Pants for Travel

A nice pair of trousers or pants should follow the same guidelines as for jeans. Boot cut, straight leg, wide leg, or trouser cut pants in quick drying fabrics will serve you best. Avoid overly high or overly low rises, slightly below the natural waistline compliments most figures. Hemlines should be as long as possible without actually touching the ground to give the body the longest line and mask our less than sexy walking shoes. Finding pants in a synthetic blend will minimize bulk and drying time.

Dark neutrals work best to conceal any spots or spills that might happen during the course of your trip. Black, brown, and grey coordinate with other neutrals as well as brighter colors. Khaki’s are a strictly American phenomenon so stick to the darker neutrals. Also save those nifty pants that have zip off legs for when you’re trekking through a rainforest.

Layering tights or silk long john underwear under pants during cold weather help keep you warm. Wool pants usually need to be dry cleaned, making them less than ideal-save them for the boardroom. In the summer, tailored linen trousers offer a fashion savvy option.







During warmer weather Capri, cropped, or gaucho pants provide an alternative to skirts or shorts. My problem with capri’s is that they can look way too casual and they are way too ubiquitous.

Cropped pants tend to shorten you visually unless you are quite tall, full length pants provide the most flattering length of pant. Your footwear will also be more prominent since we loose the benefit of hiding our sensible shoes under a full length pant. However, for those of you that still insist on a shorter length pant a fitted, dressy, or tunic top can elevate the look to a more Jackie O sense of St. Tropez sophistication.

If you are slender, lucky you, you can pull off a slim cut Capri. Paired with a cute top -voila! If you are less than slender you can also sport the look with a tunic top.

A wide or straight cut cropped pant conveys casual elegance as well as balancing a fuller figure. There are even wide cut cropped pants with a comfortable elastic waist. The wide cut skims beautifully over the body. Balance the wide cut with a fitted or structured top. A tunic hides a multitude of sins and looks Riviera worthy.

A Few Words on The Rise of Jeans

The rise on jeans or pants refers to the measurement from the crotch to the top of the waistband. We have all seen the prevalence of low rise jeans in recent years. If you are not into the low rise thing that is fine but it really can be a flattering cut, when not overdone of course to the super low rise or brazilian proportions.

The purpose it serves is to make the derriere area seem smaller and more in proportion to your body. Think about it, if you have a pair of pants with a waistband that is at or above your navel there is a lot of extra material between the top of the waistband and your bottom. From behind your derriere can look like sag city with all that extra material no matter how many lunges you have logged in the gym.

In a lower rise pant the material starts just above your derriere highlighting it in a more flattering way. That being said it is best to select pants with a rise no higher than slightly below your belly button. Anything higher will be unflattering, I won’t even mention Mom jeans. While we’re on the subject please no pleated, tapered, or relaxed fit styles either. If you are not a size 2 that is no problem, I’m not either! There are plenty of flattering pants out there as well as little tricks for disguising problem areas.

For those of you into the low rise jean, just a friendly reminder that not everyone wants to see your "business" every time you bend or sit down. Fortunately tee shirts come in longer lengths to help avoid this problem. If there is a huge gap a tailor can take in the jeans a bit. Some designer denim is also cut higher in the back than in the front to help remedy this. Forego the ultra low rise for travel, you will be bending and moving about more so it’s best to leave these in your closet.

Jean Styles for Travel

Boot cut styles compliment many body types. This style of jean flares slightly out from the knee. This style has become increasingly popular thanks to a nearly universal flattering fit. Boot leg styles can be found in various sizes to complement many body types. The prevalence of boot leg styles make it the easiest style of jean to select since it is readily available at most clothing stores at various price points.



Straight leg styles are a classic option. Make sure that they are indeed straight leg without a hint of a taper and that the waist is at least below the navel. Straight leg jeans can work on different body types as well. When worn with a longer tunic top or with a dress (yes that’s right I said dress) they can skim over problem areas.





The trouser cut jean has become my personal favorite. This cut has all the advantages of denim with an added dose of sophistication. My quality of life has truly improved since buying my trouser cut jeans, I wear them all the time. The leg is a fuller cut which can skim over problem areas. They also usually have a wider, more tailored waistband than jeans which helps provide a little more lock and load to the tummy area. I wear mine with everything from trainers to heels, they are that versatile.



Remember when choosing jeans for travel to look for styles with some synthetic content-such as spandex, elasticine, or lycra. The higher the synthetic content the easier to launder while on the road because it will dry faster.

What's the skinny on the skinny jean of the moment? Find out here.

Can you wear Jeans to Europe? Oui, oui, si, si!

In the past, denim was not considered appropriate to pack for a European trip. However, times have changed and while the classic European woman may not have incorporated denim into her repertoire, her daughter probably owns several pairs.

As you can see from the photo here, I think I really have to revise that statement. This chic Parisian mom is wearing jeans and her daughter is not, and by the way the mom still looks fab and modern and age appropriate-I love French women!

The youth in Europe wear jeans and you will see them everywhere. However, the jeans they wear are well fitted, in some cases quite tight but not in a vulgar way (well maybe in Italy but that’s a different story).

Seasoned lightweight packers have also shunned denim because of its thickness, weight, and long drying time. Despite these drawbacks if you wear jeans on a regular basis you can include them in your travel wardrobe, with a few caveats. After all I can’t deny myself or any one else their trusty denim. A lightweight jean would be ideal but can be difficult to track down so it is best to limit yourself to one pair. Wearing your jeans on travel days (plane and train) will keep them from taking precious room in your luggage.

• Jeans in a dark rinse are more versatile and less casual than medium or light wash denim.

• Stay away from any sort of overly washed, bleached, or whiskered styles.

• Look for a flattering and proper fit, no relaxed or tapered styles

• The hem should almost hit the floor, this gives the longest line to the body and can help conceal less than sexy walking shoes.

• Try on jeans with your travel shoes to ensure the right hem length or have them hemmed accordingly.

• Jeans with stretch will not only be more comfortable they also have synthetic materials that slightly decrease bulk.

• Wearing your jeans on travel days (plane and train) will keep them from taking precious room in your luggage.

If you are lucky enough to already have found your “go to” jeans by all means pack them, as long as they fit in with my guidelines. Check the condition to ensure that there are no frayed hems, no sagging, or obvious spots. If the fit is not quite there, a tailor can help refine the fit.

Photo taken by The Sartorialist, many more amazing photos can be found there of stylish people in major cities

What Kind of Dressing? French or Italian

If you're at a loss for what to wear when traveling to Italy or France rest assured that my general Travel Clothes Guidelines will get you through your Europe with flying colors. Basic fitted clothes in darker colors and a few distinctive accessories will carry you far and provide that bit of chic that we all strive for. However, I thought it might be fun to address the way that French and Italian women differ in the way they dress. The basic formula is still the same but there are subtle differences.

• French women dress classic yet subtly sexy, Italian women are more va-va-va-voom in their sexiness

• French women stick to classic clothing, Italian women are classic but they do like trendy clothing as well

• French women wear simple hair and makeup, Italian women get a bit more gussied up and they love blond highlights

• French women wear fitted clothing, Italians wear tighter clothing

• French women may use color as an accent, sometimes Italians wear more color

• Some sort of scarf is always worn by both Italian and French women

• Heels are always worn by both Italian and French women

These photos along with an assortment of others can be found on The Sartorialist.

Who's French and who's Italian can you guess?

What to Wear in Europe for Summer

Wanting ideas for how to dress for Europe in the remaining days of summer? Along with my Travel Clothes Guidelines here's a few other things to consider for summer packing:
1) Simple sundresses always look great and can take you from day to night with a few accessory changes. My personal fave right now is the Maxi Dress.
2) Big bold sunglasses are a must for a chic and cool look.
3) Summer accessories can skew chunkier and earthier, think wooden bangles or bead necklaces.
4) Choose simple sandals that are comfortable enough for walking.
5) Shorts are not commonly worn in Europe, but if you must -some structured Bermudas or tailored short shorts would look good with an empire or flowy top to dress it up.
6) Skirts are a great alternative to shorts, and pair well with a simple tank as seen below.
7) Dresses really are the be all end all, for me anyway, as far as packing light- I would pack four dresses, a belt, and a cardigan or wrap and be done with it-easy, easy.

Here's an idea of how Europeans dress for warm weather as photographed by The Sartorialist.com.








My new Fave Look! (Sartorialist).

Here are some more spring/summer outfit ideas from Banana Republic

Handy Headband for Travel

Halleluiah for Headbands! When traveling you don’t always have time to primp and a headband provides a chic and quick solution to fixing your hair. So make sure and pack a headband to add color and style to your neutral travel ensemble.

Headbands are uber-trendy right now and can be found in a multitude of styles, prints, and colors. Choose one that complements or coordinates with your travel wardrobe. Silk scarves also make beautiful headbands so let your scarves do double duty. Fresh and chic fix for bad hair, love it!

For more tips check out Travelista.com for my Beauty on the Road suggestions.

$40. Silk charmeuse headband by L. Erickson found at Franceluxe.com.