How Many Times Can I Pack My Suitcase?

What to bring besides The Outfit has been plaguing me this week. I have checked the weather several times and it looks like there will be cooler temperatures and more rain than I would like.

I had planned to bring a lighter weight fleece coat. It will be spring after all. Why do I still need the heavy winter coat rated for -40 below? That's just plain wrong.

Well, it is looking likely that I might need it after all, with temps predicted at freezing. I am planning to go to some outdoor places with wide open spaces. If the wind blows, I will be cold!

So, that means I have to figure out how to get the dress coat into the suitcase.

I had planned to use a newer duffle bag on wheels that I bought for my last trip to Alberta. I love it. It has pockets on the sides and isn't bigger than I am. Unfortunately, I can't get much stuff into it. And everybody keeps telling me to remember to leave room for all the souvenirs I will want to bring back home!

That leaves me one other choice, our biggest suitcase with the semi-broken zipper. I can get it open and closed, but sometimes it is not easy!

I repacked everything into it. Yes, I  can squeeze everything into it.

Not too much room for presents back home, but I will be reevaluating every sweater and shirt inside. I think I will even be able to get The Outfit in it for my trip back. I weighed it all. I'm up to 35 lbs. Still good, although getting on the heavy side for me.

Speaking of The Outfit, I had a lot of anxiety about keeping that one in the main suitcase. I had planned to put it in here, but then I thought, What if my luggage gets lost? I can always get other clothes, but I can't get another Outfit. 

I had planned to only take my laptop bag as a carry on. Now I decided that I had better find something that would fit both it and The Outfit. This is what I found:

This is a very small bag that can fit under a seat. I really like that it has a big front pocket that is the right size for my laptop and electronic stuff. The bigger main section is where I can fit The Outfit and any presents that I want to take over with me. It has a long telescopic handle and wheels that revolve easily.

I won't need to worry about moving both of them until I get to Heathrow, and then I will be taking them to the bus. 

I have two more days to repack everything again. I'm sure I will be doing that!

What Does One Wear? Part Two

It was a relief to have chosen a dress. Now for the fun part of shoes and hat.

For the hat, I thought about the hats I owned. I had two very suitable cloche hats, also purchased for Downton Abbey Day at the library. They would work well enough, but  how would I get them to England without squashing them?

My husband told me that I should just wear my hat on the airplane, if I couldn't put it in my suitcase. Wouldn't I look beautiful wearing a dress hat on the airplane? And how would I sleep with it on my head? I don't think men really understand these things.

I thought about sending one of my hats over ahead of me in a box. That might work, provided it could get there in time. But what's the fun in this whole choosing an outfit experience if I only raided my closet for the bits?

A solution presented itself to me: buy a hat from a store in the UK and have it sent ahead to await my arrival.

The UK is full of wonderful hat stores. Some of the hats are big and flamboyant, and then there are the very tiny fascinator style that need to be pinned to your hair. I think I would not like those much.

Because of my dress style being more 1920's, I decided to find a cloche hat. I finally settled on two possibilities. One with a tiny little brim and one with a velvet ribbon and an asymmetrical brim.

Both hats have arrived at their destination and are awaiting my approval. I can't wait to try them on with my dress!

How will they look with glasses?

And now for shoes. I had a lovely pair of Clarks that I planned to wear, but they suffered a fatal tragedy. I learned that the material forming their sole had disintegrated and was not repairable. What should I do? I found this pair by Ecco on ebay. They are the right style and comfortable enough, although I wouldn't want walk long distances in them.

I also found a long black raincoat from L. L. Bean on ebay. Here is a picture. It has a removable hood and lining. It is very warm with the lining and will be a nice "blanket" on the airplane, too!

I wondered about being cold in the Cathedral. With my drop waist dress, selecting a sweater might be difficult. I finally decided on a black pashmina shawl. It will also fold up very small and be easy to stick in my coat pocket.

Next to figure out, jewellery.