If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that my three-day weekend getaway unexpectedly turned into a six-day stay in Raleigh thanks to Hurricane Dorian.
Due to the unfortunate combination of non-existent federal regulations requiring airlines to support passengers in the event of a cancelation and my decision to fly a budget airline, I ended up with a backpack-sized wardrobe and no assistance with accommodations or additional expenses.
Thankfully, Michael and I made it through the week without needing to wash our clothes or purchase “emergency” garments, primarily because we both tend to pack underwear exactly like this tweet, but also because the clothes we packed were sufficient for multiple wears.
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I mean, I’m no stranger to wardrobe challenges and traveling light, and I also like to wear my clothes more than once before washing them.
But this definitely was a new experience for me because I’d only packed one dress for the trip, expecting to only wear it on Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday. To keep my outfits from feeling dull or repetitive I brought along two tops and two pairs of shoes, but the fact of the matter is, given that I didn’t bring any pants, I knew I’d wear my dress each day.
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Although I didn’t know how things would work out in advance, I found myself feeling so, so grateful that the one dress I brought was made out of merino wool. Shortly before our trip, wool& reached out to see if I’d like to take one of their dresses for a spin. Considering Merino is one of my favorite fabrics for travel, it was an impossible offer to turn down! A few days later, the Avery dress arrived at my door.
Seriously, this dress traveled from one corner of the country to the other in three days, without a shipping charge. Isn’t that somewhat of a miracle in this day and age? And international shipping starts at a very reasonable USD 10, also a miracle.
Pulling it out of the package, I almost couldn’t believe the fabric was made of wool; even some of the nicer merino garments I own have a bit of scratch factor, but I couldn’t even detect a hint of itchiness. Right away I tried the dress on in all its possibilities: with the V-neck in the front, with the scoop-neck in the front, belted, and unbelted.
Because I’m pear/hourglass-shaped (AKA, powerglass-shaped *high fives*), I immediately was drawn to using the belt. Those with slimmer hips may feel more comfortable with the way it skims the body without the belt, but for me, I appreciate a little definition at my waist.
Thrilled at the prospect of something new and shiny to wear, I tossed it in my Everywhere Bag, along with a few favorite accessories:
PACKING LIST FOR RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
WOOL& DRESS REVIEW
Update: The Avery Dress is no longer available, however, the Summer Midi Dress is a great alternative
I really loved how this dress doesn’t resort to awkward belt loops on the side; instead, it features a sort of “tunnel” for threading the belt through. I was a bit apprehensive about how the dress would fit my bust, as this has proven to be my “problem area” in other reversible garments I’ve tried, but the dress has enough stretch that it sits smoothly and lays flat.
Sure, out of the package things seemed great. But how did it hold up over six days of continuous wear in hot weather, without washing? And how did I manage to keep from getting bored without something else to wear?
I have to admit, just a few hours into our trip I grew nervous that I’d made a mistake, just bringing along one main garment. We walked around the farmer’s market in downtown Durham for a while and then decided to walk over to a few shops. It was only a mile or so, so what was the worst that could happen?
The cool morning warmed up quickly, and about halfway through our walk sweat was visible on my back. Normally I would shake this off, and just change later, but I didn’t have that luxury. Instead, we lingered longer in a shop or two than we might have otherwise, and Michael ended up walking back to the car alone and drove back to pick me up. Obviously, I didn’t want to spend the daylight hours inside just because of my outfit, and I have to admit I was a bit nervous about making it through the next two days.
It turns out I shouldn’t have worried – even as our flights were canceled twice. Once back at our Airbnb, I took the dress off for a bit while I cooled down in the A/C. Within minutes the marks were gone, and I hesitatingly gave the dress the good old sniff test.
Nothing.
Michael wrinkled his nose when I asked him to do the same, but he graciously obliged.
Again, nothing.
(A quick side note – it’s not the sweat itself that typically smells, it’s the bacteria on your skin. I notice that I smell, well, the worst after working out or in stressful situations like flying, or being late to the airport as we were that morning).
So I threw it back on and out we went again.
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Over the next few days, I had a bit of fun dressing it up and down. I styled it like a jumper on two days; wearing my white tee underneath gave it a youthful vibe, especially when paired with sneakers. By combining my mules with the V in the front, I was able to feel appropriately dressed when going out at night.
I had a lightbulb moment while packing to bring along a linen tank I’d ordered before our trip to Cartagena, which exactly matched the depth of the neckline and the width of the shoulders. This was the only time I wore the dress unbelted; instead, I knotted the tank with the help of a hair tie to add a little definition at the waist. I also enjoyed mimicking the V in the back with my bandana, which added a little more visual interest and color.
This trip was a great opportunity to play with the accessories, like this GLDN necklace and Hey Moon Designs earrings, as well as the belt on the dress. Eventually, I landed on my favorite knot style – double-wrapped with each end discretely knotted on both sides.
I may have been limited by what I brought along, but I rediscovered how much I love getting creative with my clothing. And, I did a lot in this dress, everything from wandering museum exhibits to waiting in line in the sun for ice cream to attending an outdoor rock concert.
By the time we reached the end of our fifth day in Raleigh, I could tell the dress finally started to pick up some odors when I smelled it closely – some from me and some from restaurants we visited. But from a normal human-to-human distance, Michael couldn’t detect anything (I know it’s only one other person’s account, but I wasn’t quite ready to ask strangers to smell me!).
I also noticed that I missed wearing pants. As someone without a #thighgap, it can be uncomfortable to walk around in a dress or skirt for days on end (after our trip to hot Cartagena, I remembered to pack some thigh-chafing gel). Edit: I’ve since added these slip shorts to my underwear drawer and they are perfection.
But you know what I missed most? Pockets. Most of the dresses offered by wool& have pockets (like the Sofia Midi Dress, the Rowena Swing Dress, and what just may be my next purchase, the Clara Shirt Dress – 2022 Update: The Clara is now a well-loved member of my wardrobe and I’ve reviewed it here), but the Avery Tank Dress does not.
I do prefer to have a place to put my hands, but this wasn’t an utter deal-breaker for me as I tend to wear a jacket with pockets (Hello from July 2022! The new Summer Midi Dress does have pockets, I’m glad to say).
Back home, I sighed in relief at the sight of my closet. After nearly a week in the same dress, I felt ready for a little variety (and to wear my perennial favorite clothing color – black). In what was probably our smallest post-trip laundry load ever, I machine-washed the dress in a delicates bag and laid it flat to dry on a drying rack. I did have to give it a once-over with my garment steamer to remove the wrinkly lines from the rack, but there was no sign of shrinkage or pilling. In fact, it looked brand new – and the odors from our time in Raleigh had disappeared.
After wearing pants for a few days in a row, I was pleasantly surprised to find I’d instinctively reached for the Avery dress to wear to work; this is the ultimate sign you’ve found a closet workhorse! Having multi-use garments that can be worn in a variety of environments saves both space and money, which are both equally important when you travel often.
Oh, and though it’s advertised as being a summer dress, I think it can easily be worn well into the fall with a long-sleeve tee underneath, tights, and cute ankle boots. While I don’t know if I’ll bring it along on our next adventure (I think it’s time to give some other dresses the time to shine!), I know you’ll continue to see this dress throughout future packing list posts!
*many of the items in my wardrobe are several seasons old; I've linked to similar or updated products
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Which wool& dress are you drawn to?
Wow, what a trip! It’s impressive how many outfits you were able to make with so few items. I love how you knotted the tank over the dress, especially!
Ahhh, I love this! A minimalist wardrobe is perfect for traveling!
xo Logan
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