| Summer Travel Essentials |
 |
 |
 |
|
Amy Gordon’s Summer 2010 Buying Guide With summer just a few weeks away and vacation on your calendar, it’s time to think about what to pack. This buying guide is chock full of great solutions for your get away. From clothes and shoes, to beauty and gadgets, to luggage and more, it’s the ultimate buying guide for your next journey. Part 1: Clothing, Footwear, & Accessories As a stylist, fashion is always first. I have put together a list of pieces that are both functional and fashionable, as well as easy to pack, wash, and hang dry. Perhaps the most innovative solution to packing I have ever seen is Vanessa Vogel’s “Vogel 10”. Featured on vogel10.com, the “10” are ten versatile pieces of offbeat, yet basic, clothing and accessories that you can mix and match to create a myriad of outfits. All of the items fit into a small tote and are extremely lightweight. The Vogel 10 website shows you how to coordinate different looks with the various pieces. Each month Vogel10.com features a new “10.” Buy all ten pieces or mix and match them with some of the basics you already own. This is the perfect way to pack for European travel when you need to keep weight and bulk to a minimum. Vanessa believes that all you need for travel are three tees, two sweaters, a dress, a pant, a necklace, and a bag. All of the Vogel 10 garments are made from luxurious and washable fibers, including cotton and silk. Not only are the pieces fabulous, Vogel 10 gives you style in a bag!
Comfy USA makes comfortable, soft, and slightly funky fashions that are great for travel. Everything is wrinkle-free and many are multi-functional pieces. Their Harem Pant/Skirt is the ultimate in multi-functional. Wear it with your favorite top or pull it up and try it as a romper. It looks great on the body. Available in many colors, I love the turquoise for summer. Available for purchase beginning mid-June at Artfulwears.com.
Spy Zone Collection offers printed tunics and dresses that are lightweight, easy to pack, and won’t wrinkle; which are all keys to the ultimate travel apparel. I adore the Racer Back Tie Dye Print Dress. It’s colorful, made of a quick dry fabric, and is good for day or evening. This dress, as well as other items from Spy Zone Collection, are perfect for tropical or island travel. For more adventure-oriented vacation, check out Nau. Nau is an urban and outdoor apparel company focusing their designs on beauty, performance, and sustainability.Their Lightbeam Jacket is perfect if you need a little extra warmth or protection from the wind or rain, yet still want to be stylish. It’s breathable, quick to dry, and made of 100% recycled polyester. The Lightbeam even has a stashable hood.
The Out Skirt, a blend of organic linen and organic cotton, offers softness and ease of movement, perfect for travel. The asymmetrical seam and safari-inspired cargo pockets keep it unique.
Melding stylish comfort, eco-friendly and durability, Ocean Minded sandals are perfect a whether you are lounging by the pool or heading out on vacation. Thanks to the slim construction and light, these sandals are great for travel. They are supportive for much longer periods of time than your average flip flop and there are some very fashionable choices available.
Check out the bronze colored Dylana. It’s a basic style but the metallic color give it a little pop. Or if you want something a bit strappier, try the Kapu. These are perfect with your favorite bathing suit or sundress. Check out all their latest styles at OceanMinded.com.
The Sunday Belt Bag by Sienna Ray is the perfect blend of fashion, luxury, and function. While not quite big enough to fit all of your daily essentials, it can accommodate your cell phone, credit cards, cash, and lipstick. Gray is the hot neutral for Summer 2010. Sienna Ray uses the finest leathers in its products, and the Sunday bag is no exception. Made of lambskin, it’s soft and lush. The Sunday Bag is available at SiennaRay.com.
You can’t travel without a stylish and versatile pair of shades, but you also need versatility. Meet Zeal Optics Airestream in geo blue. Zeal has created a fashionable eyewear line that works equally well for outdoor adventure. Their ZB-13 polarized lenses are perfect for all lighting conditions. The collection is designed to fit all face sizes and shapes. Icing on the cake, Zeal makes most of their glasses from recycled materials. Zeal glasses are extremely durable and come with a hard and soft case, perfect for travel. Purchase them at ZealOptics.com.
Part 2: Packing Etc. Great innovations in travel bags and accessories have simplified the way we pack, and have taken some of the stress out of travel. While, traveling it’s always nice to have a few comforts from home too. Check out the list of the best packing tools and comfort items around. The next generation of backpacks has arrived from Ivar. While wheeling bags are great for certain types of travel, sometimes a backpack is essential. Ivar not only gives you an ergonomic and lightweight pack, but they have a patented shelf design that makes accessing your necessities simple. The Revel, their largest pack, has tons of great features including a padded laptop compartment. Check out all the sizes at IvarPack.com.
Another revolutionary design, the Zuca Pro, is the perfect bag for short trips. The Zuca pro has small zipper bags inside which stack like drawers for easy access to anything in your bag. The extra large rollerblade-type wheels make transporting this bag a dream, even up and down stairs. It fits in most overhead compartments but is particularly great for train travel, as the aluminum frame also provides a seat for weary travelers. To buy or learn more, visit Zuca.com.
Packing your small odds and ends like cables, camera, pens, compact flash cards, mp3 players, batteries, headphones, etc can often be tricky and messy. Not anymore! The Cocoon Innovations GRID-IT keeps all of these effects organized and easy to find. Their unique grid system created with elastic bands, allows you to secure all the little things and pack them flat in your suitcase. Or if you prefer, you can even keep your items in it at home and then throw the whole thing in your bag when you travel. It is available in a variety of sizes to suit your personal needs. Check out cocooninnovations.com to buy and get additional ideas of how to use the GRID-IT.
Transport your liquids in style with the Pitotubes leak-free, airless and refillable bottles. You no longer have to worry about having shampoo on your shirt and nothing to wash your hair with. Even better, they dispense 75% more of your product than squeeze bottles. The Pitotubes come with a scraper to maximize your product use. Made from recycled plastics, these tubes are shatterproof. Best of all they are TSA compliant with each bottle holding three ounces. They even have volume engraved on them, front and back, for easy security reference and they come in a clear quart bags. Available at Pitotubes.com
Solutions, solutions, solutions - we all love solutions. Wordlock luggage locks are TSA-accepted and Travel Sentry approved, allowing airport security to unlock with a special key to inspect you bag without the use of bolt cutters. They are also approved by HRMC for use in Europe. Available at Kmart, Target, and WordLock.com. The Paul Mitchell Express Ion Style 1.0 is a sleek hair straightener with a lot of heat that can easily fit into any suitcase or carry-on. Use it to fix up a day old blow dry or as a faster way to straighten clean hair. The innovative design multitasks to create all types of styles, including volume, curls, waves, flips and smoothing. PortaPocket is a streamlined and lightweight strap-on carrying case system, which safely transports small valuables such as passport, phone, cash, or credit cards on the body to avoid theft. It is detachable, interchangeable, and multi-functional. Wear PortaPocket on your thigh, calf, ankle, arm or waist, and under/over the clothing. To buy visit PortaPocket.com. Comfort Ideas Neck Pillow is versatile and easy to pack. You can stretch it out or double it over to lay your head flat on it or wrap it around your neck and Velcro it. Roll it up into a small ball and throw it in your carry. Available at ComfortIdeas.com. While it’s not always practical to take your pillows with you on a trip, it is very easy to take your pillowcases. The Downlite pillowcases are made of a tencel-lyocell blend that feels incredible. The fabric is unique because it feels cool to the touch, is micro smooth (good for your skin) and reduces moisture, which can lead to discomfort at night. A great night’s sleep makes for a happy vacation. Downlite are the softest, most sensuous pillowcases I have ever experienced. Get some at Downlite.com. Part 3: Techie Gear Where you are going and the type of trip you are taking will determine your gear needs. Today there are so many great and very portable products for sound, photography, phones, and more. Here are my favorites, along with some guidelines on the perfect way to utilize them. With cell phones, iPods, cameras, and more all requiring power, Solar Techonology International has introduced the Free Loader Solar Pico Charger. I believe this is a must have for everybody. It’s perfect for overseas and business travel or simply a long day in the city. If you have access to the sun, you can charge your device on the move. No power outlet required. It’s lightweight and very transportable, smaller than an iPod classic. It comes with a multitude of tips to plug into most devices. For more information visit solartechnology.co.uk.
You want to take your party on the road and iHome has the perfect product to help you do that. Their iHM78 Portable Speakers are a fantastic way to listen to your music while you are lying on the beach, in your hotel, or anywhere your travels may take you. These ultra-small speakers fit into the palm of your hand and uncoil to create a larger bass chamber. They provide you with powerful sound and great portability. The speakers come with a drawstring pouch and are featherweight, making them easy to put in your purse or beach bag. Simply charge them in an outlet and go.
The Discovery 975 was designed by Plantronics to be a simple and sexy Bluetooth headset. Whether hitting the road or the chaotic airports, it allows you to stay connected on the go. In addition, 975 packs much more than just good looks with its convenient lipstick-sized charging case that triples talk-time to giving Discovery over fifteen hours. Once you deplete the headset, you can recharge it without power right in the case! The performance and sound are fantastic, too.
xShot has several fantastic iPhone/iPod accessories that I don’t know how I ever lived without. Their iPhone Case, which comes with a mini tripod, connects to their xShot telescopic extender to allow you to set your timer on your iPhone or camera (it screws into the tripod insert) to take a picture of yourself or your entire group. The Pocket xShot is only 6.5” long and extends to 30”. At just 5 oz, it’s lightweight and easy to pack. Check out these must haves at XShotPix.com.
If you want to watch a movie or video on your iPhone/iPod (touch or nano), the iDox Traveler case is perfect. Whether waiting in the terminal, on the plane, in the car, at a hotel or on the beach, the idox Traveler keeps your hands free while your device sits at a comfortable viewing angle. While in the idox, you can easily display photos, watch videos and podcasts, or even use your device as an alarm clock! All buttons and ports on your device remain accessible. Available at IDox360.com.
Earphones are a must-have for any type of travel and I have found an extraordinary, small, comfortable and powerful pair that are amazing. The Ultimate Ears 700 earphones are great for vacationers looking to drown out a carload of kids or a snoring neighbor on a plane. The earphones feature two custom-tuned speakers in each ear. As with cars, more engine means more power and two high-fidelity speakers in each ear provide listeners with a cleaner, more precise and powerful audio reproduction. Plus, these new earphones offer a better seal, with tapered ear cushions that go more naturally into users' ears. Each ear piece is smaller than a dime! ?The Ultimate Ears 700 earphones merge fashion, size, and performance to produce an incredible earphone unlike anything else I’ve seen. They can be purchased at UltimateEars.com.
If you are traveling overseas or to the mountains, there is a good possibility your cell phone won’t work or that charges on your cell phone will be exorbitant. The Motorola Talkabout MJ270 two-way radios are a great alternative. They are small easily fit into a purse, and are packed with awesome features including: up to 27 mile range, 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, hands-free option, 27 hour battery life, four ways to charge (including mini-USB and the dual charger included), 11 weather channels with an alert feature, and an LED flashlight. Purchase these at Home Depot or Best Buy.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email this
Comments (3)
  written by Iakovos, August 04, 2010
In case I fail to find some film or music, I use torrent search engines, because in torrents format one can find rather rare film
 written by Kimberly G83, May 29, 2010
If you are travelling international, whether you are a student or going to see the World Cup, having dependable coverage is a must. Many cell companies international rates are just crazy so an option for low cost, dependable coverage is a prepaid company - like Net10. No contract so you can purchase a phone for as low as $29, a minutes plan, and you are all set to enroll in their international coverage. Over 60 major countries throughout Europe and South America for only .15 a minute! I travelled last summer and my Net10 phone was a life-saver when I needed to reach my parents. If you're packing a camera or an IPod, a Net10 phone and minutes should be in thr group.
Write comment
|
An invaluable resource for finding, evaluating and acquiring the perfect look, Amy Gordon is a trusted Style Expert that can take the stress out of shopping! She has been featured in a number of print, television, online and radio outlets, offering consumers unique and inspiring fashion advice, and the tools they need to find their own artful style. She is also the founder of 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
