Planning the Perfect Summer Travel Wardrobe

 

Our favorite emails we receive here at Jia Collection are those from our customers sharing photos of their outfits featuring our pieces off in amazing destinations. Recently one of our customers, Jennifer Zimmons, took several of our pieces on her summer trip to Europe. Jen is also the president of her own international business and she travels often for business. Jen loved her Jia Collection pieces so much that immediately after her return, she wrote us and shared with us many of her photos showing us how she wore her Jia Collection pieces and why she enjoyed them so much for her trip! We are thrilled by Jen's kindness and love, and we cannot help but share her words and photos with our customers and fans. 

Jen said: 

"These pieces are perfect for travel! 

The poncho can be used with anything underneath - from a tank top to a turtleneck.  I loved how I could change the color of the scarf instantly just by folding it differently. In an instant I made it grey to serve as an "in between color" for my white shirt and black blazer. On the Orient Express it was perfect. On board the temperature is moderate so you do need something to keep you warm but  a jacket can be constricting.  In London, when it was cold I wanted to look cute but not overly bundled up. The scarf pulled my outfit together and made sense to wear with my beret.

The zipper dress got the most use.  When it was a pink dress it was perfect for lunch in an outdoor garden in London.  When it was a tan overcoat it kept me warm as I strolled around Salzburg and Vienna.  To show its versatility, I was able wear it to a 3-star Michelin restaurant and then go strolling through Salzburg for recreation.  I was even able to sit park benches and go to playgrounds with my friend’s baby without worrying about getting dust on it. I didn’t need a handbag for sightseeing since the pockets (inside and outside) were big enough to hold my credit card and blackberry. 

When you travel extensively you need to keep in mind the following:

• Different regions and temperatures
• Different cultures and local trends
• Packing so you have room to spare in your bag for gifts and souvenirs
• Wearing items that won’t constrict you
• Wearing pieces that won’t get dirty/show dirt
• Packing pieces that can convert into new outfits so that you don’t look like you are wearing the same thing everywhere you go (especially if you like to take pictures like me!)

I brought along my mini steamer and just used it only a few times. In a two week span I stayed in 6 different places – a lot of packing and unpacking and the pieces held up fabulously."

 

Of course, Jen's favorite is the ultimate travel companion, our MAX multi-way scarf poncho. Jen wore it on Oriental Express, in London and Austria! 

 

 

Top left: On board the Orient Express wear MAX as a scarf. This is the "game room" where guests can socialize, play board games, or just relax. The route started in Venice, went through Austria, the Alps, the French countryside.  Last stop was Victoria Station in London.

Top right: Changing trains and getting ready for her second Orient Express experience.  After going through the Chunnel, Jen started off again in Folkstone West - had an afternoon of high tea - and arrived in Victoria Station.

Bottom left: It's 9.30pm in London and still light. Despite the sun the temperature was cold and it was windy. Jen was still wearing MAX as scarf but also with a jacket on. 

Bottom right: Jen was wearing MAX as a poncho in a vineyard in the Austrian wine country.

 

We love that you would never know that she was wearing the same piece in all these photos! Plus, the Max takes up almost no space in your suitcase, while being very handy for fighting off any chilly nights (or trains).

Have you checked out all the other ways you can wear MAX?

 

Jen also shows just how useful our DANIELLE 4 way dress/cardigan is on a summer trip. She wore it as a pink dress, overlay cardigan both in pink and beige in London and Salzburg, Austria.

 

 

 

Top left: Jen wore Danielle on the pink side as a cardigan and was strolling by the Danube river and taking in beauty of Salzburg. 

Top right: Wearing Danielle as a pink dress inside Ritz Hotel in London. 

Bottom left: Wearing Danielle as a pink dress in front of Ritz Hotel in London. 

Bottom right: Wearing Danielle as a cardigan on the beige side at Hangar-7, a top rated Michelin restaurant that is located inside the Redbull airplane hangar in Austria.

We're a little jealous of all the places our pieces got to go with Jen!

 

Jen showed us just how much she loves our designs by also packing our FRANKA reversible dress and wore it to Lake Como, Italy. Take a look at just how simply stunning she looks in it:

Jen wore the white side at the terrace of Casta Diva. And then she wore the darker side at the Parlor room at Casta Diva, a great room to see the lake and stay out of the Italian heat.

Lighter color side for the Terrace of Casta Diva, Lake Como

  

Darker color side for the Parlor Room of Casta Diva, Lake Como

 

The breathtaking view also doesn’t hurt one bit! Excuse us while we go buy a plane ticket to meet her there…

Summer is that elusive season that we dream about all year long. With it, comes sunshine, vacations, lazy days on the beach, beautiful nights, and a seemingly endless number of memories. Personally, our favorite part of summer is the travel. Once the weather warms up, our wanderlust goes into overdrive and we can’t wait to step onto an airplane and into a new place.

One downside to these summer adventures is packing the perfect wardrobe. When you travel, you want to be ready for anything that comes your way, but you also want to travel light. Between the inconvenience of dragging around multiple suitcases, along with the expense of checking bags, it makes sense to only bring along the necessities. However, packing just the necessities doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your style!

Echoing with what Jen said, we sum it up here for you the the 3 simple rules to make your perfect summer travel wardrobe while planning for your next summer vacation:

1. Choose pieces that are versatile enough that you can dress them up or down depending on your needs. Versatile pieces are also great because you can make a variety of outfits featuring the same piece.
2. Find clothing that has the right fabric. For summer travel, you want fabrics that are light enough to withstand the heat, but that will help you if you need to layer against unexpected weather. You also want to make sure that it won’t wrinkle after the journey in your suitcase, or when you wear it more than once during your trip.
3. Bring along pieces that are multifunctional. By finding clothing that is meant to be worn in more than one way, it allows for you to wear it several times throughout your trip. The best part is that no one will notice! Take our Clara dress: You can wear it as a dress or a cardigan, either on the blue or the gold side. Essentially, packing this flattering piece means you immediately have 4 outfits. 

Remember, once you find the perfect pieces to get you through sunny days, chilly nights, and anything in between, your summer travel style will all come together effortlessly. It’s all about finding pieces that travel well, can be worn more than once, and have the right fabric regardless of where you’re headed on your next adventure.

Happy wandering!