Treated like a princess….

Going on a trip of a lifetime for such a distinguished occasion as a 30th wedding anniversary merits a few new clothes, right?  Since we’ll be taking backpacks instead of traditional luggage space will be a premium, so for the last few months I set out to find a new wardrobe that fit some very specific criteria.

1. The clothes needed to be versatile.  I wanted pieces that could be mixed & matched to achieve multiple different looks with fewer pieces.
2. They needed to travel well and be comfortable.  For travel day I want something that is super comfortable…but doesn’t look sloppy.  We’ll be making connecting flights, standing in lines and sitting for long periods; I often like to sit in a variety of positions (cross-legged, knees to chest, feet tucked to one side) so I want a pant that allows for freedom of movement but will retain their shape. Don’t want baggy knees or bottoms after an 8 hour flight!
3. They need to pack well.  We’re taking backpacks instead of traditional luggage and space will be at a premium.  I need clothes that are compressible but are resistant to wrinkles.  They should be able to be hand washed and air dry fairly quickly.
4. They need to function for different occasions: sight-seeing vs hiking vs a special anniversary dinner.
5. They should look cute & stylish!  You shouldn’t have to look like you just finished hiking a mountain all the time.

Is all of this too much to ask?  Can I have my cake & eat it too??

Where does one do research on the best travel clothes…..the internet of course.  There was one particular company that I seemed to keep revisiting, J. Jill.  They have a line of clothes called WEAREVER that is designed for life on the go, whether that be travel, work or weekend.  I really liked their style; fashionable but not too young and their designs are flattering; giving enough coverage to make you feel comfortable in your skin but still being feminine.  I’m always a bit anxious to buy from an unknown online store without having the opportunity to try the clothes on….what looks good on the model may not really look good on me.  So I was so excited to find that there was a brick & mortar J. Jill store in a mall 20 miles away!

The Somerset Collection is a mall in a very upscale area that I don’t frequent very often.  My experience at the J. Jill store and this mall was so enjoyable that I will definitely be back again.  On my way to the J. Jill store I passed the likes of Gucci, Armani & Tiffany’s (Where I couldn’t resist a little window shopping!) Arriving at my destination I was promptly greeted by a saleswoman named Bonnie….she was fabulous!

After a few minutes discussing why I was there, my trip and looking through the displays Bonnie set me up in a dressing room across from the 3 way mirror gave me a few outfits to begin to try on.  She came back often, gave her input, listened to my critiques and continued to bring me new options, different sizes and tips to change up the looks using pieces we’ve already had in different ways.  I felt like a princess with my own personal stylist!  It was so fun!

I came with a specific budget in mind and a resolve that I could not go above it.  I put all my desired pieces on the counter to see what the total would come to…prepared to keep the “must have” items and to put back the “really like” items.  What I didn’t know before I began my shopping experience was that every thing in the store was 30% off…even the sale items!  To my delight I came in $200 below budget and was able to get all the items I loved!

I’m so excited to begin wearing these new clothes and to see if they stand up to their descriptions.  I will be sure to blog about my experience wearing the J. Jill WEAREVER collection in a future post!

You can check out the J. Jill website here…J. Jill