FWD: Packing right

Dressing up in Melbourne

Going on holidays can be exciting. But before embarking on a trip, some thought has to be put into what kind of clothes need to be packed. Here's how our columnist packed for a recent trip Down Under.

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/4/lifeliving/2909156&sec=lifeliving

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IT has been awhile since I've seen my friends and family in Australia. Of course I wanted to make a good impression when I saw them again. I feel first impressions are important, so I put some effort into how and what I packed for my recent trip to Melbourne.

The party-shirt: My current favourite is a Thomas Pink long sleeve blue paisley shirt. This is not just another long-sleeved shirt. This in particular is a great fitting slim-fit shirt. It is perfect for the festive season with its loud navy and white, batik-like, all over print. Made of 100% Egyptian cotton, it feels great on the body and travels well without much creasing. Thomas Pink is not called the Rolls Royce of shirts for nothing.

I wore it to my brother's party and again at lunch on Christmas day. Versatile and slightly flamboyant, it teamed well with my blue jeans.

The black shirt: This is men's equivalent to the little black dress women often talk about. The black shirt is probably the most versatile shirt in a man's wardrobe. It can be worn everywhere: to a funeral, to a chic party with collar unbuttoned, and cuffs rolled up. Or to a formal occasion all buttoned down.

My black shirt of choice is made of 100% cotton from Zara, and I wore it to the theatre to see Billy Elliot the Musical. This shirt is versatile, and can be worn from day to night.

The extra shirt: I packed a blue striped, long-sleeved shirt as a fallback item. I thought I might need an extra shirt and didn't want to be caught short if I did not have time to do my laundry. Also you never know when you might be invited out unexpectedly.

The extra shirt that I packed was a casual shirt, again from Thomas Pink. Made of 100% cotton, it is a casual fit shirt, perfect with jeans or chinos, yet luxurious to touch and stylish enough if worn with tailored pants. I wore this to dinner with friends on New Year's eve.

The short-sleeved shirt: I packed my Martinique shirt bought for half price during a recent sale at Robinsons. It is khaki in colour and can best be described as a cross between a cowboy shirt and an army shirt. It has a prominent pointed yoke at the back and at the front of the shirt. It also has multiple press-studs and pockets making the shirt a little more fancy than your usual short-sleeved shirt.

Made of cotton elastane, it wears well and has a little stretch for movement and this gives added comfort. I wore this on a hot afternoon to a barbeque and left it tucked out for a more casual look befitting the occasion.

The T-shirt and polo: Easy to wear and especially suitable for summer, I packed a few dark, and a few colourful T-shirts. All short-sleeved, I wore these with shorts to everyday casual events. If I needed to look a bit more dressed up, I wore a polo shirt with jeans. The polo shirt is especially good as it has a collar and gives a more dressed up look than a T-shirt.

The jeans/ cargos/ shorts: My current favourite pair is my skinny, dark navy G-Star jeans. I wore this almost everywhere and alternated them with my grey canvas cargo pants from FCUK. I also packed a pair of checked Stussy shorts for casual days.

The jacket: With all the above in my suitcase, I remembered what Melbournians always say: The city can experience four seasons in a day! Although it was the height of summer Down Under, I was mindful that the weather could change at the drop of a hat.

As I prefer cooler weather to hot, I threw into my suitcase only a Puma tracksuit zip jacket. This did keep the wind out on the cooler windy days. On especially chilly days, I layered. This is a simple dressing technique of wearing multiple layers of clothing to keep warm. So first I wore a T-shirt, followed by a long-sleeved shirt, then my Puma jacket. As it was summer, all the cotton clothing was fine and no woolen garments were needed.

The footwear: I packed a black pair of trainers and a pair of flip-flops. My Puma trainers were dressy enough to be worn to a bar or to dinner, and the flip-flops came in handy on the warm days when I wore shorts.

My family and friends were suitably impressed with my variety of clothing from Malaysia. But will my Malaysian friends be impressed with the Aussie clothes I bought on sale in Melbourne? I suppose I'll leave that for another article.

Charlz Chan also packed his iPod shuffle and Jason Donovan's trashy autobiography 'Between The Lines: My Story Uncut' to entertain himself on his flight Down Under.