Felled by a mystery virus, blogging this weekend took a backseat to sleeping. So now that I’m feeling better, how about a belated Monday Outfit?
Today’s inspiration photo is from Arielle Charnas at Something Navy. It brings the vibrance of bright orange to an otherwise casual outfit. But casual doesn’t need to be boring.
Sweater. This bright orange sweater from Madewell has the same boxy fit as the inspiration photo. If you prefer the crewneck look, try this Jucca sweater (<$75). I also like the cable-knit sweater from Whistles.
Plus-size? This affordable Land’s End sweater is a nice option. Tall? Try this Dorothy Perkins sweater.
Shirt. A button-down tunic is a nice piece for layering under sweaters. This one from Finley Luca has side vents to keep the fit in the hips from being too snug. I also like this discounted tunic from Eileen Fisher.
Prefer a standard length button down? Banana Republic’s Riley-fit shirt is a great option that comes in both petite and tall.
Jeans. Okay, not jeans. If you’re going to be traveling, jeans might not be your most comfortable option. These Sculpt Pull-On Jeans from Talbot’s are the perfect alternative.
The jeans are made of denim, but they sculpt and slim like a compression legging. The waistband is more forgiving and comfortable than a standard jean. These pants have the fit of a legging with a look of a jean (as long and the waistband is covered). They also come in petite and plus.
Sneakers. These Veja sneakers are on my holiday wishlist. This pair has an orange accent, but they come in several colors. I’m partial to the pale pink.
Weekender. I’m traveling light this holiday season. This Sole Society Mason Weekender is a great travel bag for under-$75. For a canvas option, try the Lo & Sons Catalina bag. It’s washable, affordable, and perfect for traveling.
Coat. This Dorothy Perkins coat is a steal. It’s a classic camel coat for under-$75. It also comes in petite and tall. If you don’t like wrap coats, try this oversize Topshop coat or this Calvin Klein hooded toggle coat. Plus-size? Try this Calvin Klein coat.
{image by Nathan Anderson; this post contains affiliate links that may generate commission for the author}
What about long car travel to visit family? With exclusive ability to control the temp in the car, I dont feel like I need a sweater or coat (except maybe to throw on to run into a gas station to get snacks). Also, the number of people you’re potentially going to run into is significantly diminished, so I wonder how stylish I need to be. Of course it will be the first thing family sees when I arrive… Thoughts?
I would love to see a post on traveling light. I always have the best intentions, and then three pairs of shoes, workout options and an extra outfit later…. I just don’t understand how to do it! What’s the secret? Is it rewearing clothes? Washing when you get there? Help!
I second this request.
I just got back from a 6 day trip to Florida that included 3 days of conference and 2 days of meeting some of my bf’s old friends for the first time.
I packed a small carry on: one skirt, two dresses, a light jacket, a blazer, and some tops. If I had been going somewhere cold and had planned on working out, I probably couldn’t have done this.
I wore the jacket on the plane and packed the blazer. I did wash some lighter tops that were fast drying in my hotel sink. I’d say if I were bringing workout clothes I’d have had to wear my tennis shoes on my non-work days (which are workout shoes, not cute walking sneakers), which I wasn’t willing to do. I think it’s a matter of bringing things you can wear multiple times and being strategic about what you wear on the plane (bulkier things). I learned a lot from Hitha’s “How to Pack.” 🙂
Business traveler and recovering chronic over-packer here. Rewearing things is the key, especially if everything is a neutral color that can be mixed and matched. Things like jeans and sweaters can be worn more than once. I tend to just stick with the same jewelry “outfit” the whole trip- earrings, bracelet, rings, long and short necklace in either gold or silver. Pick black or brown for shoes/belts/purse.When I’m on a business trip, I have 3 pairs of shoes- casual, dress, running. It sometimes sucks to be so neutral, I have a lot of fun shoes that I don’t wear much, but it makes planning/packing so much easier and leaves a little room in you luggage in case you find something when you’re on your trip. Look up capsule wardrobes for some inspiration.
Agree! Please help 🙂
I travel a decent amount for work and this is what helps me:
Pick a color palate – either black as my main neutral or navy/grey as my main neutral. Then I pick one ‘dressy’ accent shoe, and one comfortable neutral shoe (so black/red with a black neutral, or pink/grey with a navy neutral).
One jacket/blazer that matches or coordinates with my accent shoe color plus one pair of jeans in my base neutral. Two dresses – one in my neutral color, one in my accent color. Scarf in a neutral color. One or two neutral tops – usually a sleeveless and a sleeved option. PJs are just a long t-shirt dress with leggings that in a pinch can get washed and worn as a 3rd outfit with the addition of the scarf to dress it up. Green/red/grey/cognac are my go to ‘accent’ colors that go beautifully with most things. Everything is rolled, and blazer/jeans/scarf is usually worn on the trip to save on space. I do tend to skip workouts on the road in favor of packing light though,
So, it depends on your situation and why you want to pack light – I went to Japan for 2 weeks with just a carryon size bag and realized when I got home that I could have gone lighter. I’d say that casual trips are probably easier to pack light for than business trips, but it’s all about what you are bringing. View your packing list as a capsule wardrobe – how many outfits can you make with the different components, do they all go together, etc. Take into account how long your trip is and can you do laundry during your trip? If you’re staying with family, laundry facilities are probably right there in the house and you can pack even lighter if you want. It’s about breaking the habit of needing to plan for all the what ifs and recognizing that if you don’t bring something or forget something, you can most likely purchase it wherever you are.
Are you the type of person that will pack as much as you can into your suitcase, whether it is a big case or a little case? That’s what kind of packer I am – I like to refer to my packing style as gaseous – what I pack expands to fill whatever container I put it in. So, to train myself to pack lighter, I started using a smaller bag. Now that I’ve gone to carry-on only, I’ll never go back unless there’s a really good reason…
Sorry, that was a bit of a diatribe about packing – I’ve gotten really into one-bagging in the last year. 🙂
For shorter ( < 5 days) trips, I just plan out every outfit, with maybe like ONE contingency/emergency outfit, hopefully cobbled together from other day's outfits. If you don't mind being in athletic gear while traveling, a quick wash in the sink is the difference between your workout gear and your travel outfit. This time of year is harder (more fabric + bulkier clothes) but in some ways easier (much less chance that you sweat through your sweater, so you can keep re-wearing!)
As for longer trips… I don't know, I mostly use a combo of those compression storage bags and a carry-on that is at the absolute limit of how large a carry-on can be, haha. A decently sized backpack or duffle for your "personal item" also works, like I think they'd accept the bag Belle linked in the post.
Nice outfit! Very cheerful.
For packing light a fantastic resource is travel fashion girl!!! check out her website and facebook page.
I am a jeggings convert; if anyone is skeptical, I can recommend an super affordable option from Old Navy that I LOVE: https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=416434002&pcid=999#pdp-page-content
These are comfortable, flattering, and fit as well my favorite high end skinny jeans. As long as the waistband is covered, they work 100% like normal jeans and I cannot recommend them more highly.