Grace Kelly Tells How to Travel Light

Het komt herhaaldelijk voor dat ik op reis ga om een lezing te geven, buitenlandse collega’s te ontmoeten of een symposium bij te wonen. Omdat je nooit van tevoren weet wat je te wachten staat moet je wat je kleding betreft op alles voorbereid zijn. Het kan zomaar gebeuren dat je opeens wordt uitgenodigd voor een ontvangst of diner. De koffer moet dus gevuld worden met kleding die voor alle momenten geschikt is: comfortabel, representatief of chique. Toen ik weer eens beduusd naar mijn lege koffer stond te staren herinnerde ik mij opeens het artikel ‘Grace Kelly Tells How to Travel Light’ in de Woman’s Home Companion van april 1955, dat ik hier graag met jullie deel.

Grace Kelly Tells How to Travel Light

BY ELIZABETH MADEIRA and ROSELLEN CALLAHAN

Everyone knows by this time that Grace Kelly is a lady blessed not only with beauty and a very great talent for acting but with most uncommon common sense. When she packs to travel she makes a list, pares her wardrobe to a minimum, winds up with all the things she needs – nothing that she doesn’t wear.

Afb. 2. The beautiful packable evening dress – rose pink chiffon, very Greek in feeling. It has its own satin jacket (not shown). She carries a chinchilla bolero, charming too over an afternoon dress or dark street dress. Dress by Nettie Rosenstein, fur bolero from Ritter Brothers. Dress weighs 2 pounds, fur bolero 2 ½ pounds.

In the course of the last year or so, Grace Kelly has been boarding plane after plane to take her to Hollywood, back to New York, to South Americ, Europe, Africa. She has learned to concentrate on the clothes she needs most, to make good use of separates, dresses with jackets, sweaters. We show here the basics she considers most essential; she adds others according to the trip. “when I buy a suit for travel”, she explains, “I buy one with some width in the skirt, so that it doesn’t sit out on the plane. I like an evening dress that folds easily, doesn’t need petticoats. I have a sleeveless black linen that I can wear on the street with a sweater or jacket, or dress up with jewelry for cocktails …cashmere sweaters take up little room or weight … a wide black skirt can be worn with a silk shirt or a scoop-necked sweater, I develop my travel wardrobe around black, use black shoes and bag with all daytime clothes”.

Afb. 3. The dress with a jacket – wonderful for travel, because it’s two things in one – a short evening dress or a cocktail dress. Made in peau de soie, weight 2 ¼ pounds. In black, it’s timeless, can be varied with good accessories. Harvey Berin & a sleeveless linen dress shown here as she would wear it by day, with a geranium cashmere sweater, collared in green silk. The sweater would look well over white, gray, pink, dull blue – any number of colors; the dress weighs 1 ½ pounds, sweater 1 pound. Both from Clarepotter. Coin necklace from Macy’s Coin Center.

There are seven musts for every woman who travels – to these you’ll add some favorites of your own.

1. A topcoat: in such fabrics as tweed or flannel, it can go from city to country. In a neutral color or a mixture, it’s slow to show dust and dirt.
2. A suit that co-ordinates well with the coat.
3. A second suit, or a skirt that matches or coordinates with the coat and one or two sweaters or tops to go with it (this is even more comfortable than a suit for long sessions on train or plane).
4. A short evening dress with a jacket that turns it into an afternoon dress. According to where you’re going, keep this in a dark color or have a pretty light fabric, printed or plain – whatever you choose be sure it has a crease-resistant finish. Unless you go to formal parties, you won’t need a long dress.
5. A simple dress to wear on the street or for afternoon, Miss Kelly chose black linen – you might prefer an easily washed synthetic.
6. A wrap for late afternoon and evening – fur, silk or simply a decorated sweater or stole – or solve the question with a silk or velveteen raincoat; otherwise add a light plastic raincoat to your “musts”.
7. A supply of quickly washed and dried underwear, at least six pairs of nylon stockings and a small dressy hat or veil for afternoon.

Afb. 4. The travel coat and suit – herringbone tweed, arrow straight, over a yarn-dyed worsted suit with easy skirt. Both from Ben Zuckerman. She’ll board the plane in these so it’s not necessary to weigh them. The coat goes over everything in wardrobe except her evening dress.

Afb. 5. If she goes to the country she’ll wear these twin sweaters with matching skirt; the blue will look wonderful with her tweed coat. Grace Kelly also has a sweater and skirt in dark gray to alternate with her suit for travel. Hadley sweaters, Sloat skirt. Both sweater weigh 21 ounces, the skirt 2 pounds. Earrings are from Mazur.

The things that weigh the most – you’ll need two pairs of shoes with comfortable heels – if you try to use one pair for all walking your feet will get twice as tired. On pair of pretty sandals can double for afternoon and evening. You’ll need a big handbag and a small bag for dress. Make a careful check list of cosmetics; watch the weight of your jewelry too.

You can travel light and travel right overseas with two pieces of luggage and a tote bag which doubles as a handbag. Minimum luggage avoids excess baggage charges and you can carry it yourself in a pinch. On domestic flights your free luggage allowance is 40 pounds; on international first-class flights, 66 pounds; on international tourist flights, 44 pounds. New ultra-light air luggage is roomy, very strong. The pieces we planned for this wardrobe are two 26-inch Pullman cases, total weight empty, 18 pounds 10 ounces. A plastic-lined cosmetic kit – plus 42 grooming items – weighed exactly 5 pounds. Clothes pictured here (without coat and suit) total 12 pounds 9 ounces. Lingerie, shoes, accessories weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces. Total: 42 pounds, 11 ounces. This allows you a leeway of 1 pound 5 ounces, for little personal extras, which nobody can foresee for you and which you would weigh for yourself.