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Those of us who are “women of a certain age” have special considerations when planning travel wardrobes. In today’s post, I’ll show you a sampling of my hot weather travel packing list. Always start by following Travel Fashion Girl’s concept of a Capsule Wardrobe.
This is a four-part article, make sure to read all the posts!
- PART 1: 9 Tips to Get You Started with A Capsule Wardrobe
- PART 2: Capsule Wardrobe for Mixed Weather
- PART 3: Capsule Wardrobe for Hot Weather
- PART 4: Capsule Wardrobe for Cold Weather
Capsule Wardrobe for Hot Weather
Written by: Phebe Schwartz
Table Of Contents
How I pack my travel wardrobe: I use packing cubes and have one cube for cold, one for hot, and one for in between weather. Since we’re just traveling (have been on the road for two years thus far), I’ve color-coded my packing cubes, and just pull out one or two cubes whenever we stop long enough to unpack for a while.
Plus I can get away with a few less items in each temperature group because I can overlap – some of the transitional weather items work just fine as a layer for cold weather, or hot weather items can work under a shirt or jacket for transitional weather climates. Again, this expands the options.
Here is my sample capsule wardrobe for hot weather:
Hot Weather Capsule Wardrobe
6 tops + 3 bottoms + 1 dress + 1 outer garment
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The base color here is black. (I love black, and yes, that’s always my base color.)
Plain Shirt | Blouse | Shirt | T-Shirt | Flecked Shirt | Sleeveless | Dress | Long Sleeve | Skirt | Trousers | Denim Shorts | Shorts | Sandals | Thong | Handbag
Eddie Bauer Departure Easy Tank Dress
Sizes: XS-XXL Regular | S-L Petite | 2X-3X Plus
Dress
We have a black sundress (not spaghetti straps) in knit cotton that can go under or over most of the tops.
We’ve compiled the ultimate list of what our readers rank as the best dress for hot weather travels!
Quince Cotton Crew Neck Tee | Sizes XS-XL
For the tops
Most of the tops have either a cap or flutter sleeve shirt to accommodate less-than-muscular upper arms; all the tops look great with the straight black skirt, cropped grey slacks, and either the black or denim shorts (you don’t need both, I just show two examples).
The grey, red, and plain black tops are knits, as well as the black skirt; the white, embellished black, and ivory tops are woven fabrics. All are cotton, linen, or rayon.
Leave the logo tees at home and discover our readers’ classic picks for the best t-shirts for travel!
Levi’s Mid Length Shorts | Sizes 24-40
For the bottoms
Skirt, and dress are knee-length or just above.
Tops can be worn untucked or tucked, and the tops can also go over the dress so the skirt looks fuller, or under the dress like a jumper. You can also pair it with denim shorts.
Find out what to wear with a maxi skirt with these six styling ideas!
Grace Karin Open Front Knit Cropped Sweater | Sizes S-4X
Additional
Add a cropped black sweater for evenings, sandals in red and black, and a black purse. (Note that with all the loose, floating tops the skirt, shorts, and slacks are more fitted.) Voila, you are set.
In the above capsule wardrobe, I’ve added one piece of outwear , as well as two pair of shoes. I included a handbag, just so you can see how it all comes together.
Take a look at these cardigan outfit ideas for your next trip!
Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Crossbody Bag
Advice on a handbag – I prefer small nylon fabric handbags to leather, having had leather get moldy in hot humid climates. Also, I like straps that clip on and off, and carry a spare wrist strap, so I can change a shoulder or cross-body bag to a wristlet or clutch, depending on the occasion.
A scarf or two, some inexpensive jewelry, and you have a complete wardrobe for travel.
Scarves and jewelry are great souvenirs to remember your travels, so you can always pick up a few to tuck into your bag to change up your look.
We’ve rounded up the best anti theft travel bags for women, and our readers have voted for their favorite styles.
Obviously, you’ll adjust for your personal style. You’ll look at what you have in your closet and try compiling your capsule wardrobe. Maybe you only need to buy one or two pieces to tie it all together.
The point is that with just a few well-selected items you can put together a wardrobe that will take you through country after country, location after location, and events ranging from a walk on the beach to an afternoon at a museum to a night at the ballet or opera. You’ll be ready for just about anything, (Okay, if you’re meeting royalty, you obviously need to go shopping.)
But you really don’t need to travel with more than five or six pieces of any one kind of clothing (other than undies and maybe socks).
These are our tried and tested reader recommendations for the world’s best travel shoes!
How to Organize Your Clothing
Many of our readers use packing cubes to organize their things. Compass Rose packing cubes allow you to do so by number and color so you know where you packed everything, even when you use the cubes to separate parts of your outfit. Learn more in the video below.
Learn about our hacks with packing cubes in this video!
We also put together a five-part YouTube series showing the different methods to use packing cubes for travel. If you use this specific packing strategy, packing cubes can also compress your belongings. This is the secret to traveling carry-on only!
For more tips, take a look at TFG’s Universal packing lists and learn how to customize them to meet your needs.
Stay tuned for the last post in this series!
What other items would you add to this packing list for women over 40?
Please read the following for more tips and ideas on travel clothing:
- Beach Vacation Packing List
- How to Choose Travel Shoes
- Cute and Comfortable Women’s Flip Flops
- 10 Step Guide: How to Pack for a Trip with Different Weather
- How to Choose the Best Swim Suit for Your Body Type
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Hope you liked this travel packing list for women over 40. Please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Author Bio: Phebe Schwartz started traveling and living overseas at age 19, and haven’t stopped. Her career has included two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, and a three month trip home from there. As a result of living in Liberia, West Africa, she found a job teaching art in the US Virgin Islands, where she spent 25 wonderful years. Now retired, she and her husband are just traveling the world and having the time of their lives; the plan is to have no plan, the philosophy is that where they end up is where they are meant to be. Follow their adventure at their travel blog: Rolling Luggagers
Thanks for adding an over-40 list! I’ve aged since I started following you.
LOVE that you added an over 40 option. I’ve been modifying suggestions for what works better for me, but appreciate tips on what to look for to get started.
My suggestion: I enjoy trying different active adventures when traveling (biking, etc.) and I suggest adding some very cute tennis style skorts. I found a few that are knee length and modest with attached ‘biker like shorts.’ Some have pockets on the shorts big enough to hold a phone & zippered side pockets for security.
Thanks for all the great tips. I live in Europe for three months in the winter (Spain) and in the fall (Germany) and I really appreciate your comments. I use the packing cubes because of the organizational factor. When I’m in a transition hotel or if I get stuck, I have an outfit in a cube. My cubes are the ones that can be rolled up to squish. It adds a lot of room although the weight stays the same. Have you found that no one wears shorts in Europe? Is it just me? I never bring shorts, I rely on skirts and leggings.
Hi Sydney, thank you for your lovely comment, so happy you enjoy all the tips!! Thanks for sharing your travel packing experiences with me, packing cubes are the best! Safe travels! 🙂
Since the list is for hot weather, I think a swimsuit and pair of flip flops should be added. I just returned from a 25 day cruise and this is what I packed. I did take two swimsuits, though.
Thanks for the added items Joy!
So happy to find the over 40 option! I didn’t not realize it was here. Thank you!
Very smart looking capsule. I’m also a woman of a “certain age” and appreciate your advice. My greatest challenge packing for hot weather is that, although I love black, I can’t stand wearing it in the heat.
We’re going to Italy in 2 wks and I’ve been trying to decide what to bring for weeks. I’ve decided upon 3 white tops (1 tank, 1 knit Tee, 1 3/4 sleeve blouse). I’d cut out one of these but I’m a stain magnet and will probably have to launder after each use. A solid pink tank, a print cami and a print silk blouse round out my tops. Beige linen shorts and olive green cropped pants in a light viscose fabric as my neutral bottoms, along with a pair of vintage floral pattern capris for fun. These have a very current flared silhouette and I can’t resist bringing them to Rome. The print tops make for some bold pattern mixing with the capris but I’m totally into it. Also 1 maybe 2 lightweight dresses. Distressed boyfriend jeans, a striped Tee and a hoodie to wear on the plane.
Kind of unconventional but I’m happiest and most comfortable in boho styles, so that’s what I’m packing.
Great post – I totally agree with all of the suggestions. BTW, I’m over 50 (just for reference:) Last summer, I packed a small carry-on for a 3 week vacation in Europe – even with what I thought was minimal, I had more clothes than I needed. I wasn’t sure if we would be shopping, etc., so I wanted to be “prepared” – this summer I will pack even lighter. adding more color and style. I am not a seasoned traveler, so I really enjoy reading the tips – keep those posts coming:)
Happy you enjoyed the post Loxie 🙂 Thanks for your feedback!
Very nice set of clothes. Thank you
Thanks!
That’s one helluva lot of clothing to cart around!
I am a female 63 travelling to vietnam and Cambodia in feb for 12 days wondering what I should pack can you give me examples
Hi Marlene, thank you for reaching out! You may find our 10 step guide to Southeast Asia a good place to start planning your packing: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/10-step-packing-guide-for-southeast-asia/ I would highly suggest that you join our TFG facebook group and post any questions you have there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Hope this helps you with your packing. Have an incredible time on your adventure! ?