We left the Phoenix area when the temp was 110 degrees Fahrenheit; traveled to Mexico, which was even hotter, for Lee's annual dental checkup; spent a week in cold, rainy areas of Oregon and Washington; and returned by way of California, where we started in cool, foggy weather and ended with more hot and sunny days. In addition, although all our destinations were quite casual, the style vibe in each area was very different. In the Cascades, for instance, everyone seemed to be wearing plaid flannel shirts and blue jeans, while the parts of California we visited had a much more urban aesthetic. So, we had to pack not only layers, but layers that could go from rustic to chic as needed. Not so easy.
Here is the wardrobe I packed:
CORE PIECES
The bottoms I packed were black straight-leg knit pants; dark wash blue jeans; light gray denim capris; and black linen shorts. The tops were a roll-sleeve option burgundy silk shirt; a white cotton camp shirt; a short sleeve plaid seersucker button-up shirt; a white scoopneck tee; and a black notch neck tee.
What worked: The black pants, jeans, and most of the shirts performed like troupers, shedding wrinkles and hiding dirt between washes. They also coordinated well enough so that I always had something to wear, no matter what I'd spilled lunch on the day before.
What didn't work so well: The gray capris were so light they picked up smudges every time I helped load the car. I should have taken a darker pair instead. The black linen shorts, as expected, wrinkled pretty badly; in addition, we only had three days hot enough to really justify wearing them. Next time I would pack a second pair of capris or a lightweight skirt instead. And the white cotton camp shirt was a big disappointment. I bought it new from Chadwick's of Boston specifically for this trip, and the first time I washed it, it wrinkled worse than any garment I've ever owned (much worse even than linen). After that first wash I ironed it twice but never got all the wrinkles out. It wrinkled when packed; it wrinkled when worn; it wrinkled worse every time it was washed. The white campshirt idea was perfect for this trip, but this particular item didn't live up to its promise. (I will be writing a stern review at the retailer's website.)
THIRD LAYERS
The outer layers I brought along were a burgundy faux leather moto jacket, a heavy black hoodie, a black cashmere crewneck pullover, a black cotton cardigan, a quilted black vest, and a burgundy and black ombre scarf.
What worked: The hoodie was my go-to outerwear on chilly days in rural Washington. I wore the burgundy moto jacket on rainy days and when I needed to look a little dressier. I wore the cashmere crewneck by itself as a top and as a third layer over one of the collared shirts when I didn't quite need a jacket. I wore the cotton cardigan in air-conditioned restaurants and tourist attractions throughout California.
What didn't: I never wore the vest or the scarf. Whenever it was cold enough to wear the vest by itself, I wanted additional cover for my arms as well as my torso. I would have worn the blanket scarf by itself if we had had colder weather in California, or over my other layers if the temp in Oregon or Washington had droppped another 10 degrees, but that was not the case. If we were to do this trip again under similar conditions, I would take the scarf along again just in case, but leave the vest at home.
ACCESSORIES
For jewelry, I wore my vintage gold-tone Seiko watch with black leather band and vintage Greek reproduction earrings with cabochon garnets. I also brought two gold necklaces - one long and one short - and a brass repoussé cuff bracelet. Other accessories included a white sun hat, a burgundy wool hat, burgundy wool gloves, sunglasses, folding umbrella, and a white and burgundy silk scarf that could be worn by itself or on the hat. The two pairs of shoes I took were red faux suede ballet flats and gray Dr. Comfort sneakers with gray cotton socks. I carried my burgundy and black leather shoulder bag and packed a gray neck pouch.
What worked: Almost everything. Bonus points to the shoulder bag for being large enough to lug around my DSLR camera and extra lens, and to the Blunt Metro umbrella for not turning inside out in the high winds at Mt. Hood.
What didn't: I ended up not using the wool hat and gloves because the two days cold enough to justify them were also raining sideways, and I didn't want to deal with wet wool. I never wore the long gold necklace because we didn't go anywhere dressy enough to require it. I also didn't need the neck pouch, which I had mainly included in case we went hiking; we didn't. I would probably bring all these things along again, however, on a similar trip.
In case you are interested, Lee packed more clothes than I did but ended up spending most of the trip in his warmup pants or blue jeans and a tee shirt, with his navy and maroon plaid flannel shirt as a jacket. Whatever works.
Coming up - more information on all the great stuff we saw along the way.
"Even my basic, basic wardrobe is still pathetically colour coordinated. It just is. That is just me." ~Trinny Woodall
