I confirmed last week that I’m going to China in September. Partly for work, partly for fun. I’m excited yet intimidated. I don’t mind flying. But, Australia / New Zealand tested my patience three years ago. After the 24 hours of travel time (Baltimore to Dulles to Los Angeles with a four hour layover before the 14 hour flight) I am wary of loooooong international flights. From Baltimore to Shanghai via Chicago, I’m looking at 20 hours each way.
But, that’s not the point of this post. My primary destination is Xiamen. But, I fly into Shanghai, current home of the World Expo and a FOUR STORY CLOTH MARKET. Naturally, I am arriving in Shanghai a few days early to allow for all the fabric shopping I want. I have a causual aquaintence in Shanghai. But, I really don’t want to bug him. He’s already gotten me a GREAT deal on a hotel. But, it’s clear I’m going to need a Chinese speaker to negotiate for me. I’ll have to see if I can hire someone for a few hours. At anyrate, following Xiamen I have extended a few days to go on to Beijing. But, (there’s always a but) because of my internal / domestic flights. I can only check one bag and it must weigh in at 44 lbs. I had 36 pounds of luggage for Montreal. This my friends is serious. So, my plan is this:
Five piece knit wardrobe to wear for 10 days. Starting with the dress above from the April 2010 Burda Magazine. This should fit in my carry on allowing me to me check 40 pounds of fabric for the return flight. It is deathly hot in China in September. I will have several official work events that a dress will suffice. I’ll be doing as much sightseeing as possible. It needs to be washable since I’ll be gone for about two weeks. And, it all needs to fit easily into one carry on. And I need to get it all sewn in the next 10 weeks. My current thought:
- Black knit gauchos
- Black knit bubble skirt
- Sleeveless yellow/white/grey knit top
- Sleeveless red and black top
- Sleeveless black knit top or knit cardigan / jacket
- Black dress
Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? So, this is my sewing plan until I leave in September! Here’s hoping I get the Burda traced this weekend. It’s DC Carnivale and my oldest brother is throwing a party Saturday and I have two birthday parties to go to on Friday night and Sunday. I’m never this busy socially. It must be a full moon.
Miss Celie's Pants 
May I suggest that you give yourself an eight week, instead of 10 week, deadline. This way you will have a cushion of two weeks–if any “problem” should arise, you have ample time to sort it out.
Zowie! I absolutely concur with the idea of going all-knit for ease of packing, and think your choices seem quite well thought-out.
One thing that kind of helped my own packing was this article/slide show from the New York Times;
I practiced packing my suitcase for about two weeks before my last trip to Mexico and almost managed to pack 15 days of stuff neatly into a single carry on. If it hadn’t been for a cardigan and a couple of extra bathing suits (which admittedly COULD have been left behind) I probably would have succeeded.
That was the article that inspired me! I’m worried that the Simplicity cardigan I want to make is going to take up the most space. But, I’ll be wearing it on the flights so that might not be too big a deal.
That’s kind of become my secret for excess carry on – wear the bulky items. I carry one of those tiny little folding tote bags that collapses to the size of a pack of gum so that when I get to my destination, I can strip off my top layer and carry it around easily.
Also, Deepika has a point I never even thought of –
humid climate + some knits = chafing + tears
That said, I have had great success with a very lightweight cotton knit; comfy to travel in, simple to pack, and not too hot. It’s all in the fabric weight. But simple cotton skirts are SUPER quick and easy to make!
5 items is intense, but I know you can do it! What about a button down in case you need to look slightly more dressed up. After seeing this same article, I made a 8 (orig 10, but didn’t finish) piece wardrobe for a recent trip to Paris/London and it was so much fun. Everything fit in my carryon and I was free to travel easily. Several of the items were reversible, and that helped. After 2 weeks though of straight wear, I can hardly bear to wear them again!
Renee, when I travel to India where its over 100 degrees in summer, the only thing I can wear is lightweight skirts and tops. All 100% cotton! I’ve done a fair amount of traveling to Latin American countries and this applies there too. Humidity and knits don’t go well. At least for me they didn’t.
Hmmm, I can see myself in some cute cotton skirts. Maybe those with sleeveless tops will be my saving grace. I can’t even fathom it being hotter than it is now. Thanks for the advice! Will re-think.
Southern China in September. Wow – I’d make sure that those knits are something like bamboo or cotton and not polyester because you..will…roast. The other thing is this – wherever I go (and I used to do a ton of trade shows)and I buy fabric, my first words on entering the place of business is: Do you ship? (you might want to learn that phrase and ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in Mandarin and Cantonese). If they don’t ship, you need to find a shipper who will ship for you. You might wish to check with UPS before you leave and get all your questions asked (where they are located in the cities you will be shopping in, how to get there, any requirements like US customs paperwork and so on) Here’s UPS/Asia’s site: http://www.upsinasia.com/cn/en/default.html
I am increasingly tempted to ship. But, I worry about ‘eating’ up whatever savings I get in shipping back to the US. The group I’ll be meeting in Xiamen though does have a few people who do frieght forwarding and ship back to the US regularly. I may take advantage of some extra container space. I don’t want to schlep a suitcase worth of fabric around for a week.
As for poly, those probably *are* most of my knits. Trena warned me though that cotton knits down dry as well? Not true? Southern China is right. 80 percent humidity in Xiamen. I probably won’t even bother with makeup!
Sea mail is very reasonable, if you can wait 3 mos for your goodies. It’s like a surprise present when it arrives. My gf who just moved to Beijing last week shipped 150kg from Seoul for less than USD300. It’s closer, of course, but I moved four times from Asia to Europe or North America and it’s cheap.
WOW! I was just going to tell you that Slinky travels really well, but I’m thinking after what Deepika & Toby said, that it might not be the way to go. Bamboo knit is pretty lightweight, but a little pricey…
I’m traveling Northern Italy for two weeks in September. and am having the same edging toward packing similar to what you are.
I found this gal pretty inspiration:
http://www.missminimalist.com/?p=880
I can’t “do” a purse for travel, so I’m going to use a small Land’s End carry on bag for my trip. I hate stressing about all of my stuff making it from PointA > PointB.
Can’t wait to see your new travel clothes!
BTW: What do you use for a moneybelt when it’s so hot & sticky? I’ve got a PacSafe purse, but am considering making one of these and using safety pins to attach it to the inside of my clothes:
http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=124&id=377
Love to know what you think!
How nice you get to go to China!!! I love that you’ve already mapped out your fabric shop visits!!!! I hope you find some great stuff. I like your wardrobe idea. Knits are awesome space savers, are wrinkle resistant, and are just plain comfortable!!!
I travel a lot and it often seems to be into hot, tropical places. I would avoid black even though it is our favorite. It absorbs the heat. Dirt colored pants or skirts work great (dark khaki, tan). I find knit tops ok if no poly or lycra in the fabric. I also love how you have worked up a plan already and you inspire me. I am headed to South Africa in the fall (spring there) and should do the same.
Hmm, I have a LOT of khaki fabric. I was worried about getting things pressed and ironed. I also thought knits would be ‘skinnier’ to pack. But, maybe I should thinking khaki skirt, knit tops and buy some pants. The black I’m thinking of for the dress is tissue thin and a cotton blend. So that might be ok. I chose black for hiding dirt, LOL. But, I’m going to dig through my khaki fabric tonight and see.
For pants/skirts it’s not so bad to have poly or nylon. I have some great pants/skirts from North Face and REI that are nylon and don’t wrinkle, wash and dry out quickly, and are kinda cute. Once, we trekked through mud in a downpour and, although it was still pouring and humid, my long, nylon, rugged, brown pants dried in less than an hour after I washed them in the hotel room. Not too stylish but practical. You probably don’t need to be quite that rugged for your trip but something along those lines work great when you want to take just a few things. And yes, I don’t sew all my clothes!
Awesome! I would recommend lightweight cotton too. I think knits are fine, but they will stick to you as you sweat, which may get irritating. If you have connections in Xiamen, then I think it would be fine to ship things back, otherwise, I think it may end up being more troublesome than its worth. Umm also change your money soonish bc the exchange rate is going to changing soon? I linked to my study abroad blog re: Beijing + Shanghai, if you have specific questions you can shoot me an email if you like! I dont know where the fabric stores are though…
Alex was in China last summer and not only is it hot and humid, the pollution is horrendous. She vowed no more travel to polluted cites!
Having traveled in Southern India I have to second Deepika’s advice. Don’t even think about polyester knits and the problem with cotton knits is that they become wet with perspiration and do not dry. Loose cottons and linens are the most comfortable. You might look into some of the supplex type knits, but I personally don’t have experience with them.
Pressed and ironed? If it is anything like India, it’s really cheap and quick to get your laundry done. Pressing only was even faster.
As someone who spent a large part of my career on the road for long periods of time, I am very good at making a few garments work. I always stuck to a neutral with two colours. Red, black and white is always easy. Knits are a big help. I also find that rolling rather than folding garments makes it easier to fit things in and they don’t wrinkle so much. I stand the rolls on end. Not sure what kind of luggage you are using (ie hard case or back pack) so you may have to vary this method. Shoes are always a problem as I want to take lots, but I generally stick to one pair of heels and one pair of flatter shoes. If I need boots I wear them on the plane. I often start wardrobe planning around the shoes I need to take. As for laundry, it’s cheap quick and easy to get someone to do it for you in China. Remember, though, they will not necessarily be using the same modern gentle cycle machines that we use at home. Freight wasn’t too bad last time I shipped things from China, at least not compared to prices we pay in Australia. You will love China!
Trust me, stick with wovens in lightweight cottons or tropical weight wools for meetings. Pants worked well for me when I was traveling for high tech, as all the offices were air conditioned. But I would not wear knits of any kind. I wore white cotton button down shirts and would send them out to be laundered at night.
Have a GREAT time!
Ok. After reading all the comments I think I’m realizing I need to make wovens. I like the idea too of sending my shirts out. Thanks!
Cidell,
What a great opportunity. I love that dress pattern… Is there anywhere on line I can get a better look or maybe purchase? I didn’t see it on the Burda site.
Will you be blogging while on your trip?
Definitely take some sort of cardigan or sweater because, even though it’s really hot and humid outside, they tend to over compensate in places that have a/c.
Have a fantastic trip, pity you can’t transit through Hong Kong! I think your wardrobe plan in a carry on is a great idea. Personally I quite like wearing knits here in the humidity as they dry out really fast, silks are also brilliant (and as an added bonus pack up really small) so that might be an option for a few simple tops.
Wow, that sounds great! Shanghai is high on my list of places that I want to see. Have fun!
Congratulations on your upcoming trip to China. Good luck with your pending wardrobe. I’m sure you’ll do a fantastic job!
Can I just say I love how you think? I’ll look forward to seeing your progress and the results as you travel. And these comments are full of sage advice, thanks to you & your wise readers.
Renee, this sounds like a great trip! After seeing your “dead body’s” worth of fabric from Montreal, I can truly believe you can easily leave 44 lbs of fabric behind in China – hmm, oh I meant find 44 lbs of fabric to take with you. You must make the Nancy skirt download to take with you. It can be a dress/skirt/top – so versatile for travelling you may be able to find room in your carryon for MORE FABRIC!!
Good luck with that flight! We just got back from Thailand and flew Chicago to Hong Kong and seriously the flight never ended (15h 40 mins). Flying NZ to LA at 12h seemed a peace of cake compared to that.
All I can say is you want something quick dry, it was 40 C (sorry don’t know F probably close to 100 F) and I got such a wet ass whenever I sat on the bus or benches anywhere. It gets hot in Montreal and I’ve never had that problem before. Definitly recommen some sort of quick dry bottoms to avoid embarressment 🙂
Remember Bejing is on the same lattitude as Chicago, so it might not be so deathly hot after all (this from someone in Atlanta who regards 70 degrees as sweater weather). Have a great time; no plans for a stop in Hong Kong???
I love it! Only a fellow sewer would understand the necessity of reserving 44 lbs of luggage weight for fabric!
When I travelled in China, our hotel would pick up and do the laundry/pressing, and it was pretty cheap. So, I wouldn’t really worry about that too much.
Question though – are you flying out of Shanghai as well? Because if so, you can buy all the fabric you want, and just store it at the airport/your hotel – and pick it up after all the internal flights are over.
And unfortunately, I didn’t sew when I went to China, so I’ve no idea where the fabric stores are…
I’m in to Shanghai and out from Beijing. I figure if I can carry on my actual clothes, I can buy a cheap / disposable suitcase in Shanghai to lug gifts / fabric around with. Then, I can fly that home as my check in.
Try only taking the smallest of toiletries – you can buy more there (discard if they don’t fit on the way back). I found all white tops and a variety of slacks worked, but I was on vacation. Sporting clothes of technical material don’t wrinkle much and dry overnight – white tops again are great. I took trainers for travel days, a pair of flat slides for sight-seeing and a pair of cork heeled wedgies for dress up dinners. One beige skirt and a travel iron as it was linen. My backpack weighed 22 lbs. I’m impressed you’re going to China. Look forward to hearing all about it!
Hmmm, I really need to find some nice flats. I have heeled sandals for home / work. But, nothing nice that’s easy to travel with. 22 lbs!!! That’s my goal!
Wow, what great news. And sewing for travelling is the best. Looking forward to see what you come up with.
Hiya Cidell, I’m so excited for you! I lived 4 years in subtropical China–hot and humid year-round. Also my Canadian gf just moved to Beijing and will be on prenatal maternity leave then, she is trilingual EN-FR-CH. If you need some help in Beijing send me a word.
Okay, you didn’t mention it but I find them indispensible for hot humid destinations: tap pants (knickers). A feminine-styled shorts that’s worn for underwear. KS has (had) a version in print, their Lingerie book has the pattern, and a more shorts-style pattern is in an old winter BWOF from at least 3 years ago. I highly recommend going for a bias-cut woven (if it’s really hot and no one else will see it, seersucker). They really subtract a few degrees from the temp. I’d unabashedly recommend you bring only platform sandals to raise yourself a couple inches off the urban residue–remember the loos are squat-style. Black is versatile but pretty hot in sunny weather 😦 another second for the khaki. It’s dirt-resisant: it’s not a safari staple for nuthin’! Knits are also hot too. What about a rumply rayon for the dress? It’s so airy. And your lodging will undoubtedly have an ironing service that is dirt cheap. Linen… nothing tops it for coolness and absorption.
Oh yeah–only bring shoes easy to kick on and off. Seriously. You’ll be taking them off constantly as you go indoors. I just wore platform mules with a shoaped sole for support. A pair of beach flipflops for the shower too (plantar wart virus).
SO helpful!! I think I’m a bit confused on what tap pants are? Do you men like knit boxers? Or more like bloomers (baggier)? The BWOF pattern, was it for pajamas? I made those I think. For shoes I was planning on my Teva / rafting shoes. They have an inch. Do you think that’s enough? I wear them for showers, in the water, walking, etc.
I have a navy cotton/linen blend bottom weight fabric. Would that be too heavy for pants? Or are you thinking super light weight? I just ordered a few cotton blazers to take with me (I know I wont sew a blazer). I’m down now to thinking khaki skirt, khaki pants, the linen blend navy pants, a cotton blazer and two cotton tops (one already sewn and one already cut) one knit top, and a cotton shirtdress. I may or may not bother with a dress if I have a blazer.
YES! I would love help from your friend in Beijing. I’ll send you a seperate email with my hotel info and dates I’ll be there. It would be nice to have lunch or dinner with someone the day we arrive. I’m not planning on doing too much fabric shopping there. Mostly sightseeing I think 🙂 Oh, am also planning on being entirely vegetarian in China.
Can I suggest a reversible t-shirt….with four completely different fabrics? The only thing is you must wear is a sweater to cover the back or you are going to look like a circus girl. Might not be an option since you say it will be hot….
I app-solutely ♥
my ✄ Fabric U ✄
iPhone app!
http://tinyurl.com/242bua9
All I have to say is: nancy dress download = dress + top + skirt. It would be perfect as a dress on you. You must make it!!
Ok that’s weird, it put my company logo in the comment above! Sue
Wow! Good for you! Are you married to the knits? I’m thinking linens might be a better choice–they’re breathable and won’t stick to you like knits might in a humid environment like China.
I’m heading to Beijing myself in November, but now I may have to make a stop in Shanghai, so I’ll be waiting to hear about your shopping expedition! Hiring a translator for a couple hours is a good idea–I wonder if the concierge at the hotel can hook you up.
You know what I desperately wanted last time I was in China (fall 2008)? A cheongsam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongsam), and I could not find a shop to sell me one. Vexing.
LOL-oh yeah, Southeast Asia is it’s own unique kind of hot and humid in the summer. (been to S. Korea in July/August, and you’re going further South than that) I totally recommend the linen, rumply rayon, cotton gauze, etc, in looser unstructured styles. I also definitely suppor the notion of platforms of an inch at least, that are easy to kick off-the streets can often be a bit grimy, as are the toilet facilities in some areas. Carry moist wipes and hand sanitizer with you if you can, you’ll be glad you did. The sanitizer doubles not only as a quick de-germing agent, but also can cool you off rubbed on your neck and wrists.
I’m so excited for you!
Wow, what a grand adventure! I have no practical experience to give advice from. And it looks like you’ve gotten alot of good advice on clothing. But I do recall reading 1 travel tip (this is from years ago, and may not apply any more) about taking items you don’t mind leaving behind. I think at the time they were talking primarily about jeans (esp. Levi’s) though, using them as gifts/tips/etc. That way, as the trip progressed, you had room for things you wanted to take home. Although, I have to say, while I have cothing that I wouldn’t miss bringing back, I’d be miserable the entire trip, because I don’t like to wear them, that’s why I wouldn’t miss them.
Switching topics just a tad: sweating. Stinking. My deodorant ends up failing just when I need it most. I’m sure I’m not alone. Especially when I wear sleeveless tops/dresses, I seem to have more odor problems (why is that?).
A few years ago I discovered Lavilin. I sound like a commercial, I know. But I’m sold on this stuff! It works.
You apply it at night, before bed, and wash it off in the morning. Just a very small amount will do. I’ve had the same 1/2 oz jar for several years, so don’t be turned off by the $11-12 cost.
At first, you apply it weekly. As time passes, you can use it less often. Now I use it once every couple of months – maybe more often in the summer. I also use my regular deodorant as well, just because I’m afraid to do without a daily dose, but I’ve heard of others who don’t.
Celie, if you start on it now, by the time you get to China, you’ll be able to apply it before you go and I doubt you’ll have to worry about failures during your stay. You may or may not find it in stores. I ordered online (can’t remember my source, but there are oodles). I just realized today that I have been using the one for FEET odor – the black one. Oh well. It works under arms. I’ll buy the same one again when I need more – because I know it works for me. (Geez.)
As to clothing: I love the idea of linen. Check out this article I recently read on working with (and pre-laundering) linen. Look at the cute shift dress (khaki) which I think would work wonderfully on you. I also think you should consider a linen skirt. Then pack a couple of super light weight cotton tops: button down, collar, sleeveless. Cut on the bias was a great idea as it will move and you won’t feel restrictive.
I’d bring:
khaki shift dress (very loose fitting)
skirt or two (khaki, olive)
2 white tops: one button down, sleeveless, collared/// one pull-over (with one loopy button in the front for added head room and just a touch of style)
I’d wear on plane: linen capris (khaki), 3rd white linen top (or floral linen), olive blazer.
Make sure you wear 100% cotton undies.
Can’t wait to see your finalized plans.
Forgot the link to the article on linen: http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/guest-column-working-with-linen
You’ll love China! I was there from mid September last year for a month. Started in Beijing and traveled down to Shanghai mostly by train.
Every one’s talking about the heat but I actually found Beijing kinda chilly. 2 weeks after we left Beijing it snowed there. The former girl guide in me says ‘be prepared’.
Aside from that I did fabric shopping in Shanghai at a 4 storey fabric building. Wow! talk about fun. Most vendors spoke English enough to haggle. Just make sure you have where you want to go written out in Chinese and your able to say it in Chinese. We found not all taxi drivers can read Chinese, this is especially useful with the name of your hotel.
A local suggested if we every got lost or had any problems we should approach a younger person, mostly they know a little English and are willing to help.
You’ll have a brilliant time!
O.k., what you need is a personal assistant. Me! I pack light and eat little.
Wow! What a fantastic opportunity. China and fabric shopping. As for the travel wardrobe, a knit would be good for the days of air travel, comfortable and you can layer if the plane is cold. Don’t know much about the weather that time of year, but sounds like you’re getting good suggestions.
Hi Cydile,I’m moving to shanghai this July for business. If you need, I will like to give you a guide to local fabric shopping and to be your translator。I’m going to visit the entire fabric supplier in that city before you come (haha).
aaah! I’m so jealous, this is going to be SUCH an amazing trip!!
Hi, Cidell! I have some experience with carrying on everything I am going to wear — I went for a 2-week trip to Italy last summer and did not check any luggage. I had a carry-on size suitcase with wheels and was able to fit 2 weeks worth of clothes in it (I did laundry once.) Anyway, if you are taking a rolling carry-on, I strongly recommend you get these bags from flight001 for your clothes: http://www.flight001.com/f-1-exclusives/spacepak-clothes.html (I have the clothes, lingerie, and shoe ones). If you fold your clothes flat, like the pack instructs, you will be able to fit over a week’s worth of clothes in it. This is not a gimmicky gadget, these bags are absolutely awesome (and worth the price) — they changed the way I travel, making packing easier and NEVER having to check in a suitcase (unless crazy purchasing takes place). Summer clothes are very thin and light when folded (I suggest linen/chambray bottoms, cotton lawn tops, silk dresses for when you need to dress up). Another space saver is a silk half-slip (I got this one from Mary Green: http://www.marygreen.com/product/silk-knit-mini-half-slip-wlace-14-long-1469.cfm This allows me to make super-light simple silk dresses (e.g. “Stylish Dress Book”) and not have to line them — they pack easily, can be washed in cold water in the sink and dry overnight, as does this slip. Again, this is one of my better wardrobe investments (I can’t bring myself to sew lingerie).
For wearing on the plane and traveling from city to city: I find that I am always cold on the plane, and want full coverage, yet don’t want to be hot “when I get there”. Make yourself some loose linen (in a darker color) or (my new favorite) chambray pants. I would not wear anything light khaki or white on the airplane. What if you spill your beverage on yourself during the flight — you don’t want to have to choose between spending the next 20 hours with stains on your lap vs trying to change in the tiny airplane bathroom. If you are afraid of making pants (which is v. understandable), make yourself a long, (optionally bias-cut) drawstring skirt in dark khaki linen. The advantage of linen is that it’s supposed to be wrinkled (and, it’s super-breathable). Finally, I would bring at least one pair of closed-toe shoes (Vans canvas sneakers are my faves b/c they are comfortable to walk in and can be worn with casual skirts in a pinch) — you can wear them on the plane with your pants or long linen skirt :).
Ok, non-wardrobe, but travel-related. I am a bit of a germ-freak, so I welcome other commenters’ suggestions of bringing purell with you (Whole Foods has some nicer-smelling alternatives, btw). Also, after having encountered some soap-less bathrooms during my travels, I always bring one of these when I travel overseas: http://www.flight001.com/shop-for-your-trip/personal-care/anti-bacterial-paper-soap.html. Sanitizer is nice, but sometimes, I just want to wash my hands with soap!
I just got back from Xiamen, on Sunday. Still have jet lag. It was UBER hot and super duper humid and pouring rain! Worst thing was the humidity. I have very thin hair that frizzes like mad when not flat ironed and properly smeared with product. It’s important to take the right adapters for your flat iron or hair dryer or whatever, but most hotels have a hair dryer at least. The hotel I was in was really nice, but be warned the gyms don’t open till noon so if you want to grab a workout before work, sorry. I wore all knits on this trip with the exception of an ikat woven skirt and I was fine. And I’m sure you will be in nicer places than me. I was slogging around garment factories that don’t have air-con. I’ve traveled in India and it’s very dry heat, very different than where you are going. September will be different. I don’t think as hot. Have fun.
I’ve decided hair and makeup will be a waste on this trip! I’m probably going to get my hair braided and just wear makeup in Xiamen for business meetings. I’ll be there the first week of September. The weather will be cooler, but the humidity is still an insane 80 percent. How is that even possible, LOL! I’m glad to hear of someone who’s also been ti Xiamen. It’s gotten some great write ups the last few years. And, I know some people who also have a factory there. I hope your trip went well and thank you for the advice!
Have a great trip!
I’ve never been to China, but I have one bit of advice. If you are going to be running around and getting hot during the day, pack a dress or two to change into in the evening, after a shower. By evening, a dark knit dress won’t be too hot, will take little space, and can be quickly washed out and dried. It feels so good to put something fresh on for the evening after a hot day.
On my last trip, I packed a microfiber travel towel. After I washed things out in the sink I rolled them in the towel to get them as dry as possible before hanging them up. The towel itself always dried overnight. For me, it was worth the space it took up. But once when I was low on clean underwear, I used the blow dryer to dry off my undies and it worked great!
love the blog 🙂 The plane is always cold if you are small, and you look small in your photos, you could wear layers of clothing just for the flight, and pack a small bag to pack it in once you de-layer in the rest room at the air port?