Plus Size Women's Travel Wear

From LoveToKnow Plussize

Selecting the right plus size women's travel wear can make the difference between a great trip and a travel disaster.

Tips for Travel Packing

It will be easier for you to decide what you want to wear on your trip once you have finalized where you are going, how you will get there, where you are staying and the activities you plan to enjoy.

You should plan to take everything you will need since you may not be able to easily find plus size clothes when you get to your destination. Here are a few general tips to help you get started planning a great wardrobe that won't require multiple pieces of luggage:

Start your wardrobe planning by putting together a list of activities planned for your trip. Then identify what you will want to wear for these activities. Start with a basic outfit for the first activity. As you move through activities, selectively add a few new items to the items you have already chosen. For example, you may be able to wear the same pair of pants for three activities and only change the top.
Set a color theme for your trip and pick separates that work within that theme. You will be able to build a large travel wardrobe with fewer clothes.
Select separates that can be worn together.
Avoid the temptation to take too many clothes.
Minimize the number of pairs of shoes you take.
Use accessories to dress up or dress down a casual outfit.
Plan on layering clothes for warmth, instead of taking multiple sweaters and jackets.
Try to pack everything in one bag. Select a bag that you can easily carry onto the plane if you are planning on air travel.

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Selecting Travel-Wise Fashions

You won't have the fashions you need on your trip if they are too wrinkled or soiled to wear. Pack fashions that are:

Drip dry – If you need to hand wash something in the evening, you want it to dry overnight so that you can wear it or pack it in the morning.
Wrinkle-free garments – Avoid wearing clothes that wrinkle easily. New finishes on many fabrics make them less likely to wrinkle.
Easy packing – Select fabrics that fold flat and pack easily. For example, leave your cozy terry robe at home and pack a silk robe or kimono to meet room service delivery.
Multi-purpose garments – Minimize the number of garments you take by selecting items that have multiple purposes. For example, consider:
- Zip-leg convertible pants where the legs zip off to become shorts.
- Reversible skirts, dresses and tops – This feature gives you two-looks for one. You save packing room. And, if one side becomes soiled, you can still wear the other side!

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Plus Size Women's Travel Wear

New fabrics and relaxed casual styles have opened up the opportunities for easy-to-wear, easy-to-pack travel wear.

Coordinated separates – Many retailers present lines of clothes with multiple pieces offered in coordinating colors and fabrics. Travel wardrobes can easily be created by matching pants, skirts, jackets and tops. Some of these coordinates are offered in travel-friendly "slinky" fabrics that fold very flat and arrive wrinkle-free.
Solid color knit dress – A knit dress can often meet the needs of several travel activities. It can go from sightseeing one day to dinner another day and into a church the third day. Selecting a solid color and a somewhat simple style can give you multiple opportunities to change its appearance with jackets and accessories.
Solid color skirt – As with a knit dress, a solid color skirt can be a real work horse in your travel wardrobe. For even more versatility, consider bringing a reversible skirt that would provide you with multiple looks.
Quick dry lingerie – New fabrications which have been designed for active wear are now becoming available in the lingerie fashion world. Look for fabrics that are advertised as "quick wick" or "quick dry." They are much cooler than cotton and they also dry quickly overnight after a quick wash in the bathroom sink.

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Practical Accessories

Avoid the temptation to fill up your bag with a lot of heavy purses, shoes and other accessories. Instead, select a few key accessories that will work hard for you during your trip:

Vertical purse – Find a medium-sized leather bag that you can wear across your chest. The vertical orientation and the medium size are more flattering to a larger body than a fanny pack style or a small cross-chest bag. They are readily available at travel retailers like Magellan's and at online retailers such as the Travelon bag at QVC. Select a bag that is well organized so that you can easily carry your camera, cell phone, travel papers, money and passport.
Low-heeled leather shoes – Be sure you pack a pair of shoes that can expand if your feet swell after a busy travel day. You don't want to have to give up dinner at a great place down the street because your feel hurt too badly from sightseeing.
Fold-up rain coat or rain cape – Don't leave on a trip without rain gear, regardless of the season. The travel retailers have a wide variety of coat and cape styles that repel the rain and fold up into a small pouch to keep in the corner of your suitcase.

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Packing for the Trip

Luggage is usually designed with the concept that "one size fits all." The reality is that plus size clothes are wider than smaller size fashions and they frequently won't fit in a suitcase without a lot of folding. Select luggage and packing styles that protect your clothes from being a wrinkled mess when you unpack at your destination. Garment bags and suitcases are now being made wider to accommodate wider clothes. Another option is to roll your clothes in a suitcase to prevent wrinkling.

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