Your absolute favorite pieces of clothing?
 

I'm traveling for 5 weeks and using a carry-on bag. Given the numerous flights we'll be taking, it will make life much easier! We'll be all around Australia, from beach resorts to cooler climates.
I'm looking for those perfect pieces of clothing that truly travel well. I don't need "travel clothing" per se, but just some great pieces that will make life easy. What are your favorites? What can be washed and worn easily? What pieces can be crunched into a carry-on and pulled out and not be wrinkled?

Absolute favourites?
Featherweight black merino,zip neck, long sleeved "base layer" top. Comfortable from 25C down, non-stinky, dries overnight, and looks dressy. Supplex tshirts, tunics and leggings- non creasing, dries overnight even in the steamy north. Also work as exercise gear, night attire and base layers in the cold.
Nylon mesh tops - breathes well, dries in a flash, pretty prints, uncrushable.
Slinky - have various tops, black slacks, jacket. Uncrushable, non-sweaty, fast drying, comfortable and dressy.
Waterproof, packable jacket with matching zip-out fleece jacket - handles cold and/or wet.
Rayon sarong - it's a beach cover-up, skirt, sundress, sunhat, stole, beachblanket, tablecloth, towel, sun/insect protection...
Speedos - pack smaller, dry faster and everyone wears them.
Pashmina - elegance, warmth and compresses to nothing.

black dresses

bellinis - because when worn over anything change the look completely like its a new outfit, and are lightweight enough to layer over things if you think it might be a bit cool out, yet light enough to fold up and slip into a bag if its warm
(http://www.kiyonna.com/plus-size-clothing/Bellinis.html)

infinity scarves - so many ways to wear them and they also change the look of an outfit completely
(http://ashanddans.com/index.cfm?fuse...ction-infinity)

Those are great scarves. Thanks for the link.

Bobette

The scarves are a great find -- thanks!

These are great ideas! Now I just need to find that featherweight top...

1. Black Rainforest car coat length packable travel raincoat (W5019).
2. Black LL Bean polar fleece button up cardigan
3. Black Josef Seibel zip shoes
4. Old Navy perfect fit khakis (they have a bit of lycra, and are cheap enough that if you ruin them on the trip you can dump them later)
5. Express editor pant (stretchy enough for comfort, polished enough for occasions where khakis/jeans aren't good enough; my usual travel pant on business trips if I'm flying with people from work)
6. Travelsmith indispensable travel dress - 3/4 sleeve twist front style (although they're so loose I need to get them taken in a bit in the waist)
7. One pair lightweight pajamas (top and bottom) for lounging in the hotel (helps save wear and tear on clothes)
8. Pashminas - one black and one bright colour that works with the other clothes I've packed
9. Microfiber Russell & Bromley (UK) low heeled pumps for business trips
10. A couple of Land's End vneck tshirts or long-sleeved shirts (depending on climate)
11. LLBean wrinkle-resistant 3/4 sleeve shirts

I like lightweight wrap dresses in a slightly below-the-knee length. They pack easily and look great for work, shopping, or going out. :) You can also very the look pretty easily by changing shoes, throwing on a sweater, etc.

I used to have like 10 wrap dresses, in all kinds of colors, but I stupidly gave most of them away when I left the US. At least I had the presence of mind to keep the black one (which is made out of some kind of polyester, so it washes easily and dries fast ^), which goes with me everywhere.

If I were the OP and committed to traveling for 5 weeks with a carry-on, this is what I'd pack:
- 1 Black dress
- 2 Black skirts (short and knee-length)
- 2-3 Blouses (in very different colors, like red, white, and turquoise)
- 2 Sweaters/ Twin-sets (in basic colors, like black and white)
- 1 Hoodie
- 1 Pashmina (in a neutral-y color, like silvery-grey)
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of cargo pants
- 2 pairs of gym/ yoga pants (nice enough that I could wear them in public, not so nice that I would feel guilty about sleeping in them)
- 3-4 T-shirts (long- and short-sleeve, in colors that go with the jeans, cargo pants, and gym/ yoga pants)
- Trainers, black heels and black flats

Well, I'd pack most of this and wear some of it (i.e., the bigger stuff, like the hoodie and trainers) on the plane.

My all-time favorite is a pair of J.Crew yoga pants with a back zip pocket. They are cozy enough to travel for 25 hours, and well-fitted enough to throw on a jacket and heels and go to a meeting if necessary. The problem is that I've had them for years and have never found the same thing to buy again :(

Mine came from a shop in Salamanca Place, Hobart, that specialised in wooly goodies, but similar are available at outdoor suppliers like Kathmandu eg http://www.kathmandu.com.au//11801/R...Top-Women.html or http://www.crosscountryskier.com.au/...ayer/index.htm - there are usually several outdoors shops in major suburban shopping malls, as well as city centres... It was $80 on sale, and after four years of heavy wear, and being thrown into the washing machine (woolwash cycle and eucalyptus wool mix) it still looks as good as ever.

Just back from a week in Canberra, flying Virgin (7kg carryon limit) temps 3C - 31C. Could easily go a month or two by substituting my black fleece/shell combo for the cardi.

Wore wide-leg slinky pants, bra, knickers, cami with shelf bra, red/white/black 3/4 sleeve supplex tunic, black cap-sleeve button-thru supplex dress, red merino cardi, black pashmina, fine wool sox, sporty black mary-janes. Stuffed cardi and pashmina in bag in the departure lounge.

Rollie backpack - folder with red mesh tunic, black mest l/s tshirt, black and white s/s supplex Tshirts, red mesh long vest, black featherweight merino top, black modal/nylon/spandex yoga pants,black spandex 3/4 leggings

Zip pack - top compartment - bra, jewelled lace top shelf-bra cami, 2nd - 3prs nylon sox, 4 prs quick-dry knickers, 3rd compartment black/white nylon sarong, 4th compartment - speedos, back compartment - ziplock with 2 blowup hangers, washing powder in small ziplock,1x very large, 2xsandwich and 2xsnack-sized ziplocks.

Shoe bag - red leather sandals, red fabric/rubber thongs

Toiletries - 1 litre zip bag, with toothbrush, paste, crystal deodorant, mini shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser, mini nailbrush, folding hairbrush, clothesbrush/shoehorn, disposable razor, makeup remover pads.

Shoulderbag (leather messenger-style) - EeePC, chargers (also into rollie as soon as I passed security), phone, iPod, jewellery roll with 4 rings, 2 earrings and a brooch, medications, makeup, comb, folding scissors (OK on way up, confiscated coming back), notebook & pen, book, umbrella, sunnies.

Must takes for me are: Pashmina, Black ballet flats, Lucy brand "walk about" slacks (these are great for travel - lightweight, wash in sink and dry super fast, no ironing, relaxed fit).

Thanks for reminding me about circle scarves. I like how the link shows lots of ways to wear them and it jogged my memory for this tutorial on how easy it is to make one from a plain men's t-shirt.
http://mywakingmemories.wordpress.co...-sew-tutorial/

She also wrote an easy tutorial for a sewn version, which sounds fantastic if I can find a nice lightweight wool or silk that will provide a bit more warmth in a cool cabin. I imagine a seamstress/alterations could whip this up pretty quickly!
http://mywakingmemories.wordpress.co...wing-tutorial/

Echoing OzBarb's suggestion for a tunic/t-shirt dress and leggings. Until I saw a blog article, I didn't know how versatile it could be. You can also sleep in a looser t-shirt dress if you need to reclaim the space from your PJs for daytime clothing.

Great find Thanks, freecia- I am definitely going to try this. The circle scarf looks so versatile and easy to pack. They would make great gifts, too.

I did a 7-week (carry-on only) trip last summer, and by the end, I really enjoyed the simplicity of it all. It was so easy to get dressed every morning, since I only had a few outfits to choose from!

The one piece of clothing that truly stood out for its versatility was the Patagonia Bandha dress. It dries quickly, doesn't wrinkle, and goes from casual to dressy with minimal accessorizing:
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/prod...&p=58728-0-961