I will be in England and Paris in February. What fabrics travel the best - avoiding wrinkles, ease of care, versatility? I plan on bring a pair of jeans, a pair of nice slacks and hopefully one dress that I could dress down or up for restaurants. Thanks for the help. Thanks.

Fabrics that wrinkle least are: wool, <BR>most knits regardless of fabric, and <BR>of course synthetics (eg polyester) <BR>but I hate synthetics. Blends of <BR>synthetics and wool are better than <BR>total synthetics (eg, wool+acrylic) for <BR>quality of appearance. Rayon wrinkles terribly, although you probably wouldn't use that in winter, anyway. Corduroy doesn't wrinkle much. A twill weave also withstands wrinkles--this is the kind of weave you find in denim, the <BR>threads look on the diagonal. It will <BR>probably be pretty cold so you might <BR>think of jeans, corduroy pants and maybe <BR>a wool knit dress. <BR>

I, too, would highly recommend wool that time of year, especially knits, or lined. If you hang your garments up upon arrival, most of the wrinkles just "fall out". Actually, a lined wool dress, slacks, skirt, blazers, are very warm and the lining precludes having to pack specific lingerie. I used to take a dress, but have determined that a black skirt, beautiful ivory blouse and a v-neck cardigan and/or jacket in my favorite color are much more versatile for dressing up or down. Even so, I always take my dual voltage steamer along. It's lightweight, small, and does a fabulous job.

Hello Kim, <BR>I prefer to travel very light using an 18" carry-on Travelpro Rollerboard. Last year I spent 3-weeks in Europe with just one dark jacket, one dark sweater, five shirts, two pants, one pair of shoes, a portable clothesline and some travel soap. I purchased the shirts and pants from Tilley Endurables, they are made of quick-dry wrinkle-free AdventureCloth (65% polyester, 35% cotton). It worked out great, I would wash every four days in my hotel room at night, the shirts and pants would then be dry and wrinkle-free in the morning. These shirts and pants look and feel so good that I still use them here at home. One mistake I did make was that one of the pants was Khaki color and it required more frequent cleaning because dirt would show on it easier. Next time I'll bring a navy blue and a black pair of pants instead. Beware that these fabrics are very light, and you should use a layering strategy of sweaters and jackets to keep warm in Europe in February. Tilley Endurables also have a good selection of ladies clothing, and they have a web site at: www.tilley.com. Have fun in Europe!

Almost any piece of clothing will wrinkle minimally if it is cover with a plastic bag when it is in your suitcase. And, don't forget, that the steam from the shower will help get rid of wrinkles. <BR> <BR>The weather is Paris and England during January and February is usually grey and damp and between the high 20's and mid-40's. I have found the ideal coat to be down. <BR> <BR>Enjoy.

Too many travelers forget that heat loss can become a problem, and travel in western Europe during February is no exception. First, pack along a hat of some kind. The exposed head loses more heat than any other part of the body. Wool is best. Second, pack a pair of gloves. Third, wear layers of clothes, preferably a windbreaker on the upper body. Fourth, pack a pair of wool socks. Fifth, if your shoes get wet, change them at the first opportunity. A warm and dry head, hands, and feet will carry you through. Years at sea and camping have taught me this lesson. And you should have no problems if you heed these words.

I would highly recommend stretch pants, as I took a few pairs along with me on my last trip. If you get top quality ones they don't lose shape. I've had a black Max & Co. pair for over 2 years that are as good as new. On my last trip I took those plus stretch black cords and navy stretch pants. They are warm (my coldest spot was Kirkenes in northern Norway) and you can get them washed in laundries without them being ruined or discoloured. The dark colours can be worn at night as well as day and this type of trouser is the most comfortable I've ever worn - unlike jeans, no crotch pressure on the plane!!!

I go back and forth a lot to France and I would second Joanna's advise about stretch pants vs jeans. I always wear microfiber tights under jersey or jersey/wool skirts or dresses or under calcons (stretch pants)nearly always black (Always at home in Europe, France at least, in the winter). Much easier to wear, pack and dress up, and clean than jeans. I love microfibers-I have mostly bought them in Europe til now-they like to make rain coats-which might work well in combo with sweaters-they are light and very warm. And bot England and Paris have a good shot at being damp as well as cool in Feb. I travel on business a lot and I even have 2-3 business outfits in microfiber-made by a company called "Babette" based in San Francisco, but I have bought there stuff in Seattle as well. They crinkle their stuff (on purpose) and pleat it, and it washes in the machine or by hand and drys perfectly every time. If you happen to find their stuff take a look. Also, Tencel is a microfiber that is made in a denim and you can generally find jumpers, jean etc. of that. There is even a place on-line caled newfibers.com that sells tencel stuff. You might want to check that out. <BR> <BR>Otherwise for winter I agree that wool and wool blends work best and definitely sweaters. My French husband always complains he can't use his sweaters here in Seattle because we keep the buildings too warm-so expect even the interiors of buildings to be a bit cooler in Europe than here. A lot depends on whether you get chilly or not by nature-I tend to stay warm so I dress lighter than some folks in Europe, but I have friends that freeze easily. <BR> <BR>Anyway, have fun-I really like winter in Europe-feels very un-touristy.

I second Aurora's prime directive: dry head, dry hands, dry feet!! We were in Paris and London last February, and it was cold and rainy! Wool hat (either knit or felt), knit gloves (those 'magic' stretchable ones work great), and EXTRA SOCKS when you change into dry shoes. I'd skip the jeans; if they get wet, you'll have to find a laundry to dry them. I too wear the stretch leggings or pants; with a turtleneck and a tunic or long sweater over it, you're warm and 'layered'. Make sure your coat is reasonably rainproof, or take a collapsible umbrella. I also take a jersey knit skirt or broomstick skirt for dress-up, with a silky knit top (which can also be worn as a layer). Don't take anything short-sleeved; it's too cold indoors to wear it! oh oh yeah take a wool scarf; if you have one of those shawl types, it works great under your coat and doubles as an evening throw (or just something to drape over your shoulders in a restaurant or theater). Enjoy your trip (we LOVE Europe in February) and even if you bring clothes that wrinkle, no one really cares anyway.....

Is requesting an iron from the front desk of the small 2* hotels a possibility? I have not seen any mention of this... <BR>

Is requesting an iron from the front desk of the small 2* hotels in Paris a possibility? I have not seen any mention of this... <BR>

Actually, some 2* hotels in Paris provide irons and ironing boards in the rooms. It's always okay to ask. You may want to familiarize yourself with the French terms and write them on a piece of paper when making your request, as not everyone in smaller hotels is fluent in English.

I avidly read this forum before my trip to Norway last summer. The common advice was no jeans. I was sorry I didn't bring all my jeans. I brought only one pair. I never saw stretch pants and the weather was cool- I would call it cold. Everyone there- all ages( I am 50) wore jeans.Rethink your plans if you were thinking of leaving your jeans at home.I don't wear stretch pants. I normally wear jeans. Also not being from a cold climate I was unaware of layering with the close to the skin layer being wool. I thought wool would be itchy and too hot in the summer. Wrong again for Norway. Our hosts had to give us wool as a first layer. We were unprepared for the changing temperatures as we hiked. We thought we should layer in cotton in the summer- not a good idea.Even the nomads in the desert wear wool! I used one dress and that was adequate but necessary.They even wear wool underwear! The saying goes " There is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes!" <BR>