duluth! I have on their short gardening overalls right now;) Their underwear is the best! I don't have any of their dresses, but will nee to take a look, thank you!

Snoozy, It must be a recent generational thing, because no girl wore shorts under her skirts, dresses, including her school uniform during the 1960s, 70s and we would swing on money bars, jungle gyms etc. It seems like a weird throwback to when women wore corsets and female ‘modesty’ was paramount.

That's interesting! I never really thought of it that way. I didn't wear really wear skirts to school when I was a little kid (the 80s), because I wanted to be able to play without worrying about my underwear showing. When I had my girls, I bought them skorts or comfy little cotton shorts for their skirts and dresses (if they wanted skirts and dresses), so they could run around and do whatever they liked. My youngest still prefers skorts. I guess I think of skorts (for kids anyway-- as a grown up, it's all about the chafing) as being about freedom and fun, rather than restriction or adhering to a particular fashionable body shape (which is what I think of when I think of corsets).

In the 60’s in elementary school we all wore shorts under our dresses for playing on the playground. This was in Massachusetts, so it could be a regional thing. We were all encouraged to do sports or hang upside down on the jungle gym, etc. LOL

Regarding the best dress, I wholeheartedly support Jean’s recommendation of the Royal Robbin’s tank dress. I am not a dress kind of girl, but as I have mentioned I needed a dress or two due to surgery recovery which is over. BUT I am still living in them! And don’t get me started on the pockets!

Agreed - as an adult, it's definitely about the chafing! Which is an excellent way to completely ruin a summer day out - check if you're susceptible before packing a dress! (Yes, I learnt this the hard way in my early 20s when I thought bike shorts were only for the playground and no longer necessary for adults. Verdict: oops. And they were then very hard to find in Wroclaw late on a Saturday...)

Check out Anatomie. Their clothes are made for travel.

Shorts under the dress was definitely a thing in Maryland in the 70s. And in Western Washington as an adult riding a bike. I like the Jockey Skimmies if I'm not wearing leggings. I remember a recent post here about how leggings under a dress isn't done anymore. I totally do it. And I LOVE to wear a dress while traveling.

I found a dress in Walmart of all places last year.
Cotton, sleeveless, has pockets!! and an elastic smocked middle section that makes it fit nicely.
I think the brand was Ilya.

Of course now, I see a lot of stores are now stocking fall and winter clothing already. ☹️
Uniqlo has great dresses with bras in them, so great for warm weather.

My go-to is one I picked up from 32 Degrees. It's super light weight, doesn't wrinkle, and can easily be dressed up or down. I actually use it as a nightgown, so it does double-duty.

https://www.32degrees.com/products/womens-cool-t-shirt-dress?variant=43222699147353

Jean's favorite dress looks to be really comfortable in hot weather, but as I don't wear sleeveless anything, regretfully I'll have to give it a pass. Jean, since you mentioned Toad & Co, REI has a few different styles of (sleeveless) dresses on sale at the moment.
s.vierra, have you found your perfect dress yet?

Hi bugslife! Mostly I've been poking around online, checking out everyone's suggestions. I like the dress Jean suggested, but the print I like best is currently out of stock. I'm keeping an eye out, though, because like you mention with REI, a lot of summer things are going on sale. Hopefully I can snag a good deal. That'd make me like the dress even more. :)

My preference is an Eddie Bauer skort in dark blue. It can be dressed up or down. The one I bought is a no wrinkle cotton blend with an elastic waist. It has two roomy zippered pockets that fit my phone. I typically wear it with sandals on a hot day when sightseeing. It seems to have been discontinued but there are many other brands available.

I like Croft & Barrow Women's Smocked Midi dress from Kohl's. I have 3 of these in various colors: two in size S, and one in size PS. I'm 5'4" and find the PS fits a tad better. Because this dress is already smocked and slightly wrinkly, it looks fine out of a suitcase, weights less than 7 oz, and is light and breezy. It's a Kohl's staple so always stocked (with better colors than what's on the website right now), and almost always on sale. Plus pockets.
https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3567056/womens-croft-barrow-print-challis-midi-dress.jsp?color=Berry%20Coastal%20Scenic

Every now and then Kohl's will sell Eddie Bauer clothing that are not 'seconds' or off brand. I picked up two very lightweight travel dresses a few years ago. When I bought them, they were not shown on the EB website-I only found them in person at Kohl's.

I'm not a fan of Toad & Co. because I think their sizing and cuts are not favorable to a short, curvy, small person. I saw some cute lightweight dresses at the Columbia Outlet a few weeks ago, but since I live in the south, the colors were very bright and maybe not suitable for some locations.

A skort is a good option-I travel with those, too. I wear panties inside, skipping the built in option, that extends the wear of the skort quite a bit. Because I'm a golfer, I have many in my closet to choose. I like the ones at Costco-good colors, nice length, easy waistbands.

I have a few of the Tank Linen dresses from Quince. I like them, but they come a few inches above my knee, and I'm short! If you're any kind of tall, I'd skip that style. I also have the Guazy, Cotton Maxi dress from Quince. It reaches my ankles.

When you're trying on dresses, imagine walking a great distance in them, maybe up and down lots of stairs. If your legs are impeded, then that style is not for you. I don't travel with maxi dresses for that reason. Best to choose something that is comfortable that you feel good in.

Good luck shopping!

Hi JS, thanks for the great suggestions! I hadn't thought of the challenge a full skirt on a dress could pose while traveling, which is silly because I have a skirt I love that I don't bring with me on trips for just that reason. It sounds like the dress from Kohl's is a great option. I'll have to swing by my local Kohl's now and then to see what's in stock. Thanks again!

This one's traveling with me to Boston. It also comes in blue, and in petite sizes.

https://suepatrick.com/products/multiples-woven-tank-with-fringe-trim-bands-m36710tm-flax-copy