Travel Clothes

[chickwhorips]

i am looking for some travel clothes on for my next trip. the last time i arrived after flying for 8+ hours stinky and gross. i now realize i need some real travel clothes. specially if i'm going from freezing cold to nice and warm.

does anyone know of a nice pair of travel pants that are lower rise? by that i mean something under the belly button, but not to where you can see my butt? all the stuff i've found has been at "natural waist". to me that's not comfy.

i know i know... me and this lowrise thing. all i want is to be comfy.

[Grog]

Can't tell you about pants, but...

wool.

I had a full day of air travel recently in summer conditions wearing a light wool t-shirt and some top over it (can't remember exactly what). It was fabulous. I wore that t-shirt for nearly 24 hours in a row, running around in some city's transit system, sitting, flying, walking around really fast, getting out of the airport to drive to my parents' place in summery temperature, driving back to the airport to catch another flight, sitting again on another plane... and when I took the t-shirt off at home, it didn't smell anything. I was never hot nor cold. Wool is a wonderful temperature regulator.

[xeney]

If you are looking at actual "travel clothing," i.e., the stuff that doesn't wrinkle and is quick-dry and that packs light and is sold specifically for traveling, I will tell you what brands to avoid if you don't want the waistband up around your armpits: Ex Oficio and Columbia. Those are two of the most popular brands of travel clothing, but I can't wear their pants or shorts because of the high-rise waistbands.

I tend to stick with Mountain Hardware. They make a lot of stuff that is suitable for travel, and their pants are generally a nice mid-rise, low enough to be comfortable if you don't like things around your waist, but not so low that people can see your underwear. (Especially since travel underwear NEVER comes in low-rise!) These are my favorite travel capris; I have two pairs and I wore them all summer even though I bought them just for travel. They dry in about twenty minutes, you can practically wipe stains off them (I cut myself and bled all over a pair, and got the blood stains out in a few seconds with a wet rag), they don't wrinkle, and they sit way down on my hips, the way I like. I keep looking at these ones, too.

If you have an REI near you, they usually have a selection of clothing that will work for travel, and it's a little sportier/younger than what you will find in department stores. I think travel clothing is usually marketed at retirees, since younger people tend to not have money for travel. But lots of hiking and backpacking stuff works for travel, too, so that's what I would look for.

[KnottedYet]

http://www.ibexwear.com/F06/View_Pro...&CategoryLine=

These are low rise. Extraordinarily comfy. Don't wrinkle. Look like pants, but also work as sweats. Have a zipper pocket. They are warm in the cold, but the fabric has a sort of "crinkle" texture, so they breathe really well.

Since they're wool they avoid the stinky issue from travel. They can be washed in the machine.

I bought a pair on sale that were the wrong size. Had to send them back. Even though the fit was wrong, they were soooooo comfortable I hated to send them back. I might have to buy another pair now that they're in stock again...

[chickwhorips]

thanks girls. i just happen to find these north face pants yeserday after 8 hours of looking. looking into the links you sent too.

it so hard when you don't live around any store where you can go and try things on! argh!!!!

[Bikingmomof3]

http://www.ibexwear.com/F06/View_Pro...&CategoryLine=

These are low rise. Extraordinarily comfy. Don't wrinkle. Look like pants, but also work as sweats. Have a zipper pocket. They are warm in the cold, but the fabric has a sort of "crinkle" texture, so they breathe really well.

Since they're wool they avoid the stinky issue from travel. They can be washed in the machine.

I bought a pair on sale that were the wrong size. Had to send them back. Even though the fit was wrong, they were soooooo comfortable I hated to send them back. I might have to buy another pair now that they're in stock again...

Now how am I going to convince DH that I need these?

[chickwhorips]

Now how am I going to convince DH that I need these?

BMof3 - honey
DH - yes?
BMof3 - you know how you took those rocks to work.
DH - yes?
BMof3 - its going to cost you these: new pants

[jobob]

Can't tell you about pants, but...

wool.

What Grog said. Check out the Smartwool microweight longsleeve and shortsleeve crewnecks available from TE. Soft, with a forgiving fit, they are super for travel.

REI also carries the microweight crewnecks, but they have a much smaller color selection than TE.

[Brandi]

I am a low rise girl too. i am short and have a 30 inch inseam so i like low rise so i don't look like a geek with pants all the way up to my breasts. I travel a lot for my job and really like levi 505's. They are low rise and have stretch in them so they are easy to wear. Love them! And they don't show butt

[Bad JuJu]

Also, consider Tencel. Many different clothing makers use it, so shop around, but I can personally attest to its ability to arrive after a long flight and still look and feel good and not even have an obnoxious smell. I've flown from northwest Florida to far-flung points such as Juneau and Dublin in Tencel, and though I was worn out after each trip, my clothes held up great.

I've also found that even if you don't generally like drawstring waistbands, they're great for travel--very comfy and less fiddling in restrooms.

[chickwhorips]

am i crazy for wanting to take along some woolite with me to was some of my special clothes instead of taking them to the cleaners while i'm on vacation?

[xeney]

Not crazy at all, although if you are packing light you might find that shampoo works just as well. My husband and I are into packing light, so we take only things that can be hand washed and that will dry quickly on a clothesline (they make special clotheslines to hang up in your hotel bathroom). I wouldn't take wool if you are planning to do that, because it takes too long to dry, though; there are synthetics that dry more quickly. For warm weather I like linen because it dries super fast, and if it's blended with a little cotton it doesn't wrinkle too badly.

We are going to Mexico for 2+ weeksin January and traveling around to four different locations, and I am carrying everything in one backpack (that would fit as carry-on if they still allowed carry-on luggage!), so I am being pretty ruthless about what is coming with me. If it doesn't wash and dry quickly, forget it. If it can't be worn with at least three other things I'm bringing, forget it. If it can't be compressed into a small space without coming back a wrinkled mess, it is staying home.

[Grog]

I also love many synthetics, do not misread me, but...

Wool is cool because actually you don't have to wash it!! At least not during a trip of less than a month, unless you wear the thing A LOT. Also, unlike many synthetics, it doesn't pick up smells so much.

This being said, even when washed, I'm surprised at how fast they dry. I'm not talking about the big bulky wonderful marvellous Guide Sweater here but about things like lightweight wool layers. When I take them out of the washing machine they're almost dry already (after the "gentle" spinning cycle). Of course, a lot of the synthetic stuff will be totally dry at the same moment...

Your mileage may vary...

[Brandi]

am i crazy for wanting to take along some woolite with me to was some of my special clothes instead of taking them to the cleaners while i'm on vacation?

I bring a small travel shampoo bottle of woolite with me. Dry cleaners are so pricey!

[Bikingmomof3]

BMof3 - honey
DH - yes?
BMof3 - you know how you took those rocks to work.
DH - yes?
BMof3 - its going to cost you these: new pants

I think you make an extremely convincing argument. He took the "road" as well.