Looking Back at my October 2013 Cruise+ Wardrobe

Last September, I wrote about planning my wardrobe for 25 days of varied climates and venues in Europe, including 7 days sailing the Aegean Sea, and linked to my polyvore packing list. In that post, I featured a couple of jersey tunics by Calvin Klein that were long enough to be dresses on me, and looked great with leggings. They seemed perfect for travel. Alas, they disappointed me, and will not be worn again by me, unless for a sedentary occasion. The fabric, a lightweight jersey of 95% polyester and 5% spandex, just did not breathe. My very light sweating (from walking moderately for a couple hours) caused awful odors to develop in both tops. I mean, truly stinky body odor. This is not normal for me, and my body did not smell. My companions will attest that neither I nor my clothing become malodorous after a day's activities. It's also not normal for other similar poly-spandex jersey blend clothing I own. For example, TravelSmith's Voyager Knit garments are also made of 95% polyester and 5% spandex, but the fabric breathes and stays fresh. Quite a sorry surprise to lose two travel tops that are so easy, versatile, and flattering. It's even more unfortunate that Calvin Klein's fabric buyers don't test usability and breathability.

I intended to wear my long navy stretch lace Tommy Bahama dress to our formal dinner on the cruise, but discovered that it was too long while I was getting dressed for that dinner! I had hemmed it, but not measured correctly. Quickly, I changed into a different outfit, wearing my vintage Janice Wainwright jacket with a metallic skirt. Certain that my cashmere split pashmina would prove versatile, I was surprised that it went unused -- no occasion to wear it occurred. Of course, if I didn't take my silk travel blanket, I could have used the pashmina while flying to stay warm.

In February, I finally got around to making a retrospective packing list that only included the items I wore. Note that the two tunics (with arrows pointing to them) were excluded from the rotation after one wearing, but I did wear them once each.

The weather was cool and comfortable in Amsterdam, our first destination. Istanbul, however, suffered a rare spell of bitterly cold temperatures and freezing rain during our visit. That didn't deter us; we braved the elements and toured historical venues, warmed up in hamams, and enjoyed local food, culture and sights in and around Sultanahmet.

On the Hippodrome in Istanbul
Shoes: Naot "Nau Mai" • Black jeans by NYDJ
Black cardigan by August Silk • T-shirt by Splendid
Vintage Bally handbag (coat, scarf, umbrella not shown)

On our fifth day in Istanbul, it warmed up a bit as we boarded the Seabourne Odyssey for a 7 night cruise that ended in Athens. Cesme, our second stop, was cool but comfortable, it was hot in Ephesus, and nearly perfect temperatures spoiled us throughout the Greek Islands. Athens was a bit too warm and humid for my taste. Finally, in London, we stayed at the Marriott in Kensington, which is well located but the rooms are tiny. After our excursions in unpleasantly cold and rainy weather,  we were grateful for the executive lounge, afforded by my Marriott status. It was great to drop in and warm up with a fresh "cuppa," plus their thoughtful selection of foods and other beverages.

On the steps to the Acropolis, in Athens. I purchased the navy pebbled leather handbag in Istanbul.
Dress: Voyager Knit Seamed Jersey Dress in navy (my favorite travel dress!)
Sandals: Orthaheel "Tide" in navy (best flip flops in the world!)

What I packed and wore for three weeks in multiple European urban climates plus an Aegean Cruise:

6 pairs of shoes:

• black leather ankle boots from Naot
• burgundy and black leather Naot "Nau Mai" mary jane flats
• navy blue leather Naot "Architect" ballet flats
• bronze metallic leather Cole Haan ballet flats
• Orthaheel's navy blue "Tide" flip flop sandal
• Teva "Dozer III" all terrain shoe/sandal

Did I mention that Naot is my favorite brand of shoes and boots? Their comfort is unmatched for me; I can walk a dozen miles on cobblestones and rough surfaces in Naot shoes without sore feet or aching body parts. At home in Hawaii, I own eight or nine different colored pairs of Orthaheel's "Tide" sandals, because they provide support not found in ordinary flip flops. Orthaheel's flip flops keep me out of pain that I would otherwise experience wearing flat "slippahs" in Hawaii. Six pairs of shoes is considered "over the top" by many travel experts; indeed, there are a lot of shoes to pack! But, the flip flops and the Cole Haan ballet flats take virtually no space. I wore the boots while flying, since they're the bulkiest. So essentially, from my perspective, I only had to worry about packing three pairs of shoes.

2+ purses:

• vintage gold metallic quilted leather Bally bag with chain and leather strap
• vintage black and brown leather Balley shoulder bag
• red wristlet wallet with iPhone pocket
• zippered travel wallet by Eagle Creek (not shown) that holds all travel documents

Coat, jackets, overshirts and cardigan sweaters:

• my trusty classic black wool wrap coat by Ralph Lauren
• black silk shawl / wrap
• black silk knit open front cardigan sweater
• navy, green and camel paisley "Jamevar Jacket" from TravelSmith
• navy and white zip blazer by Jones New York
• open cardigan sweater in neutral textured knit
• lightweight navy blue long open cardigan sweater
• vintage wool jacket with embroidered faux scarf by Janice Wainwright
• sheer printed long silk overshirt from Shanghai Tang
• sheer black long silk overshirt by DKNY with tabs to roll up the long sleeves

Tops, tunics and dresses:

• 3/4 sleeve black cotton knit tunic by Ralph Lauren
• black tab sleeve top by Splendid
• black cotton scoop neck "Hannah" t-shirt by Pickwick & Weller
• black cotton and modal v-neck t-shirt by Splendid
• white cotton scoop neck "Hannah" t-shirt by Pickwick & Weller
• eggplant/plum cashmere turtleneck sweater
• navy cotton knit long sleeve v-neck shirt
• navy & cream stripe 3/4 sleeve cotton knit shirt
• orange linen sleeveless tunic
• apricot/orange textured silk tank from Citron
• 2 jersey tunics by Calvin Klein
• 2 Voyager Knit seamed jersey sleeveless dresses, in eggplant and navy

Pants, shorts and skirts:

• slim black ponte pants from Eileen Fisher
• black straight leg jeans from NYDJ
• navy cotton trousers
• navy cotton bermudas
• khaki bermudas
• flowing skirt of bronze metallic fabric
• reversible ankle length silk chiffon skirt (black/brown print or white dots on black)

Accessories:

• my everyday 18" chain necklace with celtic pendant
• 47-inch (120 cm) Misaki long faux pearl necklace
• Antica Murrina 18" multicolor glass bead necklace
• Swarovski ruby crystal heart necklace
• blue beads and freshwater pearls multi-strand necklace
• Alexander McQueen pink petal skull scarf in silk chiffon
• Alexander McQueen red floral skill scarf
• bathing suit and sarong
• 7 pairs of underpants, 2 bras and 2 sports bras (black and nude)
• nightgown
• yoga/sleepwear

It certainly isn't a minimalist packing list, but I managed well with a 25" checked bag and my 22" roll-aboard, along with the matching tote bag filled to the brim with my electronics and in-flight essentials. My luggage from Eagle Creek is described in this post; after more than three dozen challenging trips over the past ten years, these bags are holding up beautifully.

The separates I packed "interoperated" well, giving me a variety of options, so I am pleased with my choices overall. There are a few pieces that didn't travel well, or that I didn't feel great in, notably the navy stretch cotton trousers by Ralph Lauren. I'll keep my eyes out for navy travel pants that I love as much as my Eileen Fisher black slim ponte pants. Any suggestions are welcome.

One That Got Away

I mentioned in my previous post that two Janice Wainwright items auctioned in July had escaped my attention until recently. I would have purchased both lots, had I known they were on offer. I've now signed up to receive notices of Christie's future fashion auctions, and hope to score something wonderful from one of them. Are there other fashion auction lists I need to join?

One of the items, an evening caftan, resembles the one that's currently for sale on 1stdibs.com. The caftan is priced well outside of my budget; actually, Christie's estimates were stretching it, but I would have bid in the range of their estimated prices.

Did this dealer buy the caftan that belonged to Suzy Menkes? It isn't mentioned; neither is a size. I wouldn't mention it either, if I were marking it up to this extent, although that provenance may prove to be of value some day.

The other item, an evening ensemble by Janice Wainwright, is one that I would love to wear! I do hope that a woman bought the ensemble and actually wears it, as I would. I already own two embroidered jackets by Janice Wainwright, but both are from a later period. Here's a grainy photo of me wearing one of them recently. The photo doesn't reflect details of the embroidery as well as I'd like.

A couple new acquisitions are in my closet, and I'm thinking about how to wear them for the holidays, or during our upcoming trip to China. One of them is a versatile tank dress from Tommy Bahama that I bought using a "Happy HulaDays" $50 gift card that the company just sent me. I bought the dress in the color pepper, which is a dark green slate shade, nearly grey. It fits well, and is a welcome addition as it will travel well, and coordinate with nearly everything I own that works with black.

Occasions: Wedding in Amsterdam

My dear friends are getting married in Amsterdam in a few months, so Peter and I will fly to London to check on business interests and catch up with friends, before taking the Eurostar to Holland for the wedding.

Today I decided what I'll wear to brunch, or another dress-up event (but not the wedding). In 2008, I bought a vintage 1980s skirt suit by Janice Wainwright from a lovely woman in the U.K. She wore it once, with a big black hat, to Ascot -- and possibly a second time. It is three pieces, jacket, skirt, and long scarf, made of silk twill that is about the same weight and texture of fabric as my Hermès scarves. The cut is fabulous, with padded shoulders, 3/4 length dolman sleeves, and kimono-like paneling on the jacket. The skirt wraps around in the large dot pattern, but has a black silk handkerchief overlay as a front panel.

Here's the only photo I have of it, from her listing:

1980s vintage silk three piece skirt suit by Janice Wainwright

If I wear the scarf as a sash around my waist, I will tie it in the back, allowing to drape and somewhat mirror the draping black panel on the skirt's front.
Even though the label says "dry clean only," I'm considering a delicate hand wash in cold water. I'm worried about the harsh dry-cleaning chemicals on thirty year old fabric. Plus, I love my Hermès scarves after I hand wash them. They're softer, cleaner, brighter and feel better when I wear them. I am a bit worried, because of the assymetrical design elements and custom construction of the outfit -- but it probably will hold up better because of those factors.

I asked the seller to tell me her special memories about the dress, and she replied:

"I wore the black and white outfit, with a very large black hat (which I still have) to go to the Derby the year my husband hired a box to entertain friends and business acquaintances. I don't think he ever quite got over what the day cost him - because he never did it again! Ah, those were the days.

Best wishes,

Marie"

I tried it on moments ago, and love the look! Now, I need to decide about shoes. Fun!

Travel Wardrobe for Frozen Europe

Using Polyvore to plan capsule wardrobes, such as those for a trip, is one of my favorite online recreational pursuits. I've been planning and editing a draft travel wardrobe for my upcoming trip, but need to adjust it to account for record low temperatures. I just tried on a pair of warm winter boots buried in my closet to substitute for the regular boots I planned to take.

Also, I decided to take a dress on the trip. Searching my wardrobe, I decided to take this vintage Janice Wainwright black crepe long sleeved dress from the 1970s that I bought in 2003.

The ruffles and bias cut skirt, with a few ruffles along the bias seams, transform an otherwise practical dress to special status. I need to add a belt. It's a lightweight wool, and requires a full length slip underneath.

My color palette is black, grey, white, purple and red. I think it's going to work well. I'll take a few scarves to complement the separates, and a few pieces of jewelry -- including my red floral skull scarf and red heart Swarovski necklace with the gold heart bail.

I think I'm in a Valentine's Day mood! Of course, I'll take a few of my "everyday" necklaces.

Here's how the travel wardrobe is shaping up. Quite a few of these items are the actual pieces I own, but a few of the basics (turtlenecks and suede boots in particular) are generic versions of items I own. I will take only one pair of boots, but haven't decided which. Also will take a warm black quilted rainproof jacket and gloves. I need to hem two pairs of pants (in process) and shorten the sleeves of my black leather/knit jacket, and find a belt that works for the dress. A belt for the pants is already packed.

Another important activity, that I should finish immediately, is the recording of my Spanish refresher CDs into iTunes and on to an iPod. Tear me away from this computer!

p.s. Here's the post-journey debriefing -- what I actually wore while in Spain and Holland: