A Cultured Pearl

Travel Togs

Posted on April 19th, 2016

At this stage in my life, I pretty much always have a weekend trip just around the corner. I have taken at least one trip every month since last July, and as I was thinking through the schedule for the upcoming months I realized I currently have nine short trips planned before Labor Day! I’m excited to have so much fun heading my way, but I know it will take careful planning.

I have one thing down pat: my travel togs. Simplicity is sacred with packing in general, but when it comes to sweaty yet simultaneously over-air-conditioned airplanes and road trips, comfort is crucial. I usually leave town directly after work on Friday, so the outfit needs to pass the Casual Friday, work-appropriate test. My formula is hardly groundbreaking: jeans, top, flats, cardigan, simple jewelry. But the key is to look polished, dress in layers, and choose breathable fabric.

I only wear J. Crew jeans, and they’re good for traveling because they have a nice amount of stretch. The Minnie flat has travel in the name, so I’m hardly going out on a limb in recommending them, but they do literally fold in half so it’s easy to swap them out with whatever heels I have on at work or sandals I may be putting on (wearing sandals on the plane is just too cold!). Especially in the warmest weeks of summer, I usually make sure I have a pair of chino shorts at the very top of my suitcase so I can do a quick wardrobe change when I land.

In terms of tops, there are tons of cute options. These are all cotton and not too tight, so you should have the mobility you need to fight the person next to you for arm rest real estate.

Embroidered Circles // Pintuck striped // Lace T

Striped (Love the peplum back, and the blue color option too!) // Eyelet Yoke // Printed Cap Sleeve T

Peplum tank // Embroidered with tassels // Ruffle Sleeve

Coincidentally, I debuted this monogrammed duffel on the weekend trip where Ian proposed and I found out I would be changing my name in the near future, but I’ve been loving it. It holds a ton, but since it’s soft-sided it’s easy to stuff into even the smallest of overhead bin space crevices. I always travel with a big tote, and my exact scalloped one is sold out, but here are some similar options: one // two // three.