Most fashion and style loving ladies have a thing for either handbags or shoes, or both. There are many, many wardrobe items to have heart palpitations over. Why then do so many of us have a weakness for shoes and handbags? They aren’t even clothes.

Perhaps it is because shoes and handbags are instantly noticeable statement pieces. More often than not, especially as we get older, shoes and handbags also become investment pieces. And sometimes even status symbols.

I too have a thing for shoes and handbags. But as much as I love looking at fabulous shoes, appreciating their design and their power to improve an outfit, I am a Bag Lady at heart. My handbag collection is far more impressive than my footwear collection and I enjoy looking and shopping for handbags more than I enjoy looking and shopping for shoes. I swap out my handbags very frequently and I am hopelessly devoted to each little darling that accompanies my outfits.

Are you a Shoe Lady, or Bag lady? Try not to say that you’re both (I know it’s hard). Perhaps you’re neither?  And if that’s the case, tell us why shoes and bags don’t light your fire.

Business casual and business formal dress pants are often a hard wardrobe item to fit, especially if the hips, waist and thigh area are your fussy bits. I wish I could prevent the situation where you have to try on many, many pairs of dress pants before you find ones that work (or have the potential to be altered to work). But alas, much like jeans, that’s the nature of the beast.

If you’re looking for a pair of classically tailored, no-nonsense dress pants, you’ll find these fit tips useful. Hopefully they will help you to eliminate some options before even trying them on.

Style Considerations

First, consider these factors when it comes to the design:

• Look for good drapy fabric: Dress pants love weighty substantial fabrications which allow them to fall straight down to the foot. Think wool-rayon-polyester and cotton-rayon-polyester blends with a hint of stretch for extra comfort. Crease lines are optional.
• Beware of side entry pockets: This doesn’t mean that you should ignore dress pants with side entry pockets because at times they can work. But styles without often look better. No pocket lining showing through and no gaping pocket openings when you sit down. Alternatively, subtle front slant pockets and back welt pockets work well too.
• Look for flat fronts and a wide waist band: A wider waistband has flattering corset effects. A flat front is definitely a sleeker look than pleats, especially when you sit down (no poufing). Belt loops are optional.

Fit Considerations

These are the important factors to consider when it comes to fit:

• Waist fit: You’re after a tailored but comfortable fit. Nothing too tight. Remember that a waistband can be altered to fit if it’s too roomy.
• Grazing hip fit: The fabric should glide over the hips, thighs and bottom area and drape straight into a bootcut or wide legged hem. Not too snug and, as far as possible, no whiskering. If the pants whisker on the thighs, size up and adjust the waist to fit. A bit of whiskering is fine on jeans but dress pants should be fairly whisker-free. For dress pants a looser fit is better than a snug fit – unlike jeans.
• Waistband position: A waistband that rests above the high hip and below the navel is good, so think mid to high-ish rise. This creates the illusion of a flatter belly, whereas an overly high rise can accentuate a rounded belly.
• Rise length: Getting the length of the rise right around crotch point is extremely important. Too short and you’ll end up with camel toe. Too long and you’ll look short in the leg and awfully long in the waist. Opt for a tailored fit that does not cling to the crotch, but that’s not too long either.
• Leg length: The black slacks below are the perfect length, almost skimming the surface of the ground. Unfortunately, you’ll need to commit to a heel height with dress pants.

These black bootcut dress pants hang perfectly. The fabric is lustrous and substantial, and the front slant pockets are flattering. The waist band is not quite as wide as I would have liked, but this is a small price to pay for a good, clean and flattering fit. Not bad for $78 and available in sizes 0 to 16 in navy, black, charcoal and chocolate brown. If you’re battling with dress pants, you might like to start here.

Greg and I are at the airport waiting to board our flight. We’re taking a two week trip to Europe to visit family and friends, and do a little work on the side. My precious Papa lives in Arnhem in the Netherlands so we’ll be going there first. Then off to Amsterdam, Brussels, Antwerp, Zurich and Milan.

We’ll reduce the frequency of posts while we’re away, but there will be at least one a day. If things go really well I will write some thoughts along the way. Failing that we’ll do a series when we return. Either way, I’m excited to share Spring 2010’s Euro trends with you so stay tuned.

I might be in the absolute minority with this opinion but here it is: I do not believe in packing light for airplane travel! By packing light, I mean only packing a carry-on for a week’s trip or longer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m vehemently against paying any kind of overweight and have so far never paid for extra poundage at the baggage check-in counter. And like you, I loathe traipsing around overly heavy suitcases. But I’m not one to only pack a carry-on unless it’s an overnight or weekend stay and I’m travelling alone. I have a baggage allowance and I like to use it.

I travel abroad frequently and I have my own packing system that works well for me. For a trip that’s 4 days or longer, I’ll pack up to ten pounds below my baggage allowance that goes into the hold (the allowance is usually 50 pounds), and carry a virtually empty carry-all plus a large handbag for the flight.

For the suitcase that goes into the hold, I meticulously plan an outfit for each day of the trip, mixing and matching as far as possible, with one or two spare options. I also plan a few going-out-at-night outfits and rotate them as necessary. I try to get by with minimum pairs of shoes but pack lots of accessories and one extra handbag, so that I have two handbags on my trip, and possibly a clutch too (can’t help it handbags are my thing). I carry small bottles of my toiletries and sometimes pack slippers as well. In summary, I like to wear clean clothes on most days of the trip, do a little bit of laundry along the way and still have options.

I also like to bring back things from our trip which means that I need the extra space. Packing a full carry-on on the way there doesn’t allow for the extra space to do this.

I fully understand the advantages of packing light too. You don’t wait at baggage claim, and lugging around a smaller lighter suitcase is infinitely easier than lugging around a larger heavier one. You also have less to pack and unpack at your destination. But I really don’t mind waiting at baggage claim and I’m very used to dragging what I pack, using public transport to get to the hotel in most instances. I’m also fine with unpacking and packing it all in our hotel room. The assurance that I have all that I need with options far outweighs the advantages of packing light.

So I’m not a heavy packer, but I’m not a light packer either. How and what I pack really works for me.  Of course, things might be different if my trips had me spending less than a few days in each destination. Greg went through a stage of doing business trips that covered 5 countries in a week and in that situation traveling with one over-nighter makes a lot of sense.  What’s your packing strategy? Do you like to travel light, not so light, or are you a heavy traveler? What would you like to change about your packing strategy?