Climate change - how do you put together an all-Weather wardrobe?

Gemma Cartwright writes...

I'm currently faced with the horrific possibility of having to put a bikini on in less than a month. While the rest of team CQ are suffering the sleepless nights and sore feet of Fashion Week, I'll be skiving off in Australia, enjoying the tail-end of their Summer as I backpack (well, suitcase...) my way up the East Coast. I don't tell you this to rub it in, but because it's put me in something of a fashion quandary. I'll be going from big coats and warm tights to sundresses and sandals in the course of one 23-hour flight (and dealing with the fallout when I arrive back, jet-lagged and freezing in flip-flops). This would all be fine if I'd ever managed to develop the knack for layering, but I'll be honest with you - I haven't. I don't do that 'long sleeved tee, short sleeved tee, tunic, cardigan' thing. I look like the Michelin Man if I even try. I'm much more of a 'put this dress on, throw on your coat and be done with it' girl...

So how am I going to cope with the weather changes of a trip that takes me to the other side of the world, and then up its coast from a surprisingly mild Melbourne to the sun-drenched Great Barrier Reef?

Firstly I've committed a bit of a fashion sin. I have purchased a black pashmina, even though I am not a) in 1998 or b) Kirstie Alsopp. It was a matter of 'needs must', I'm afraid. On planes I go from freezing my arse off to absolutely boiling in a matter of minutes, and airline blankets are always that tiny bit too small to cover every inch. It also doubles as a slightly pretentious wrap for evenings, but don't tell anyone who works in fashion that I said that. I think the last time I wore a pashmina as a wrap was at my year 11 leaver's meal and even then I looked like my mother.

Since I can't layer very well, I've decided instead to go with things that can be adapted. Sleeves that can be rolled up, dresses than can be worn over tights / leggings if needed. Floaty little cardigans that add warmth without bulk. And a thin, shiny parka that is so un-Gemma it's a wonder I even tried it on in the first place, but will be worth the sartorial change of direction if it ever rains.

My friend's plan is to buy all her Oz clothes from Primark, Asda and Tesco. The kind of tops and shorts that are so cheap they can be thrown away once they're covered in sun cream and spilled daquiris. She also plans to go on a one-woman mission to all the surf shops, buying half her holiday clothes as we travel. I would do this but if you've ever seen me in board shorts you'll understand why I like dresses a hell of a lot more.

So I'm stuck, really. How do I turn last year's UK Summer wardrobe into something befitting a trip to Oz? How do I change the odd Winter item into something that'll work in the blistering sunshine? And how do I shoehorn my post-Christmas figure into a bikini that was bought with my salad-fuelled Summer physique in mind.

Well, I'm going to need a lot of kaftans...

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Posted by Gemma on January 28, 2008 11:58 AM in Columns & Opinions
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