the travelling (pink) pants

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazzfest) isn't a fashion event like Coachella, it's all about the music.You would think putting a few pairs of shorts, some tanks, a plastic poncho, sunhat, sunscreen, and just in case a sweatshirt into a carry-on would be simple.

This is because you have never travelled with Disaster Girl - me. First off, and in fairness, I do have a revolting variety of skin conditions and allergies. And malicious sinuses, which delight in spoiling the fun. The mere assembly of the bandaids, spray antiseptic, Germolene, decongestants and blister paks, plus the skin treatments, the necessary prescription products in case of a flare-up, etc etc, could be a practicum for a pharmacology course.

Thank goodness I can eat anything, if I also had to pack for a delicate tummy I'd never be allowed on a plane.

And after a dim weekend in sunny Kennebunkport, where we had to drive 15 miles to find a hardware store to replace the 25-watt lightbulbs the motel owner had thoughtfully installed, I pack 2 little flashlights and some extra batteries in the little case with the phone charger and the extra phone charger. A third teeny flashlight travels in my pocket because all too often airplane maintenance doesn't include passenger overhead lights. Would you find it heart-warming to be told by the flight attendant that the light switch wasn't working because they couldn't find which wire was loose?

And who wants to meet people for the first time with pants hem trailing, or skirt hem dangling?

As for shampoo, conditioner and the like - I find that the little bottles in hotel bathrooms are generally unreliable at best. On the road, my hair is washed with very gentle toxin-free shampoo, conditioned likewise (thanks, Louise!), and air-dried. Then I flatiron the hell out of it. Sunscreen - of course.

Oh, right, about those lightbulbs - Himself thought we might replace the dim ones before checking out and bring the 2 new ones home with us. I voted that we leave them in the lamps, so that the stingy owner's year-end P&L would be off by11 cents and make him crazy. I won.

So having addressed first aid, medical care, emergency tailoring and blindness prevention, I move  to the subject of Staying Awake During Daylight Hours. After years of being told to get used to it, Himself acknowledges that the coffee I make in the room with freshly boiled water, Zabar's Special Blend, and Melitta filters is far faster and far better than anything we can get from Room Service. Not to mention far cheaper: pot of "coffee" for two: $10. Room service charge: $5. Delivery surcharge (I'm not kidding, people): $7. Tax: $3. Yeah, priceless. So he no longer complains about my bringing the necessary equipment. If I left it home, he'd have to listen to me complain, and trust me, it's just not worth it.

And now for clothing. There the packing list would be mercifully short. Except that every day at Jazzfest, and, I assume, other music festivals, is complete sensory overload. There are more than 70 food vendors, 11 music stages and tents X 6 events per day per stage = 462, plus crafts, demonstrations, exhibitions - 4 days! Bliss! a cochon de lait sandwich while listening to The Boss! We find that to survive, the day needs to close with a seated meal at a nice restaurant where people bring you things. To enjoy this, there needs to be a shower and a change into clean respectable clothes. Because of New Orleans' killer air conditioning, this means pants and sweater. I prefer not to eat and shiver at the same time.

the silk pants - they have pockets!
Hence the pink pants. I had decided that the latest addition to the Missoni sweater collection (more than 2 is a collection, right?) needed pink pants, preferably silk. Then I realized that that sweater would probably go to London and Paris with us in a few months, where it and I would benefit from lightweight pink cotton pants. Since manufacturers change sizes rapidly (and so does my bottom), I wound up with
  • deep pink silk pants from Go Silk - X one
    • on sale at Neiman's (yes!)
    • keeping.
  • pink cotton (yes!) pants from Gap, 3 sizes to try, X 2 = 6
  • the Gap pants -
    but not my butt
    • (the Gap order didn't go through the first time, so in desperation I did the order again. Then the website recovered and I got a confirmation. Then I got another confirmation. Then I realized that since the pink pants idea had been a last-minute inspiration, I was paying express shipping twice. Customer service was lovely about the shipping, but yes, I'm spending tomorrow at the Gap returning 5 pairs of pants. And one really peculiar bra).
  • faded red chinos from J.Crew - X one.
    •     more pink-ish than pink, but seemed like a good idea at the time.
    •     keeping.
While waiting out the suspense of last minute deliveries, I observed that pink pants are in the air. If we truly lived in a global village, I'd be able to stand on my roof (yup, roof rights) and see pink pants flying from clotheslines from Guelph, Ontario, to the San Francisco Bay, and in the other direction, decorating the Atlantic Coast from north to south. I think this is a positive development. I dread the inevitable day when some genius decides that distressed/destroyed pink jeans are what every girl needs.

I wore the pink silk pants with this top and the coordinating tank:
The pink in the sweater is darker than it reads on the monitor. Worked perfectly.

You do not want to see a picture of me in my baggy shorts and waist bag. Trust me on this.

29 comments:

  1. Love the pink pants! Do you use the Curelle stuff that Louise recommended? Where do you buy it?
    I also carry everything with me. My husbands mocks me, but when he gets an ache and I have a solution, he doesn't find it that funny ;)

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    1. Hi, Anthro Blogger! I haven't found that brand yet, so I rely on Louise's general principals and ingredient yes/no recommendations. Right now my hair seems happy with Aveeno Pure Renewal shampoo and conditioner. However, I do find it a good idea to switch brands occasionally and then go back - kind of a little vacation for the hair.

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    2. An excellent hairdresser and now friend shared a secret regarding shampoo and conditioner. She said that most major brands put all the good ingredients in the formula on initial offering and then as the buyers are solidified begin to remove the more expensive ingredients and the product produces lackluster results. Thus it is not that your hair needs a vacation, it is an elaborate ruse of bait and switch. She further opined that trusted brands such as Aveda keep their formulas consistent, hence consistent positive results. I have certainly found this to be true of the Aveda brand. I do not work for or own any interest in Aveda whatsoever. I also have found that I can dilute better products and get even better results.

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    3. Re dilution - yes, or break it down in your palm with water. Starts the sudsing.

      I didn't know that about shampoo ingredients, but it makes perfect sense.

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  2. Coffee on the go? One word-Aeropress a gift from the inventor of the Aerobie. Almost espresso.The device is small, lightweight and hollow. Hollow, hence you must stuff same with unmentionables. The only problem is that you need coffee first in order to obey the exacting directions.

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    1. Does it heat the water itself? Well,I will look into it!

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  3. Such a perfect description of hotel rooms. I swear they use 15 watt bulbs. In our last hotel, there was only one bedside table, with one lamp. Husband went berserk and we waited unit, 2am for them to cough up an extra table and lamp. May I add...this was not a dump.
    Pink pant are cropping up everywhere. I need a pair. And come on, be a sport, show us your baggy shorts and waist bag.
    BTW...I have not forgotten about my random 11, but by the time I organize myself you'll probably not give a damn:))

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    1. Oh, in a real hotel, I'd be furious too! This was a rackety old beachfront motel - we came to eat lobsters, and....

      In one overdone (by Philippe Stark, no less) hotel room, there was no light in the bathroom. None. Some twisty thing over the tub glowed dimly and evilly, but to run water or find the toilet, the door had to be open. Or for privacy you could close the door and use the flashlight.

      Looking forward to your 11!

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  4. Just when I thought I was doing a better job at packing by limiting myself to black or navy bottoms I now have to consider pink too? Once I start opening those doors or drawers I will never get the suitcase to zip. Luckily my husband is the one to prepare for possible emergencies. If left to me we would be woefully unprepared for any and all disasters. I guess I am either overly optimistic or else too dim to consider so many potential pitfalls. I prefer to think the former. Luckily he has my back!

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    1. Hi, Teacups, Himself has a phobia about overpacking. Watching him count off socks and underwear is painful.

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  5. $25 for lacklustre coffee? In a pot? Has the world gone mad?
    I must say I have very bad memories of coffee in the US, but that sounds like a joke. Very very wise to take your own!
    I tend to organise others within the family very well, but forget stuff for myself when travelling. An example of this is when we went for a long weekend to the beach and I managed to chuck a whole load of black items into a bag, thinking that I had a good balance of tops and bottoms. Imagine my horror when it turned out I had packed 9 black tops and NO BOTTOMS at all. Idiot!
    Of course, the moral of this story is to buy coloured separates, including pink pants!

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    1. $6 or 8 for the coffee, the rest is add-on charges. That's what truly irks.

      Love the bottomless story, I've done the same with shoes.

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    2. I once forgot to pack underwear when we went to Vegas...but hey, it's Vegas, all's good.

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    3. are we supposed to wear underwear in Vegas? Thats a little piece of information that reaches me too late

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  6. I adore New Orleans and have only been once but I remember bipolar weather. Freezing or melting. I also had a thing called z gel to my packing as it seems a panacea for many ills.

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    1. I haven't heard of z-gel before, but I'll look for it.

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  7. Love it. I have tried pink pants but thought my butt looked big. And yes, I have ordered multiples many times and am always surprised. Once, I ordered these awful jeans. Two months later, having forgot, I ordered them again. Love New Orleans and would love to see the fanny pack.

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    1. Actually it's a front-loading belt bag, but I'll try to talk it into overcoming its natural shyness.

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  8. Hello WFF,

    We are truly in awe. Here are we ready to up and go in an instant because we do not consider any of the issues which may befall us on our travels. And, of course, when disaster strikes, we are woefully ill prepared. Please, please, darling WFF, tell us when and where you are travelling next so that we may tag along and avail ourselves of your mobile hospital en route.

    New Orleans would, we are sure, totally fascinate us.

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Jane and Lance, sadly I've had too many trips ruined by strange rashes and unresponsive migraines to be comfortable without the necessary pills, potions and unguents. So I just pack 'em up in silence and envy those who can just jump on a plane.

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  9. I love the pink chinos! Am living in my gap chinos this spring - so comfy! hmm I need pink chinos...

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    1. Wait, you have Spring? When did this happen?

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  10. the pink pants are lovely. I shall have to keep up my 'end' and find a pair for the summer and represent the East Coast.
    I think it is an eternal truth that menfolk will scoff at preparations but depend upon the conveniences provided. We had a family wedding deep in the woods of the Poconos a few years ago and as my sister-in-law and I discussed preparations for the trip, MrBebe and my brother obligingly pointed out our folly at over thinking the situation. Between us we had 4 young children, two cars, and one dog to go on a nine hour car trip to a cabin in the woods where we would be attending an outdoor wedding near a large body of easily accessable deep water and no grocery stores. So silly of us to try to plan accordingly.
    Im just lucky we made it back with all the kids. Even the dog made it back unscathed.

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    1. YES YES YES! as in, you wouldn't have a bandaid, would you? Yuck, did you bring wipes? Can you sew on a button? I can't see to read! I dropped the toothpaste down the toilet, did you bring an extra? (Well, no.)

      We are all the descendants of immigrants, but I always wonder how his side packed.

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  11. That last comment was priceless!

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  12. Need to see the butt in pink traveling pants, and yes two or more - or just two - counts as a collection or even portfolio. I am so glad I am not the only person who does not reply on hotel shampoo. I am very obsessive about my hair products and skin cream and do not feel right if they are not the ones I usually use. Also my hair reverts to its eighties King Tut self

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    1. Hi, Jody! with truly 180-degree wrong products, my hair scares honest folk. True. Hence the packed products, the extra packed products, the scarf, the hat, the extra hat....

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  13. I used to pack my car as if I might be stranded in a disaster (fire blanket, flashlight, freeze dried meal, water supply, etc.) or engage in spontaneous activities (picnic blanket, hiking shoes, bowling ball, etc.) or have an unexpected business meeting after a coffee wreck (extra suit, business shoes, etc.). Between your packed suitcases and my car, we could survive for a long time.

    I once inadvertently clicked a quantity of six on a collection cashmere sweater and didn't realize my mistake until the order arrived. I may have bounced a few checks that month. High five to the pink pants club member.

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    1. Hah! hi, tr, your car sounds like what I used to drive to work in after dropping off the kids, except for the hockey sticks, cleats, ballet slippers, tights, juice boxes, pb&j emergency supplies, books... looking back I wonder I didn't also need bug spray!

      yay the pink pants!

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