Perfect traveling outfit.

Hello my dear readers,

I hope your holiday travel is as stress free as possible. So here's my suggestion for setting yourself up for success, making yourself comfortable whilst looking good. Here is today's traveling outfit. The magic pants from uniqlo (see previous blog) in black, one of those silk pajama inspired tops from Zara with little skulls on it, and a frye boot. I have a colorful and chunky infinity scarf to stick on top of this and I'm good to go. St. Louis here we come.

Oh and I welcome all holiday travel clothes submissions.

Reasons to reconsider just rolling out of bed and heading the the airport...

This girl. And this guy. They just ran into each other in the airport. They know each other. They are both attractive people and clearly are attracted to each other. She is in a lazy bunchy pajama pant, hoodie, top knot and fuzzy uggs.

Now, of course I am not saying that physical beauty or what you wear will make a guy love you. We all know that thought makes me supremely angry. I met my husband on an NYC bus, no makeup, hair in a pony (but not wearing pajamas). What I am saying is that you are not anonymous in the airport or anywhere you go. This is a small world. You will know some one in the airport, waking down the street, on the subway. Even if you don't know that person now, you will know him/her someday. We are all connected. I just want you to take care of yourself. To be the best you can be at all times. Stop telling the world that you are hiding, that you want to blend in, that you want to still be in bed, that you want to be anonymous. Dare to be noticed.

Magic cardigan

Hey you guys. I wrote this post back in December and somehow forgot to post it. I'm going to LA this week and have a grand travel experiment planned for you. Get excited! Here's a little post to tide you over...

So I'm heading back to NYC after a short, pre-Christmas trip home to NC. I vowed to try a little experiment on this trip. There was a period of time that I was constantly asked, or demanded actually, to remove my "sweater" to go through security. No matter what article of clothing I wore, I was always referred to as a sweater. This ranged from actual sweater, cardigan, to see through top with a camisole underneath. When asked to remove said see through top, I said, "you want me to take my shirt off?". The security guy responded "well ma'am, we just can't tell what you ladies have under your shirts". So there's that. Of course my husband made it through with a tee shirt, button down and sweater...but whatever.

So I made the conscious choice to leave this cardigan on both leaving LGA and leaving CLT. Shockingly, no one yelled. No one berated. No one accused me of being a sneaky lady hiding things in my unmentionables. If you have ever seen me in real life, you have seen me in this cardigan. I wear it way too often for my own good. You might recognize the pic below from when I was traveling back from LA in said cardigan, desperately searching for an outlet for phone charging.

Why was I allowed to keep it on? I think it was all about attitude. I said to myself., " I will not remove my cardigan". So we'll say that's the ticket.

I charge you to try this. Your mantra is...I will not remove my cardigan. Practice. Let me know if it works.

Football fashion

Happy thanksgiving to all. We've been traveling all around NC the past few days doing everything from horseback riding, shopping for dulcimers, and eating. Today, we made our way to Winston-Salem for the Wake Forest football game.  Now, it was cold.  Certainly colder than I anticipated for NC.  I was just interested in keeping warm so fashion was not high on my priority list. I know you are concerned that I might have been ill-attired so will let you know what I wore: jeans, button down with skulls on it, green light sweater, burgundy wrap sweater, a little lululemon jacket, light green infinity scarf and frye boots.

 Obviously I have something to say about the trends I witnessed.  These are man trends.

#1 - SHORTS! What the what? 43 degrees outside and you're going to wear shorts?   This was a phenomenon mainly noted in 20-30 year old obese men and floppy haired teemaged boys. I do not understand. Cover your legs. It is cold.


#2 - camouflage - specifically full body onesie camo gear. We are at a football game, not hunting, so I'm guessing this is for warmth, not so they blend into their seats and are thus unseen by the opponent.



I am female; therefore, I have no Liz Asti tested and approved solution for these men. I can just say that I don't like these choices. I say, put on long pants and save the camo for the duck blind and the onsie for the babies.

Traveling hair

Ok you guys. It's 7:50am. I'm sleepy. I showered but I didn't wash my hair. A little baby powder or dry shampoo and I'm good to go. Don't worry, I did take the time to apply a full face. I was excited to see what solutions my fellow travelers have for "it's early an I don't want I wash my hair" syndrome. There is an overwhelming trend at LGA this morning: the top knot. The jury's out for me and
the top knot. I find it too close to my workout hair. Plus my hair, while it is long and luxurious, doesn't feel quite long enough to make the top knot look awesome. The two pics below are best top knot candidate and my worst top knot candidate. I think I'm responding to the look as a whole. I don't mind the top knot when you have dressed well. And placed it no higher than the crown of your head. This whole "I'm in sweats and can't be bothered to do anything with my hair but tie it up high on my head" thing doesn't work me. What are your go to early morning hairdos?

Oh, and we totally just saw Phylicia Rashad at security.

Magical Ostrich Pillow

I saw this on one of the blogs I read.  This puts the pillowig to shame.  This is for a serious napper. So what would you choose?  Between the little neck pillow, the proper pillow from the bed or this guy?  I think I would go with this guy for novelty sake.  I love my sleep, but I don't know that I have ever been so undaunted to think something like this is necessary.  Although, I might have been very useful in college in the library or cafe where I would often find myself napping, nay, sleeping.   So who does this appeal to?  the Midwestern undaunted sleepy traveler, the bi-coastal actor facing the red eye?  I need some one to buy it and report back.

Amazon.com, $49.99

Traveling Pants

You Guys! I have made an amazing discovery.  This little thing will make your traveling so wonderful.   I just purchased several new pairs of pants that I now deem my "traveling pants" (sorry, not the pants from the movie).  I am now teaching a lot of Music Together classes, which basically consists of me sitting on my knees or cross legged on the floor, with a baby or two crawling on me, whilst singing and/or dancing.  Needless to say, jeans or a dress aren't really great ideas for this kind of work, and while I love a yoga pant, I still can't bring myself to "work" in them.  So, I was on the hunt for a comfortable pant, that has some stretch, that has a back pocket so I can slip my pitch pipe in there, that looks like a proper pant but feels like a pajama.  And guess what?  Uniqlo has them! Not only does Uniqlo have them, but they have them for $20. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go buy these pants.  I bought a black pair, a pink pair (see below) a purple pair, a navy corduroy and a red corduroy.  And as a bonus, I can already tell that they are going to be heavenly to travel in.  They don't look fantastic up close - you know like that line in "Clueless" - "She's a full-on Monet.  From far away, it's ok, but up close, it's a big old mess." Yeah that's definitely these pants.   You definitely need to obscure the elastic waistband with a longer shirt, and for the love of God, please hide the fake pockets in the front.  But, there is no zipper and they fit like leggings but are seriously pant.  Get some traveling done in these pants immediately!

Uniqlo Easy Leggings Pants - $19.90.  www.uniqlo.com

Nouveau-hoop: a submission from Jen

You guys. This submission baffles me. I need to know more about this hoop. Is it flexible? After multiple productions of "A Christmas Carol" as well as simply being Southern, I can inform you that a hoop skirt is not and will never be an ideal travel garment. And do I need remind you of the episode of 90210 where Donna wore a big hoop dress to the dance that Steve begrudgingly took her to (not the "Donna Martin graduates" mermaid prom dress with crucifix). Steve was pissed off the whole night, possibly because of the inconvenience of the hoop but also possibly because Kelly asked Brandon to the dance and it was his birthday, everyone forgot and he was adopted. But the hoop didn't help.

Please explain how one would sit for travel in this. She is clearly in Port Authority, thus getting ready to ensure bus travel. I think the leggings are a key piece of this puzzle. I'm betting she pulls the hoop to waist height and then tilts it, so it's high in the back and resting over her knees int the front this necessitating leggings --- please don't flash us.

They have only called zone 1.

...and people are already rushing the gate because the flight attendants have threatened us with the whole "we are definitely going to run out of overhead space" shtick.

Stay tuned for the traveling bag blog.

Best dressed at LGA

Perfect. Wedge. Skinny colored jean. Blazer. Scarf. I love her.

Traveling bag

Let's face it. You overpack. Everyone overpacks, thus causing a rush on the gate because the flight attendants have announced that all the bags won't fit in the overhead bin and you are panicking because you might just have to check your bag. So I have a novel idea. Don't overpack. Just be mindful of your clothing choices/options.

But Liz, you are criticizing me. Are you going to provide a solution? I'm glad you asked. Of course.

Here's what I think you should take pretty much anywhere you go.
1. 1 pair of jeans. You should have a pair that's day to night appropriate.

2. Another pair of pants if necessary. Example, when heading to a tropical clime, you can bring shorts or a light khaki. Sometimes dress pants are necessary. You just don't need 4 pairs of pants.

3. A top/shirt/blouse for each day of your journey...and one to grow on. I also suggest 1 layering tank top and 1 cardigan type thing.

4. Bras, panties, socks etc...obviously.

5. No more than 2 pairs of shoes. Stop. Don't bring shoes for every outfit. I love shoes more than you do. I promise. I'm here to tell you you don't need them. But Liz, I am so sporty and I must workout while I'm away. Do sneakers count? Yes and no. Would your life be over if you worked out for a week in your Chucks? I guarantee you that it is possible to workout without Sketchers Shape Ups. Giant shoes do not make for a better workout. If you don't believe me, come workout with us at Mark Fisher Fitness. I used to do that entire workout in Chucks. Now I'm a fan of the New Balance Minimus. The 5 finger shoes are still a bit hardcore for me but I applaud those who make that work. And imagine how little space those take up. So 2 pairs of shoes even if you're working out: Chucks and sandals. Chucks and Toms. Chucks and wedges. Chucks and Frye boot. Or heel and sandal. Heel and heel. Whatever two pairs you need. And of course, wear the chunkier shoe on the flight to save space. Oh and flip flops don't count. They can practically fit in your purse.

6. A dress. These days I am a fan of the maxi dress clearly. Use your judgement here but please don't bring a dress that you feel must be on a hanger. Jersey is a great packing material just please for the love of god wear proper undergarments with a jersey dress. You might like awesome from the front but you don't look awesome from the back and you look even less awesome when you are walking. Just be vigilant.

That's the skeleton of any packing job. Of course things are made difficult by winter weather or an excessively long stay somewhere or the need to bring ones dog and/or instrument or 2. But just try this method and see if it works.

Liz, why are you thinking about this today? Glad you asked. 2 things. I am indeed at the airport right now. Sadly, the new fancy Delta terminal isn't laid out well for picture taking and I havent been able to capture any offenders. 2. I finally left my job of almost 8 yeas yesterday and one of the Doctors I've worked for presented me with this nearly perfect traveling bag below.

Let's talk about this new obsession of mine. It is so NYC ready. I love the material they use to make LeSportsacs. You can just wipe subway grime off with a damp cloth. It's waterproof for the occasional monsoon. I always have a soaking wet bag in the rain. My bags are so big that they can't fit under my umbrella and I'm not going to be that asshole who carries around a golf umbrella in the city and hits people like me in the face with the spiky edges just so my bag doesn't get wet. I am well aware that my body would be much happier if I carried a backpack or a wheely suitcase on a day to day basis. I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. Something just feels wrong about it. But this adorable bag might encourage me to be a little kinder to my shoulders and back. There are backpack straps and a wheely handle thing. It has umbrella and water bottle pockets and a deep pocket in the front. I have room leftover when packing for this 4 day weekend. But then again, I'm going to Florida and bikinis don't take up much room.

So this bag could possibly be the solution to all bag dilemmas, plus, you can't overpack if you use it. The good choices start with the bag. Don't tempt yourself with a gigantic impractical bag.

submission from Turner

Yes Turner, you made the cut...

I love traveling in France because it requires looking good. They will straight up throw you off the train for wearing sweatpants. Not a pillow in sight, not even for babies. In fact, I think I saw more designer labels and heels on trains than I did on the ground. Like you, Liz, there's not much I like better than traveling and looking good. The two together? Sublime.

I was glad to have brought my seersucker with me this summer. It's as light as khaki in terms of weight and temperature, but the lines in the fabric disguise the inevitable (for me) "chocolate crumb melting on the seat" situation, or speck of pasta sauce dropped in the lap. Even better than khakis, from a packing perspective, is that you can go from travel comfort to upscale garden party just by throwing on a jacket - neither of which are you required to iron. WINNING!

My outfit for CDG-ATL added some French vocabulary to my otherwise Southern accent. A fashion tee I picked up at a boutique fits well enough, with an interesting enough design, that it kept me both classy and cool. I mean, c'mon, anything with French writing on it is immediately classier. And remember, ain't no A/C in all of Europe, so you want a tee when you're hauling luggage and sitting in a crowd of 400 people for 9 hours. 

The hat, which I brought for the purposes of sunbathing while blonde, had to come with so as not to get squashed in my luggage, and had to go on my head so as not to get squashed in the overhead bin. Except for intense scrutiny at US Customs, it was met with general cheer. I look so anglo, there's no way I could ever pass for French, so why bother trying not to look like a tourist? Which this hat admittedly screams.

Finally, you can't go wrong with old school adidas. No matter what you think or how you feel about them or the Puma war, they say casual, but serious about it. And I am.

Then I went to the airport and stood behind this: An entire FAMILY of fannypacks. In fairness, they were leaving France, and not just arriving.

Note from Liz:  I disagree about the Adidas.  I am not a fan of the Adidas.  This would have been made perfect with a loafer or driving moccasin.

Apology and Update

Dearest Readers,


I have been very lax with the posts recently.  For that, I apologize.  I have traveled but I have not felt very inspired by what I have seen.  My husband took some pics for me on our last trip, but I haven't uploaded them and I have a variety of submissions to get through.  Never fear, they are on their way.

Our last trip was down to North and South Carolinas.  We had such travel woes that I didn't have the energy to capture all that was swirling about in the airport.  On the way, for our 8am flight from LGA to CLT, the jet bridge got stuck so they couldn't board us through the gate.  They finally decided to have us enter through the adjoining gate, walk down a flight of stairs, walk out onto the tarmac and board up stairs into the plane.  Now, I would imagine that to be very glamorous and retro and Presidential, but there was no paparazzi for us to gloriously wave towards and we had to carry our bags up the stairs.  Glamor abated.

Right before they called our zone to board,  they just stopped boarding, without a word.  After what seemed like a year, some one came over the intercom and said that they lost a flight attendant.  Well played USAir.  They just didn't know where he was and we couldn't board without him.  I guess they found him, because we finally boarded, 30 minutes later.

On the way back, we were to fly from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte to NYC.  Of course, summer storms are the enemy, and our first flight was delayed so we would miss our second.  My father kindly drove us back to Charlotte, so we could sleep at my parent's house and take a flight out in the morning.  Of course that flight had a mechanical delay that they found out about well after we had boarded.  I'm not sure why no one ever knows there's a problem with a plane until everyone is sitting on it, but yet again, well played USAir.

What is the lesson I've learned through this?  It's very important.  My favorite form of travel is car.  Hands down.  I mean, even in traffic, which sucks, you can control the temp, you can control the music and you aren't subjected to fashion disasters.  All you need for car travel is sun glasses...and there you go. (can we just talk about glorious beach hair for a moment?  Oh I just love it so much)

From Natalie...

I've meant to post this lovely entry from Natalie for some time now.  I love this outfit in real life.  It just goes to show you that you can look quite chic and still be comfortable.  Kudos to you lady.  Kudos.

"Your blog is fantastic and has totally inspired me! I'm attaching a picture of my travel clothes as I head to Chicago today. I'm wearing a stretchy khaki green pant from urban outfitters, complete with zippers at the ankle for additional stretch if desired, a blousy black sleeveless top for necessary belly protruding while sitting for 2 hours, and a very comfy wedge. The heel isn't too high and while wielding a large suitcase, I wasn't afraid I'd roll an ankle. Yay!

Just thought I'd share since you have inspired me to dress better while travelling. :)"

Bolt Bus

Oh come on. 

So, I was so hopeful for a speedy bolt back to NYC.  It was very strategic planning.  I was taking a 9:30am bus so the likelihood of being stuck in traffic is not very high.  But 30 minutes into the drive, the bus literally stopped working.  Just not working.  So we pulled over, luckily at a rest stop, only being told "well, I guess we'll have to get another bus".  Of course, no time frame was given.  We went for almost an hour without communication of any sort. Then we get a "20 minutes" (thank you 20).  30 minutes pass.  We then get "10 minutes" (thank you 10?). 20 minutes later, the bus arrives.  So for those of you who are doing the math...that's 1 hour + 30 minutes + 20 minutes.  Yes, that's almost 2 hours.

Now, I hate to say it, but this isn't the first time this has happened to me on Bolt Bus.  One time i had to wait for 2 hours to get a new bus because it was raining inside the bus we were on. But, I like to take it back from Boston because it's cheaper than the train (obvi) and the boarding process in Boston is quite civilized.  They have lanes for your boarding zones and then you get a colored tag based on your boarding zone.  So, I was sure to get a seat with a plug so I could update you all on my travels.  Now of course, none of that applies when we have to board the other bus.  The assholes who were in Zone Q stormed the bus, and made sure that they sure as hell got whatever seat it was they wanted.  I just don't understand this concept.  Why would you not just sit in the same seat on the different bus.  Some guy literally pushed me to get on the bus in front of me, to which I responded quite loudly, "Oh no, after you, you go right ahead sir." Kids today...am I right ladies?

But let's put that aside.  How is the journey in comparison to the train?  Well as I said, the boarding process is lovely.  +1 for bus.  Cost. +1 for bus. The internet connection is possibly more marginal.  I'll give them a tie for that one.  The train is much roomier.  This includes the ability to walk around, and not feel like your seatmate is going to rest his head on your shoulder as he sleeps (which is happening right now).  +1 for train.  Quiet car. +1 for train.  You cannot get away from the cell phone talker on the bus.  I'm sitting towards the front of the bus and yet I can smell the bathroom.  +1 for train.  I AM FREEZING and although, I think my particular car on the train to Boston was under air conditioned, the rest of the train was pleasant.  +1 for train. 

So, Train 4, Bus 2.  Looks like it might be worth it to endure the rush to the track and this higher price to have a slightly more pleasant travel experience.

So, what do you think the is best method of travel from NYC to Boston or NYC to DC/Baltimore?  Help a weary traveler out. I'm so weary that I'm not even bothering to mention the clothes that surround me, but suffice it to say, I have seen many a cut-off and Victoria Secret "Pink" sweatpants.

Amtrak

I'm heading to Boston today for a mini 10 year grad school reunion.  I know what you're thinking.  10 years?  But Liz, you are clearly only 28.  Are you Doogie Howser type smart?  The answer is, of course, yes.

This is less a discussion about travel fashions and more a discussion about modes of transportation.  I feel lucky to live in NYC, where I can get pretty much anywhere in the world I want to go and I can travel in a method of my choosing.  I've been flying a lot recently so I thought, why not try some other way to Boston.  I have taken the Bolt Bus and the train many times to and fro, all up and down the East Coast.  My decision was made easily when I thought of the prospect of standing on the street corner by Tick Tock Diner on 34th Street, in 98 degrees (not the band, but that would be awesome), with the mob of people pushing their way onto the bus.  That's the very worst thing about any form of traveling.  Rushing the gate - clamoring to hop aboard.  I appreciate that Bolt Bus has zoned boarding, and I signed up for the loyalty program to insure that I will board with Zone A, but that doesn't really happen on a crowded, hot street corner in NYC.  There's just a bunch of mean and pushing. It makes me anxious.

So, done deal.  Amtrak it is.  Now, I used to travel a fair amount on the train and it was always quite pleasant; however, I was traveling from Boston to Stamford, CT (boyfriend related travel).  I didn't often journey into Manhattan, on a Friday, in the summer.  If I had, I might have been slightly dissuaded from moving here. 

Penn Station.  Possibly the worst place in all of NYC.  I would prefer to go to the scariness that is the Port Authority. 

Penn Station used to look like this:

Today, Penn Station looks like this:

So, thousands of people gather around the giant board and then run towards the train when the gate is posted (which is like 3 minutes before the train is due to leave).  There is not one empty seat on this train, so when the gate was "announced" a train full worth of people stampeded towards the 1 escalator entrance of the train platform.    And despite getting to the train station 30 minutes early, I feel lucky to have gotten a seat.  

I have visions of old timey railroad travel.  Where you might say farewell to your one true love, as steam fills the station, obscuring your tears.  You hear "All Aboard" and you pull it together.  You know this is the way life, and wartime, goes.  You hop on the train as it starts to move, hoping your love will run and hop on too.  But it just can't be.  You turn to blow him one last kiss, but he has gone, perhaps forever.  You settle in the bar car for a Manhattan and a cigarette and you gaze at the countryside, sunglasses hiding your tear stained face.

 

But here we are.  I'm sitting on a packed train with 4 different people on cell phones, eating McDonalds, drinking giant cokes.  The guy beside me is listening to his music loudly enough for me to hear it through his earphones and he can probably read that I just wrote that because we're sitting that close to each other.  He is also wearing jean shorts.  In fact, pretty much everyone I can see at the moment is wearing one form or another of a jean short. I can currently see the interstate to my left and what looks to be a junkyard to my right.  My internet connection is marginal at best.  There's a whole lot of sun beating down on my left arm and the air conditioning is maladjusted. 

So far, the train has provided me no incentive to list it as my #1 favorite method of public transportation.  I am Bolt Busing back.  You will be the first to know my assessment. 

Although, now that we have hit New London, CT and the train has emptied out a bitm adn i can see beautiful beautiful water and boats, I am a little more into this experience  

NOTE:  The guy across the aisle is talking loudly on his cellphone about the duck that they killed and chopped up and left in the fridge for their friend. 

Today's traveling clothes.

We're leaving San Diego tonight on the red eye, but we had a 12pm check out. We've rented a car and are spending some time zipping around SD. So, what could I possibly wear that is appropriate for morning on the beach, afternoon around the city and evening on a plane? Sundress! Maxi sundress to be exact. Jersey, comfortable, colorful. The back is lemon yellow macramé. Pair with a cardigan and gladiator sandal type shoe and we're ready to go.

The only possible drawback to sundress is sunburn. It doesn't provide a lot of coverage for future possible sun exposure. The picture doesn't adequately capture how ridiculous my sunburn is. I clearly missed huge patches with my sunscreen. I've mastered my sunscreen application routine on the east coast, but west coast is totally different. There was a beautiful breeze all day that made it cold in the shade, so I just stayed in the sun, trusting my sunscreen application. If your husband says, do you think it's time to reapply, the answer should be yes, not, "I think I'm going to hold off and try to even out my sun a bit". Bad call.

But sundress for flight = good call. It might as well be a nightgown.

Tribal

So here we have a tank to with some tribal art on the front. I wish you could see that her sweatpant also has a similar tribal print running down the leg. Oh, and she has 2 Vera Bradley bags in different prints. That is, indeed, a whole lotta look.

Here I go again...

Off to San Diego this time. Here is my traveling costume: black stretchy tee, excessively baggy gap boyfriend khakis in light blue, brown leather jacket, and Tom's wedge. I'm testing out the shoe for you but I'm not going to lie, I can tell they won't be a winner. My toes are already getting cut up and I don't love struggling with the bandaids. I am aware that the pants are too big. When I bought them they weren't (thank you Mark Fisher Fitness) but now they make for a wonderful traveling pants - super soft and super baggy. Almost like a pajama pant but actually a proper pant. I know it will be 95 degrees in NYC tomorrow but it will be in the 60s in San Diego, thus the jacket (also I folded it to test its pillow comfort and was pleasantly surprised.) I also have a light cardigan in my bag for cold flight. I'm flying JetBlue for the first time today. Do I foresee a new boyfriend? So far, this JetBlue experience has been good. I do see some one in full Lululemon attire with a pillow from her bed. I guess at least it fits well.

Possible Summer Travel Shoes

Hey there sexy readers! As always, when I criticize, I believe in providing solutions.  So here are some possible summer travel shoe solutions

www.toms.com $54

#1.  Tom's. 
Pros: Great for comfort.  Great for warmth. Great for almost being barefoot when actually wearing a proper shoe.  Great for slip on slip off time in the security line.

Cons:  These shoes get super sweaty and smelly.  Solution - a little old fashion baby powder.  Just don't be that ass who insists on taking your shoes off on the plane.

www.toms.com - $69

 #2 - Tom's Wedge. 
See above for Pros with the additional pro of a few extra tall inches and a little extra dressiness.

Cons:  I own these.  They cut the living hell out of my toes.  I've learned the necessity of band-aiding  preventativly, but who wants to do that all the time?





 #3 - Gladiator Sandal
Just a terrible idea.  For purposes of this blog we are going to assume that you have to buckle all these little buckles.  These are Michael Kors, so I assume there's a lovely zipper up the back, thus actually making them quick to get on an off.  But let's just pretend that there's no zipper and you have to buckle and unbuckle all those little buckles.  Image how happy I will be behind you in the security line while you laboriously deal with your shoe choice. 

Basically, please don't wear overly complicated shoes to the airport.

Eric Michael Neva - www.zappos.com $139.99

# 4 - another Gladiator Sandal

Seychelles - www.zappos.com $80.99

That got me thinking about the gladiator sandal.  This might be the best type of sandal option.  It's pretty covered up to prevent cold foot.  It zips for easy/on easy off.  A lot of sandal/flip flops might be easy and comfortable to travel in, but COLD FEET!








# 5 - Another Wedge

Hey Ali Velez, wouldn't this be perfect for my revisited coral phase?  Zipper for easy on easy off.  Mostly covered foot.  I wouldn't, however, wear these if you have a tight connection.  No one wants to see your attempts at a jog in a wedge/heel if you have to properly race through the airport to make your flight.

Summer Traveling Clothes

Hello Spring! Until now, we've been traveling in cooler temps. (thus the stretch cords and trench coats) Even in LA, in March, a jacket was necessary.  I'm going to San Diego next week and just as I was starting to think about my travel clothes options and the challenges warm weather/long flights have to offer, I received this picture from ME. 

First of all, I have to give ME the "Most Improved" award.   When I met her, she was intent on an Ugg for travel.  Now we have a beautiful summer dress, jewelry, curled hair and, she assures me, a full face is to follow.  Look guys, I"m doing good with my blog!  ME has hit the nail on the head for summer travel clothes.  Maxi dresses are totally on trend and the big plus to them is they kinda feel like wearing a nightgown.  See guys, you can be comfortable without looking homeless.  ME is wearing a Frye boot that you can't see here.  Now, I personally have a problem with the feel of a boot on a bare leg, so I wouldn't make that choice, but I aesthetically approve of her choice. 

I actually am a bit stumped with the summer travel shoe.  Flights are cold, and if you love a window seat like me, then you also are forced to have your feet directly beside the air source.  My summer shoe is a flip flop or a sandal, but I fear that they might leave the foot too exposed for the cross country flight.  I can bear it for the flight to NC, but all the way to CA?  I might get a little testy. And when you add the inevitable crying baby kicking the back of my chair, I might just lose it.  (seriously,  if there is a baby on  plane that has legs long enough to touch the back of the seat in front of it, it will be seated behind me.  Its parents will be so exhausted from traveling with it and its younger sibling - also seated behind me - that they will put a dvd on without headphones and let it sing along and kick the chair of the traveler - me- in front of it.  This happens more often than not.  But I digress...)

Could a Tom be the answer?  Or a wedge with a little more of the foot covered?  I promise, dear readers, I will find a solution. 

Also, what are we going to do without the trench coat/pillow and/or the cheap street pashmina/blanket?  Well, I always keep a light Gap cardigan in my bag, so possibly the cardigan will suffice and a "blanket" won't even be needed.  The pashmina takes up little to no space, so why not bring it, ball it up and use it at the pillow?   I'll keep you posted.

PS...spell check offered "mishmash" as a replacement for "pashmina".   I really like that.

Pillowig!

I ran across this on Pinterest.  Don't let a Midwestern tourist see this, or else you might see it on planes all the time now.  It's called "Pillowig"

Traveling bird...

Kevin sent this this morning from JFK. Bird in the terminal. Just hanging out. I approve of bird travel clothes... feathers.

more submissions

I've fallen behind with posting submissions...I do apologize.  Here are several all at once.

 from Chris Crowthers - socks!  I do hope she is on some team and is showing pride for said team. This does remind me of something my high school volleyball team might had thought was cool to wear in public. And is that a visor i see?

Another one from Chris - directly out of bed.

Lastly, from Sari.  Now, I don't have a problem with a tee-shirt on a lady.  Not in the slightest. (well unless the tee shirt is what I would refer to as a sleep shirt or a workout shirt - one that just isn't meant to be seen) This outfit could be solved with a skinny pant and a boot, or a flat. 

And then there's this...

"Pink" sweatpants. Full blanket, like from her bed. Keep in mind, the flight we are boarding is just a shuttle flight from Charlotte to DC. It is an hour in the air. This is just plain unnecessary.

I wish you could see the detail on this pant.

This is a nearly perfect traveling pant. They have beautiful details like a zipper up the back and piping down the front and back. They are slightly equestrian in nature, which is fitting, for riding a horse is also a form of traveling. I admire her tip of the hat to traveling styles of the olden days.

My traveling companions

As I waited to board my flight from Gatwick to Charlotte, I was disturbed by quite a ruckus. Possibly 10 men were speaking very very loudly and laughing even louder in an almost indecipherable (to my American ear) English dialect. Best I could tell, they were from Northern England. I could tell they were slightly tipsy at 10am. It appears they were en route to MYRTLE BEACH of all places, to play golf. Baffling when you can go to Scotland faster. I boarded the plane to discover they were just a few rows behind me.

This was one of those 2 seats, 4 seats, 2 seats planes. The flight wasn't full, so let me talk a minute about "not full flight" etiquette. If you are sitting on the aisle and the entire row to your side or in front of you is completely empty, you move to the empty row allowing both you and you window seat mate a row for yourself. You don't just sit there, in complete silence, staring at the empty seats all around you until the slightly miffed window seat has to say, "since the plane has fully boarded and no one is going to sit there, I'm going to move over to those seats since you're not". And then you most certainly do not move over to the window seat that your seat mate (who happens to love the window seat) vacated for the sake of her own comfort for 8 hours. If you wanted to book a window seat, book a window seat. Don't make your very beautiful seat mate feel bullied into sitting far from the window (no worries, I was very comfortable, just annoyed). I didn't take me shoes off.

Back to the drunk Northerners. A few minutes after the flight takes off, I am joined by the loudest of the men. One might even call him the leader. There were still 2 empty seats between us, but you better be sure I could hear every word he shouted to his chums 5 rows back even as I attempted to watch 4 episodes of the ever delightful "Downton Abbey". When the drink cart went by the first time, he ordered a Bloody Mary, with 4 vodkas. Yep. As soon as that was finished, he got a beer. This happened the entire 8 hour flight. I think I counted a total of 7 drinks. I clearly have no problem with excessive drinking, just don't be sloppy drunk disturbing my "Downton Abbey". Finally, at 4pm US time, he ordered a tea "because it's 4pm and that's what us English do". Apparently they also enjoy day drinking crap vodka and beer.

I tried to stealthily take the pic below through the armrests. I do wish you could actually make out the magazine that is resting on the seat behind me. It is called "Boobs" and the cover involved that and only that. Ladies with boobs. Big big boobs. You can barely make out actual legs of one of the ladies featured in "Boobs". In the foreground, a crumpled can of Becks and the remnants of his morning Bloody Mary. I don't find this appropriate traveling behavior.

And she is not...

I was blinded by the best dressed and almost missed the girl in a sweatshirt, 3/4 length spandex pants and sneakers. Did she just decide to hop on the plane after the gym?

She is so cute!

Charlotte to DC. Not a long flight, but she wins best dressed (despite the almost questionable teased bump-it)

London Garwick - 7:30 am

This is a bare foot and a beer. At 7:30am. Seriously. I can get down with the beer part of it.

Yes that is a union jack neck pillow.

I can almost forgive the ugg here

Almost. I would forgive it more if it were black. The pants are fantastic but the color of the ugg just doesn't work with the color of the pant. She is smartly layered. Not a best dressed but I appreciate her.

And here we go

Greg and I both have a lot of frequent flyer miles, but on different airlines. So, we decided for our 3 year wedding anniversary to go to London using said miles. Greg gets to fly nonstop from JFK to Heathrow on American. I am flying LAGuardia to Charlotte to Gatwick on my abusive boyfriend USAir. We will meet in London at the hotel, old school, no cell phones. I mean, what did we do before we could stalk every movement of a love one's flight with a simple app? So I left the apt at 11am our time and will likely arrive at the hotel 9am tomorrow London time. That's about 17 hours of travel. And the outfit below is what I am wearing for the entire journey. No change into pajamas. No addition of a huge pillow from my bed. I am bring what I am wearing, a bag with one change of clothes and PJs (cause I'm prepared if my boyfriend, USAir, tries to hit me and makes me spend the night some where that is not London), travel distractions like kindle (I think I've just named her Gertrude), a purse, trench coat and scarf. Greg has the rest of my clothes in his suitcase. So what I'm saying is that it is possible to travel internationally and not look like a freshman in college who just realize you can sleep an extra 5 minutes if you wear your pajamas to your 8am French recitation (not that I ever did that).

I haven't seen a lot of noteworthy people here to discuss, but Charlotte is always a gold mine! See you there!

Subway fascinator

Now this is what a fascinator should be. I WANT THIS.

questionable subway fashion

I am expanding my commentary to cover daily subway rides: the good and the bad.  The pant to the right was photographed in March.  MARCH.  Before labor day.  I know all rules have gone out the door at this point, but you still really shouldn't wear white before Easter.  And this is the perfect case of my theory, nay opinion,  that spandex is a privilege,  not a right.  I mean, does she know that her panties are actually ticker than her pant?  It's a lot to handle.









And then we have this sleepy woman, with a plastic blue jay bobby pinned into her hair.  With tendrils.  Presumably on her way to a Ren Faire.