Have wardrobe, will travel

It’s fairly easy to learn the tricks of packing so that your wardrobe isn’t a mass of wrinkles when you reach your destination. But it’s a lot harder to know what to pack—and a lot more important. Looking good is a real confidence booster in a new environment.

Several years ago my partner, David, and I rented an apartment in Barcelona. It was all that was advertised on the web: a simple and tasteful renovation of an old building about a block off Ramblas near the waterfront. What the website didn’t mention was that the building sat right across the street from a very lively transvestite bar.

I welcomed this peek into this Barcelona subculture—with one exception. The "girls" were always better dressed than I was. Americans have a reputation for dressing badly while on vacation, but I began to feel that I was failing not just my country, but my gender.
As I snuck out the door in jeans, T-shirt and Keds, I vowed to come up with a casual yet chic travel wardrobe.

The first addition to my travel wardrobe has been good quality long-sleeved white blouses. I splurge and have them washed, pressed and folded at my dry cleaners. They pack easily into a suitcase and emerge crisp and wrinkle free. (The plastic bags they come in handy for wet bathing suits and other packing emergencies. I rationalize that this added benefit helps justify the cost.)

I pair the shirts with slim-fitting black or tan trousers, depending on the weather and my destination. It’s a simple but stylish look for a city, but can even work in more outdoorsy settings. When David and I visited California’s Anza Borrego dessert for the spring wildflower bloom, our friend (a naturalist and photographer who lives in Borrego Springs) complimented me on the perfect outfit to keep cool and provide protection from the blistering sun.

Of course, I also study my fellow Dudettes for other fashion-forward ideas.

—dudetteph