PLMN,
I think the style is very flattering - but you have to get what you like. I don't make any money if someone from here buys a coat ... I was just extremely happy with it and wanted to share. Hey, if you are most happy with TravelSmith coat then by all means get that! You are the one who will be wearing it There is nothing worse then spending $ on clothes you don't even care for!!

FromAtlanta,

No, really....is the coat as full as it appears on the site? I am considering it as a possibility. I do like the reverse factor and price.

BUT can ANYONE answer my main question:

"If I should have WATERPROOF for sure over RESISTANT I would compromise.

What say? I don't have much experience getting stuck for long periods in the rain. If we are out sightseeing and it rains all day or hard will the WATERPROOF REALLY be that much better a choice?"

As sometimes happens I answered my own question. I looked at the Slowtrav web site and it was suggested WATERPROOF would really be the better choice.

Something with a zip out warm liner.

Ciao!

PLMN, that is exactly the situation in which you want WATERPROOF rather than water resistant. It won't matter going from your hotel to a taxi, but if you are really out in the rain, even a light rain, for any significant amount of time, you'll be soaked to the skin in "water resistant."

I ended up CALLING Travelsmith about the coat I really wanted that said backordered on the website. The system the operator used said there should be one or two left. So I ordered it. WATERPROOF. They said they would ship it with the two long skirts I ordered the other day. This was nice because then I don't have to pay another shipping fee. Plus they let me have the 10% additional off for making first order that I place via the email I was sent after signing up for their website. I did receive a 10% coupon in the mail with the catalouge I received. It gives me 10% off on another FIRST order. The lady said I could use it on my next order. That was nice.

I've owned many "water resistent" H2Off raincoats over the years. Even in heavy rain, the fabric is essentially waterproof - the rain rolls off and never soaks in. The microfiber is beautiful and comfortable.

I ordered the Goretex style once, but sent it back. It wasn't as warm and the fabric is "noisy".

I've learned it's better to pay more and get exactly what you want and find most enjoyable, as opposed to trying one after another and never finding anything quite satisfactory.

I bought and returned $300+ of travel clothes from TravelSmith last month. The fit was different in each clothing piece and NO MENTION was made of this in the item description. I had a size L be huge and also be tight. If they are a catalog company, they MUST state how the item's sizing runs - true, large, small, etc. Second, the fabric was horrible in several items. The miracle micro fiber was heavy and wrinkled when I received it. I had to LOL since I was buying this stuff so it would pack well and release wrinkles. It didn't. I bought some type of travel tshirt that felt like cheesecloth and kind of looked like it too. Sure it was lightweight, mostly because it was nearly see through! Whoa! I will say that their customer service did serve and their return policy w/ convenient prepaid flat rate UPS fee of $6.95 was handy. They were quick to ship my initial order and again quick on the refund posting to my account. I realize that I cannot buy clothes from a catalog, especially unique travel clothing.

Now for the good news, I hunted down some travel clothing locally. I got a tip to go to Chicos and they also have a website. Again, though, you must try it on. Some items run large, others not. Chicos has a line of 95% acetate 5% lycra clothing they call Travellers. They are pricey for my stay at home mom budget, but I hit a sale and got a few pieces. Then I started hunting more stores for this same type of clothing and found it at Target and Walmart -- just a few pieces and bought those up. I'm sorry to say that I've regularly checked both these stores for more of the same and it must be a seasonal item. This fabric is gone. Just the other day I found similar fabric at Kohl's in their Briggs and Ronni Nicole Sport lines. The Briggs in nylon and heavier, so not great for hot weather. The Ronni Nicole is the same acetate lycra fabric. They don't have many pieces, but what they do have is much less $$ than Chicos. I bought a black, lightweight buttonless cardigan for 1/2 price at $25.00. Something similar at Chicos would be at least $65 on sale. I also hit the summer clearance and found skirts that I thought would be wrinkle free and have been. I folded all the items up and left them in my suitcase for a few days to see how they fared. NO WRINKLES and they pack to nearly nothing! I still need to bring some more durable clothing for the more outdoorsy portions of our trip, but I'm very pleased with what I've found and how little it cost. Look for the fabric that you think won't wrinkle and give it a try. The best thing is that I WOULD wear all the items I bought even w/o a specific travel need. I could not say the same for TravelSmith's items and their prices were much higher. Hope this helps.

mdmomof7,

Great post! I feel so silly about my original post quot;> Yes, the clothes did look amazing and the descriptions of them seemed "high quality" and worth the price. (It was a different story when I actually SAW them) I only ordered Tshirts though (3 different kinds) so that is all I am judging.

I don't mind spending money on anything that is worth it! ... But on the same hand, I would cry over having spent $15 on something that was ... well, crap.

The truth is, I see "wrinkle free" and "stain resistant" (or both) everywhere now. I got a nice shirt (Cabin Creek) at JC Penney for about $30 (the same price as a Tshirt that had to go back to TravelSmith!) Yes, I ordered it through there catalog, but they offer FREE SHIPPING about once a month and then you can return it to their store. ... Also, for dressier clothes for women, those "crinkle dresses" are abundent in stores right now too.

Some people are blessed with the type of body that is easy to fit - and shopping a catalog is not a problem ... for most of us though, we need to try it on. When I try clothes on in the store I may have the same size in all the clothes ... but as mdmomof7 pointed out, not all sizes are created equal. It depends on the style and manufacturer etc. ... I KNOW this! I have known it for some time ... why would I assume shopping from a catalog (where I can't try it on) would be easier??!!

I was stupid!!

I STILL love my raincoat though!!

If I didn't mention it before, Mervyn's also has a few pieces in fabric similar to Chico's, called French Laundry. I bought a tank top and a pair of slacks that were very reasonably priced.

Don't feel stupid. It's not our fault we expected it to be higher quality because it was higher cost. On the Travelsmith return form comment area I was specific about why things didn't work out. I also called their customer service and asked if there was any other type of their tshirts she would recommend over the one I received. I explained that I had seen some CoolMax lined tshirts at LLBean and passed on them. She was helpful and told me that theirs didn't seem much different. She also was receptive to my specific suggestions to please give more info. I'm sure they don't want to be in the business of shipping and returning, they want to be in the business of selling!

The other night I saw one of my son's classmate's moms in the acetate lycra material. Can you tell I am on the hunt for this stuff? ;-) It really does feel great. I've worn a couple of the things already. She had on an attractive long sleeved, button front blazer and pants in a pinkish red color. Her son is going on the same European trip so she knew the background as to why I was on the hunt and told me she buys everything she can of HSN (Home Shopping Network) Slinky brand clothing. I checked and you can find it at their website.

I am apprehensive about my 2 skirts and my coat. All I can do is wait to see what comes.

It is interesting about the wrinkles questions. When I went to the Travel Country Store I questioned the sales lady about the wrinkles I saw in many of the "wrinkle resistant" and "wrinkle free" clothes that were on the racks. She explained that the pieces came in that way because the clothing is not ROLLED in the boxes. She said when you travel you are supposed to ROLL the clothes.

I have seen and heard this in a few places so I tended to believe her.

Since I have not actually received my items yet I probably have no right to talk about this, and I do not mean anything mean behind it, but right on the order form page, section 3 it states "call us for the best fit..."
I saw the statement and called them and they explained that each manufacturer's sizes may run different and they can help determine the right size. I did this because I am usually very hard to fit, due to my pear shape.

I tried to buy regular clothes from local stores but I could not find ANYTHING with the pockets I wanted. You know, security pockets and stuff so you don't have to carry a wallet. For me, the clothes I bought at the Travel Country Store will work out for regular wear also.

When I get my TravelSmith order I may be back saying "I sent it all back" but I hope not. I'll let you know

Rolling clothes does work, also packing your things in dry cleaners plastic, or in tissue paper.
Remember that anything with rayon in it, easily gets runs or little pills.. so while they look good when you get them, they show wear quicker.

Order Form? I ordered online and I guess I missed this note. Most people do realize sizes don't run the same among various manufacturers. That's exactly what a mail order/internet company should state in their item descriptions. Maybe they own several shares in UPS or FedEx? ;-)

I didn't roll my clothing when I trial packed it. I also purposely scrunched it up in the bag and left it in a hot car. I don't recall wrinkles, but if they were initially there, they fell out nearly immediately.

Not all rayon pills and runs. I have skirts that I've washed and hung that are rayon and they have held up. Though I don't find them wrinkle resistant. They wrinkle significantly if I don't throw them in the dryer a bit. I wonder if the acetate/lycra will run easily. It looks like it might, but nothing so far. I do think I need sturdier material for outdoor touring. For museums and churches, the travel fabric will work nicely.

I know a lot of people feel that way about rayon, Scarlett, but I actually don't. I have a few pieces I swear by, that do not wrinkle much, can be washed and hung dry, and have held up very well. Both shirts and pants. I like lightweight rayon for summer travel quite a bit, but there are so many different kinds and blends.

By the way, you all know about "the wrinkle test," right? You take a corner of the fabric and scrunch it up in your hand, count to 5, and see how wrinkled it is when you release it. It's a good predictor of how the material will travel.

I hate to iron, so anything wrinkle-free is appealing to me. I find the Chico's fabrics on the heavy side, though. Sure, they will look fine after being rolled into a ball, but they weigh your bag down, and are expensive, too. I do buy quick dry, wrinkle-free tank tops & underwear at Target. It is not marked as travel wear. The tanks are in the sports dept., and are comfy and wash really well, and are about 90% cheaper than fasion stores that sell similar items.

As far as raincoats, I brought my knee length nylon dress/work raincoat to Europe this summer, as well as a little crinkle fabric one that rolls into a pouch. I did not buy them at travel stores, but they pack well & do not wrinkle too much. When I was afraid I might be overweight with my luggage between Amsterdam & Prague, I just took my heavier raincoat, as well as my one blazer, and wore them through check in!! They were not that heavy, but I
didn't want to take any chances!

I never travel with checked luggage - I leave with a carry on stuffed with underwear, socks, a few shirts and that's about it except for the clothes on my back. When I arrive at my destination, I will hit a Flea Market, the Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army or whatever and load up on clothes for the duration. Maybe it costs $10 - $20 tops, and I never feel out of place. As a matter of fact, I'm usually dressed like a local which is a good thing. I just leave them at the hotel, or drop them off at a charity if it is convenient.

My method is to *always* think of travel when shopping for clothes. I just returned from a 10-day trip and my clothes worked out great. Nothing was specially made for travel, just outfits that I liked from this summer that I knew would pack OK. As for wrinkle-free, you just never know, two of my best pieces were a 100% cotton sleeveless top and 100% linen capri pants.

The one thing I will never do again (blame TravelSmith) is take untested items. A couple trips back, I was counting on 1 white and 1 black TS Coolmax t-shirts as mainstays to my wardrobe and they were just AWFUL (stained, pilled, slow to dry). Live & learn... I only take tried & true pieces.

I am 49 and found Chicos travel dresses work great for me. They were longer than I like, so had them hem a little. I put this with chico jacket or nice silk blouse. They are comfortable and easy to travel with. Can dress them up or dowm. Not great if going to be out in the heat, but other wise love them. Also great for going out to on the weekend, as I hate wearing pants.