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I am 75 years young, wear a size 14 or 16 petite pants and jacket. I want clothing that will be miraculously wrinkle-free upon unpacking. I know I need to layer because it is cool in Paris at that time and the Provence area should be warmer.
Louise, A: Dear Louise of Raleigh, First, can the DressMe experts go too? It sounds like the trip will be both fun and exciting, but also emotionally draining at times, especially for your husband. The last thing you want to stress over is your clothing. But at the same time you want to be tres chic, like the Parisians (or so the myth goes). Never before have there been so many fashionable choices for someone with your body type, from stores such as Elisabeth's, PS Plus Sizes (in the Washington area), Catherine's and the Answer (in the Raleigh area) and Salon Z at Saks Fifth Avenue. And never before have there been so many fabric choices – such as microfiber, the new polyester, and Lycra – that will keep your clothes relatively wrinkle-free. But to be on the safe side, do carry a small traveling iron that can be adapted to European electrical currency standards. The key to safe packing is to keep everything in the same color family. Choose a neutral shade such as black, navy or camel and build your travel wardrobe around it, including shoes, jewelry and other accessories such as scarves. For example, take a navy or black blazer; a dressier, longer wrap jacket with a fabric belt would be the most versatile because you can wear it as a light evening jacket at night, but it will work during the day with your slacks or skirts. Once you have the right jacket, take along a variety of slacks and skirts that you could wear on any given day: slacks for when you are touring around and skirts for when you are out to dinner. Lynne Montedonico, a spokeswoman for the Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, suggests you keep your colors dark. Why? Because the Euro wardrobe is made up almost entirely of black. "The most prominent color that she is going to see when traveling in Europe is black," Montedonico says. But she adds, "Black mixes with natural khaki colors. . . . if she wants to lighten it up a bit." Black also mixes well with jewel tones. Other must-haves are a good pair of walking shoes, something with lug soles for days when it is damp, and a pair of dressier shoes for evening. For security reasons, carry a medium-size purse with a strap that is long enough to cross over the body. And pack a small, flat evening bag for the nights out on the town. The average temperature for Provence in southern France is 62 degrees in May and 68 in June. Paris is a little cooler, 57 on average in May and 62 on average in June. So expect your days to be warm, but not hot and your evenings cool, but not cold. Take outfits that you can layer – the jacket over a short-sleeved top – rather than long-sleeved dresses made of heavier fabrics that could get uncomfortable in the midday sun. Above all, have fun and leave a little room in your suitcase for the outfit or two that you'll surely want to pick up in France.
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A neutral-color blazer and black pants are smart coordinates for travel.
(Illustration by Donald T. Earley for washingtonpost.com)