Hey, Costco has the best olive oil and luggage, so why not clothes?

I received that catalog out of the blue, too (hmmm). And I really liked their black knee-length johnny collar dress... but to me, it's just not worth $80! Wow!

I don't ever buy specific &quot;travel clothes,&quot; but I <i>am</i> guilty of buying new clothes for my trips... a black skirt, a few cute tops, etc. I like to have something new to wear when I discover a new place! My husband doesn't get that at all...

Most people pack too much. You might spend the whole day away from your hotel or B&amp;B, so you don't change and you may find the old favorites are more comfortable.

I guess I am opposite. I do not want to wear my travel clothes at other times. I save them for just travel so they seem new to me and special for my travels. I wear them a lot during the trip so am tired of them by the end. Then when I get them out for travel they are new to me again. I do not buy special travel clothes but regular clothes that travel well. I just bought 3 new pairs of black pants and 2 of them wil be designatd for travel. I always buy a few new thnigs for my trip and do not wear them until my trip. I love saving them for that special time.

I do like the travel socks and have purchased them several times.

I like to get the catalogs to look at the gadgets and bags. I usually do not buy but enjoy looking and getting ideas.

I do it &quot;backwards&quot;: when I have a very comfortable pair of shoes, after breaking into it gets set aside for travel. The same with clothing: if it feels very comfortable, doesn't need ironing, dries fast - for travel (or weekend outings)!

I do buy some things, like small lightweight flashlight, battery-operated alarm clock, pill case - those are not used every day.

I'm enjoying this thread, since I've been stressing a bit over what to take on our trip in September. I've been getting the Travelsmith catalog for years. Bought the travel dress back when it only came in one style (scoop neck, short sleeves), and I've worn it for work a number of times. Unfortunately, I found that the fabric has pilled a bit even though I've always followed the care instructions. Perhaps they've improved the fabric, but if it can't hold up to a few days in my office chair, how can it possibly hold up to sitting on stone steps and walls throughout Europe?

That said, I still drool my way through the catalog, but most of the stuff is too expensive. I've been shopping for regular clothes that will work for travel in outlets and discount places like Ross, since my usual wardrobe is jeans and we're trying to pack light so don't want the bulk. I'm wearing the &quot;travel&quot; clothes before the trip so I know how they'll feel throughout the day; they won't be restricted to travel. My problem is finding clothes that are both comfortable and flattering--many of the styles are too straight up and down and so don't fit both waist and hips (if it fits my waist, I can't get it over my &quot;caboose&quot;!). I have found some things I like at Chico's, but that was years ago when they were still selling &quot;natural&quot; fabrics (cotton broadcloth types).

I'm losing my marbles (not the Elgin ones, fortunately). When I saw this thread this afternoon, I could hav sworn it said &quot;I want to share travel clothes&quot;

Sheila - Maybe you've hit upon something there! As long as everyone's not travelling at the same time....

glad to do that, Sheila!

P.S. The Sundance catalog has some things everyone may like. I bought the sunflower slides.

I have to chime in here to report on my favorite travel purchase. Last year I travelled to Italy (Lucca, Florence and Rome) in the fall. Almost every day I wore a washable suede black jacket by Bernardo I bought at Nordstroms. It was perfect. Great to layer a sweater vest and turtleneck on cooler days. And on warmer days I wore it over a lightweight sweater. I added a scarf every now and then to try to &quot;pass&quot; as Italian. Rain didn't bother it (washable) and for once I felt almost pulled together as an American tourist.

...thankfully, I just now noticed the colon in the subject title (whew!).....

I have a 3/4 length hooded raincoat that packs into itself that I bought from Travelsmith several years ago, and it's been handy. I also have several of their microfiber &quot;big shirts&quot; that I have worn a lot. But a couple of years ago I ordered their little black travel dress and they said it was out of stock and unavailable, so I ordered a similar one from Orvis. Then TS sent me theirs. Comparing the two side by side, Orvis won by a landslide. Much heavier fabric, better stitching, looks and hangs better. The TS one looked cheap and poorly made so I returned it. One poster noted that it &quot;pilled,&quot; which is the result of cheap fabric. Order what you like, but don't be afraid to send it back if it's not right.

I am VERY picky when it comes to clothes, and I have been ordering from TravelSmith for years, but only for certain items. I bought their raincoat in black 6 years ago, and still love it today. I lost a few buttons last year and, on request, they sent me new ones, FREE. I outgrew (unfortunately) their little black travel dress long before it fell apart on me. And, I buy bathing suits from them almost exclusively, because I'd rather have bamboo shoved under my fingernails than try them on in the store. Finally, their return policy is great -- no questions asked anytime. You can even return items after they've been worn, which I did when a sweater didn't hold it's shape. Could be a lot worse.

to xxxx-
&quot;just because they make it in your size, does not mean you should wear it&quot;
hee hee hee
how about--
just because they don't make it in your size, does not mean you should wear the next size smaller.

Re Question about what to wear to the Opera...and about silk for travel:

Personally, I generally don't take silk because it does wrinkle and because travel is harder on clothess. But this does depend on the weight and weave of the silk. Silk knits, for example, may be great for travel.

I've been to the Opera in London (ENO and Covent Garden) and Italy. My experience was that Europeans go to the opera because they love the music, not because it's a big event at which to be seen. People will show up in an enormous range of attire, from very casual to evening attire. It's refreshing and all about the music.

I've found that the best option for opera attire while travelling is simple one-color outfits in urban colors (black, grey, dark browns or blues...) accented by a great scarf or necklace fills the need to dress a bit without adding extra weight. Nicely tailored slacks are fine, or course-- no need to drag along a dress or skirt, which demands different shoes.
(Of course, if it is outdoor summer opera, it will be even more casual.)

I just looked up the Travelsmith web site. I may order from this company. I was going to order from L.L.Bean but if the item does not fit and you need to return it or exchange it I THINK they told me they make you pay for the shipping. I did not like that idea because I am hard to fit and shipping might have ended up costing a fortune.

On the Travelsmith site it appears that if you exchange an item, THEY bear the shipping cost. I am going to call them and find out.

There are also packing lists on the site. Different lists for different areas. Neato

PLMN, If you look at the Travelsmith website, it says they offer a full merchandise refund (nothing about shipping there). Secondly they state if you return merchandise as an exchange, they'll ship the exchanged item at their cost.

Probably worth a call to confirm that. So few on line clothing places offer free shipping anymore, you'd think one that did would advertise it rather loudly!

I must say, regardless of how you feel about their clothing, Travelsmith is an excellent company with great customer service. So is Chico's, for that matter. Chico's does have a few outlet stores around the country, and a sale section on their website.

I have a few friends who swear by Chicos Travelers line of clothing. They wear them for everyday use as well. They are very nice and comfy. Maybe a tad on the expensive side, but they constantly have sales, a few outlet stores, and you can order on line.

And Atlanta, anytime you wanna talk clothes, you'll always get a ton of responses! Chances are some won't be as pleasant for you, but don't take them personally.