Clothing advantageous to travelers and where to find it
(Part three in a series) — Someone who travels a lot develops a preference for clothing that has certain properties, so we asked you to tell us about the apparel you pack and where you bought it. We wanted to know brand names, so shoppers can inquire about them in the mall or look them up online. And we asked you to give us the name of the store or company from which you purchased each item, including, if possible, its contact information (location, phone number or website).
We printed readers’ recommendations in our April and May 2014 issues, and here are a few more. If you have selections to share, write to Clothing Advantageous to Travelers and Where to Find It, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (include the address at which you receive ITN). Photographs are welcome; include captions.
Recent trips to the Mediterranean, Costa Rica and Guatemala called for travel clothing that could stand up to hot climates and rough terrain. I’ve found that SHIRTS and PANTS from L.L.Bean (800/441-5713, www.llbean.com), Columbia (800/622-6953, www.columbia.com) and Under Armour (888/727-6687, www.underarmour.com) work well.
These companies offer durable and easy-care shirts with cooling vents and hidden pockets. Some also offer clothing with sunblock and insect-repellent capabilities.
My long-sleeved shirts from L.L. Bean and Columbia feature zip-tabs that allow you to roll up the sleeves and button them securely. I prefer solid colors that can be worn with a blazer or a sportcoat.
On a Mediterranean cruise in fall 2013, I was able to wash the shirts with laundry soap in the bathroom sink in our cabin. They dried quickly and were wrinkle resistant. A quick touch-up with an iron can make them look like new.
The clothing is available directly from the manufacturer and is often available at discount retailers and websites.
I also carry a Helly Hansen (phone +47 69249000, www.hellyhansen.com) lightweight RAIN JACKET, which folds down to a very packable size, and a Columbia vented, wide-brimmed HAT.
Charles Burke, Cape Cod, MA
There are two items I can’t leave home without.
One is my SCOTTeVEST (866/909-8378, www.scottevest.com). It’s a convertible JACKET with zip-out sleeves, so it can also be a summer VEST.
It stores everything securely — my passport, tickets, credit cards, iPad and phone. This eliminates the need to carry a purse, fanny pack or strings around my neck and makes going through security a breeze. (I’ve also taken my favorite heavy jacket to a seamstress and added a couple of zippered pockets inside for the same effect.)
A second item I like is Clever Travel Companion’s (www.clevertravelcompanion.com) TANK TOP, which has a secret zippered pocket in front. It’s great for layering as well as securing my passport, credit cards and money in the pocket right in front. Since I’m “wearing” these items, I can’t forget them anywhere.
The vest and tank top totally free my hands and eliminate toting bulky items, which can end up getting lost or stolen.
Patricia Bunyard, Cambria, CA
Here are suggestions for travel clothes for guys.
First on the list is a SCOTT eVEST convertible JACKET. Men don’t carry purses, so we need pockets. SCOTTeVESTs have them in spades. (You’ll love that at the airport.)
Layering is a travel essential, and a cashmere sweater always looks good and, for its weight, offers great insulation, so it can play an important part in one’s travel wardrobe.
The L.L.Bean T-SHIRTS mentioned previously by others are also available for men in both long and short sleeves. Of course, I like the ones with a pocket.
While at L.L.Bean, check out the Stowaway and Packaway JACKETS that each fold into their own pocket. My wife and I used the Ascent Packaways while in Europe in December 2013-January 2014. They did a great job of keeping us warm.
Jeans hold up well, and convertible pants are good in changeable weather.
Rockport (800/828-0545, www.rockport.com) World Tour SHOES are really comfortable for those all-day tours, and they look good.
For an extra pair of athletic shoes, Propét (888/200-8414, www.shoebuy.com/travelwalker.htm) TravelWalkers are comfortable and take up little suitcase room.
My Clarks (800/211-5461) SANDALS are as indestructible as they are comfortable.
All of that footwear can be found at numerous outlets online.
Lastly, top it all off with a truly endurable HAT from Tilley (800/363-8737, www.tilley.com).
Dave Davis, Phoenix, AZ
BLOUSES from Foxcroft (855/831-1336, www.foxcroftcollection.com) are a blend of cotton and polyester and can be washed in a hotel sink and hung up to dry. The next day they’re fresh and wrinkle-free.
They are available at Nordstrom (888/282-6060, http://shop.nordstrom.com) and Nordstrom Rack (888/966-6283, www.nordstromrack.com).
Mike Doolittle, Portland, OR
As I need to protect my face, I have a number of hats from Tilley. I get plaudits each time I wear Tilley’s Tec-Wool or their TWP2 Sou’Wester — elegant enough not to wear in the rain! I wore the Sou’Wester continually in the Netherlands one fall, and it’s often rolled up in my handbag “just in case.”
As you’ll see, below, I’m really “city” in my apparel. I seldom wear pants, preferring skirts, and wouldn’t be wearing hiking boots; those activities are many years behind me now.
I was headed for a month-long trip to South America many years ago when I discovered Tilley. I now wear their “expedition” SKIRTS all summer, traveling or not! These button-front skirts have secret inside-hip pockets (long enough for cash, tickets and money), where the cut of the skirt disguises their function.
The skirts are still available in “tropical blend.” I prefer the original “adventure cloth” but not the Velcro®-type fasteners that were originally used; the pockets now have zippers.
With Liberty of London’s Tana Lawn fabric, you can get matching TOPS, short- or long-sleeved, for something floral and pretty. Any kind of top works with plain skirts, and they behave so beautifully!
I have Patagonia (800/638-6464, www.patagonia.com) and Tilley technical SHIRTS from years past, but now I find that patterned or plain polos or other tops from Leon Levin (866/937-5366, www.leonlevin.com) or Lands’ End (800/963-4816, www.landsend.com) work very well.
Year-round, I tend to wear Lands’ End fine-gauge Supima cotton, crew-neck, short-sleeved tops. They work with their long-sleeved cardigans as nice sets but can be combined with just about everything. The earlier all-cotton ones were considerably sturdier. All of these travel well and offer many design and color combinations.
The Urban Traveller line appears to have been discontinued by Tilley, but I have an Urban Traveller women’s fitted JACKET in black that coordinates with some of my SKIRTS, such as a black, button-down front design from TravelSmith (800/770-3387, www.travelsmith.com) or a Tilley khaki Expedition.
Alas, these have no secret or inside pockets, just two front pockets with buttons. I added a Velcro®-type fastener to one.
Tilley had a Japanese polyester DRESS that was like silk and didn’t wrinkle. That fabric has been changed to a knit, which I have in taupe. The dress has a round black neck, and the skirt is somewhat loose and swishy. The fabric is too light for pockets. I’ve worn this dress to the most elegant of Boston openings with a shawl or whatever.
Tilley also used to have a Barcelona line that included flip-skirts. The style they carry now is a short Jersey flip-skirt with a small secret pocket that swings out from just over your belly button — hardly the place for anything, even a room key!
I’m short-waisted and small-boned. Tilley fashions are large and long, so keep this in mind.
Recently, I had to wear old Tilley adventure cloth PANTS (regular, not dropped waist) for mosque visits in Dubai and Oman. I only wear pants under protest — on safaris or something similar — but, then, I’m hardly a typical customer, just a crusty 80-year-old!
Tilley’s customer service was very good on the phone. I would ask for a catalog, though.
My travel shoes tend to be either ECCO (877/240-2365, us.shop.ecco.com) Mary Janes, which don’t wear out and are so comfortable, or tie-front SAS (877/782-7463, www.sasshoes.com) “old lady shoes.”
I’m dedicated to Longchamp (888/828-8081, us.longchamp.com) “Le Pliage” nylon handbags (12"x12"x7"). They hold so much (regular purse contents, water bottle, travel literature and, if necessary, travel documents), are easily put over one’s shoulder and aren’t heavy! They have so much inside space, you may want to consider gathering things into groups and storing them in see-through zip-lock bags.
JACKETS? I have two zip-front, poly-wool, absolutely wrinkle-proof, rather bomber-like ones with inside pockets from TravelSmith, but the company hasn’t carried them for years. I wish TravelSmith would reinstate these jackets! I’ve slept on them and in them.
As I’ve shrunk, I recently had shoulder pads added to try to salvage the jackets as constant travel companions. Their style is less dressy, which is helpful. I wish other companies would come up with something similar.
I also have good all-wool BLAZERS, but I think the days of brass buttons are behind us. I have fleece, if necessary, and have also been known to travel with a silk UNDERSHIRT.
It is raining where I’m going next (Italy), and I’ll be taking a rainproof TRENCHCOAT from Lands’ End. Be sure to try out anything that claims to be “rainproof.” You may be surprised.
I hope this is helpful for anyone who, as I do, travels in a more dressy mode. I’m clearly an antediluvian, as my clothes are classic and have lasted.
Madeleine Grant
Needham, MA