Me

Have heeded the advice of many here re: type of clothing to travel with. Just wonder, seriously, linen wrinkles so easily, do most hotels have an iron or do you all send it out..or do they just wear it with the wrinkled look....Just would like to fit in! I plan on having fun, too!

Kay

Simple - don't take linen! It creases way too much and you'll spend a fortune and waste time getting it laundered.<BR>We travel for weeks at a time and wash out clothes each night in the bathroom basin, hanging things over the shower overnight to dry. It's taken a bit of practice, but we only take clothes that don't crush and wash and dry quickly. E.g. fleece tops, t-shirts that don't need ironing (wash them first at home to check), tencel or stretch trousers, mainly just easy-care fabrics. <BR>You can still look well dressed and fit in, just be selective. <BR>Kay

janis

There are some linen blends that don't wrinkle as much. And a few wrinkles is fine with linen - it is expected. But I do not spend time on holiday ironing and other drudge work. If the wrinkles bother you leave the linen at home.<BR><BR>I normally wear only cotton, silk, linen and wool, but over the years I have put together a couple of manmade fabric wardrobes that look like natural fabrics but are wash and drip dry w/o wrinkling. You have to search but good polyesters and rayons are out there. A travelers blessing.

Annie

Janis, can yo tell us the names of stores you have found which have a good selection of better poly/rayon clothing suitable for traveling? I have been looking, but many of the things I have seen are too heavy and too hot for summer travel.<BR>Thanks.

bettyk

If I might suggest a few places to get good quality travel clothing:<BR><BR>www.travelsmith.com<BR>www.chicos .com<BR>www.magellans.com

elaine

Opinions differ on this sort of thing, but I was not happy at all with the quality of the one dress I once ordered from Travelsmith. Dress was shapeless, the seams uneven and weak, fabric flimsy, you could practically see through it .Maybe I just had bad luck.<BR>I think for the money you can do just as well with regular cotton or cotton-blend pants such as you might ordinarily buy anyway in the Gap or Banana Republic or Walmart anyway. I do take linen pants as well in the summer; mine are lined. They still wrinkle, but after hanging them up overnight they don't look bad the next day, and anyway wrinkles are just the nature of linen.<BR>I also take advantage of hotel laundry and dry cleaning services, usually back same day or next day. I'd rather deal with my hotel on this than finding a local dry cleaner that I don't know and who doesn't have any relationship with me. Hotel laundry services can be pricey, but the extra $25 or even $50 compared with the whole price of my trip doesn't seem too bad to me, and if I have to I'd rather have bread and cheese for dinner one night and still spluge on having fresh clothes.<BR>But that's a personal decision, we all spend money on different things.

elaine

when I said "cotton or cotton-blend" pants, I meant to say, pants and skirts.<BR>In hot weather I find skirts much more cool and comfortable, and forgiving of wrinkles.

amy

Amen to not taking linen. There are "crinkle" fabrics that would be a better deal if you want more natural fibers. <BR><BR>The problem with natural is the wash-dry time. <BR><BR>I also was not pleased with Travelsmith dress. Like other posters on this thread and in others, I've found some more useful stuff for travel at K-Mart. It's not that the clothes look so great stateside; it's that they look far better than your "good" clothes that suffer so much from packing when worn on a trip. What I'm talking about are very lightweight knit tops that I can mix and match with lightweight knit black slacks and skirt. Used with some nice earrings and a chain belt, they take up no room in the suitcase and wash in a jiffy.

Marge

Good quality microfiber pants are great unless you're looking for warmth; lightweight for packing, easy to launder, wrinkle resistant and can be dressed up or down with different tops and shoes. Tencel/cotton is my second choice but tends to wrinkle more than microfiber. Forget ironing; can't count on hotels having one (especially outside N. America). Microfiber will usually completely dewrinkle hanging in a bathroom while showering. For brands, I like Talbots.

Robyn France

Greetings,<BR><BR>I have several suggestions which work for me.<BR>I find that cotton blends with some spandex shed the wrinkles more readily--have selected capris with that mix or cotton-nylon-spandex ankle pants (long capris)--check out Lerners--all black or grey for the pants----that great nylon blend(about 50% nylon, 40% cotton 10% spandex --sort of feels like the quick dry running suits (not the shiny nylon stuff) and looks great. I also had the tailor shorten a second pair of black to be a little more capri length. And don't forget Wrinkle Free--that little navy spray can which quickly knocks the wrinkles out in a minute--have used it for years--travel stores have it.<BR><BR>For the plane, I have a 2 piece silky black nylon-spandex outfit--capris, with fairly narrow legs, cap sleeve open collar polo--90% nylon, 10% spandex--looks chic, doesn't wrinkle, and feels like pj's on the plane--(I always take my bra off on the plane before going to sleep---soooo much more comfy--put it on in the morning (both in the lav, of course).<BR><BR>I find a cotton knit sundress, some cotton tees, jewelry and scarves can have me set for a trip. WE leave for Italy this week and I am ready!!<BR><BR>Buon viaggio,<BR>Robyn France

elvira

No iron, no how, never ever. Won't carry one; if the hotel room comes with one, I ask for another room.<BR><BR>In the warmer weather, crinkly skirts of cotton or silk; lightweight cotton or silk knit tops; poplin-weight pants. Dark colors don't show the wrinkles or dirt like light colors, so I opt for dark pants/skirts and light tops.<BR><BR>In cold weather, wool knits; loosely-woven wool skirts or pants; silk knit tops; blouse-weight sweaters. Again, dark colors preferred.<BR><BR>I love the look of linen - except when it's all wrinkly around the lap and sort of sweaty looking. Ditto the crotch creases in a pair of pants. Linen is good if you're not planning to sit much.<BR><BR>I'm a desert dweller, and I'm with elaine on cool - a loose fitting skirt is a lot cooler than a pair of pants. The only shorts that I find beat the heat are big, baggy cotton with elastic waistbands. I wouldn't be caught dead past the trash barrels in those; needless to say, no shorts for sightseeing.

chris

I just purchased a wardrobe of mix and match separates in wrinkle-free synthetic blends from Ross, Mervyns and Macys spending an average of only $15/piece in black and khaki. One skirt that is stretchy, another that covers shorts, regular pants and a variety of tops that all mix and match. I have heard the same thing about Travelsmith quality. At home in California I dress very casually and I wanted some things appropriate for Europe without spending a fortune. I'm not sure how well these things will breathe (I usually wear 100% cotton) but they don't wrinkle, are very light and not bulky. A cardigan sweater and a light raincoat should do it. My biggest problem is shoes. Sandals are OK but I usually wear athletic shoes for serious walking and they won't go with the rest of the clothes. Good luck, Chris

Carol

Two tips: the best walking sandals for women are from Clark's, now even available in some outlet malls. My friend says she has every color, but I beat her out by buying a pewter pair. Another suggestion, buying a can of Wrinkle Free is fine but expensive, and possibly even may be confiscated on a plane because it is aerosol. But I purchased an plastic spray bottle, the smallest I could get, very inexpensive in the cosmetics part of WalMart. It is light to carry. When I arrive at a hotel, I put water in it and spray the wrinkles out of my clothes. They dry overnight or even sooner, and you never have to iron.

Robyn France

Good suggestion not to carry on your Wrinkle Free--they could indeed confiscate. But I find a $4.50 little can lasts for several trips--so the expense is quite minimal, and I do find that it works far better than spraying a garment with water, and the item is ready to put on within a moment or 2. I'm sticking with my Wrinkle Free.

Carol

If you are taking the small size wrinkle free you will be fine. They have not confiscated my samplet size hairspray and it is the same size.