Rev. 5/1/09

Top 10 “Must Haves” for Women & Men Summer Travel

By Mary Mann-Venema, Clothing Buyer

 

Packing for pleasure or business travel can be a daunting challenge. If you are a working parent, most likely you wait until the night before,

when the kids are finally asleep to get the task done. I know I do! Then there are the new bag limits and weight restrictions to contend with.

One of the best kept secrets about Laacke & Joys is that we carry apparel year–round to outfit both women & men for not only adventures,

but for going to work in business casual dress environments as well. If you don’t have time to drop by one of our 3 store locations,

visit our on-line store for one-stop shopping.

Below are items my husband and I “must have” when we travel. We share our Eagle Creek wheeled duffel on most trips, and absolutely love it.

There is room for both of our "top 10 must have” items.

 

 

Women’s “Must Have” Top Ten:

  1. The North Face Grace Rain Jacket. I like the slightly longer length and trench coat feel to this outerwear piece. A shorter alternative would be The North Face Venture Jacket.
  2. The North Face Pumori zip front fleece jacket. This is the perfect 200 weight fleece for chilly summer nights.
  3. Patagonia Bandha Dress in black, layered with the Patagonia Morning Glory jacket in black. The synthetic jersey knit has excellent shape retention and wicks moisture. This dress can be accessorized for a fancy dinner out, to the office, or to shuttle your kids around town.
  4. Lole swim suit and for a cover-up, try the Gramado zip front hooded Terry Jacket and coordinating Betim skirt (if 1 items is preferred the Maca terry halter dress is perfect).
  5. Columbia l/s Sun Goddess woven shirt with UPF 40, the long-sleeved Omni-Dry Mountain Tech knit tee with UPF 15 and the Sun Goddess nylon knee pant with UPF 30 are all great items for travel involving sun exposure.
  6. Mountain Hardwear’s High Step Capri, Dihedral tank  (if more support is needed the Marymere sport  tank works great), and the l/s Butter Topper hoody make for comfortable plane attire, work-out wear, or around town activities.

  7. Any of the Mambo fabric tops from Horny Toad offer great comfort in styles and fabric that can be dressed up or down. The styles of tops we carry in this Mambo fabric are the Chantie and Zoey s/s and the Luz sleeveless.

  8.  The Horny Toad Ladera shorts hit at or just below the knee and are a great casual bottom that can also be dressed up or down.

  9. If you are looking for a casual long short, but not as long as a knee pant, you can try the Aventura Addison short. The stretch in this short makes it look great on all body shapes.

  10. Lastly, all sportswear tops from Aventura, Horny Toad and Lole are fresh and trend-right. They cbe added to any basic bottom to create an original look for you.

* We also carry footwear at our 3 locations and on-line that can accessorize any of the top 10 must have women’s items.

Men’s “Must Have” Top Ten:

  1. Patagonia Rain Shadow Jacket. This jacket is tear-resistant, lightweight and packable.
  2. The North Face Khumbu full zip jacket. Double-faced polyester fleece with moisture-wicking performance.
  3. Columbia Cascade Creek water short, The North Face Class V Cargo 9” water trunk, or Patagonia’s Baggies shorts.
  4. Columbia Sun Ridge s/s polo that has a great dressy hand and is UPF 50. If a more casual look is desired, the Patagonia organic cotton s/s polo looks sharp, is comfortable and lasts wash after wash.
  5. Mountain Khaki Original Mountain pant. Classic style and durability. With a  YKK zipper, riveted metal buttons, triple stitching, and bar tacks in stress areas, this pant is virtually indestructible.
  6. Columbia Omni-Dry Silver Ridge long-sleeved woven shirt with UPF 40.
  7. Columbia Omni-Dry Silver Ridge convertible pant.
  8. The North Face Ruckus Tech tee.
  9. Mountain Hardwear Runout short is made of durable cotton canvas and has two rear pockets and a side pocket that zip shut so you don't have to worry about losing your wallet or phone. A short intended for climbing but stylish enough for around town.
  10. Woven and knit tops from all of our vendors offer comfort and style to the basic dependable bottoms listed above. I especially like the trend-right tops from Horny Toad for my husband.

* We also carry footwear at our 3 locations and on-line that can accessorize any of the top 10 must have men’s items.