Congrats to Mandy S. for her big win (you know who you are!), hope you had a wonderful trip and special thanks to Chicks That Trip, LLC and United Vacations!
It’s that time of year to hit the road, jump on a plane, or boat (sailing anyone?). Because Sense Clothing specializes in travel wear, let‘s talk shop. Now, we’re the clothing Guru’s, but we needed extra help from our travelista friends at Chicks The Trip, LLC for tips on how the travel industry works these days, what to pack/not forget, and SHOES baby! Not only are we talking shop, but we’ve also got a special offer, so read on and be ready to win!
Meet Chanté Owens and Dawnielle Ballie of Chicks That Trip, LLC. They are the IT girls for planning your next trip, retreat, family gathering, girls weekend, major sporting event, you name it and they’ll nail it! Let’s see what these travel Diva’s have to say about doing it right:
SENSE: You’ve been assisting people at Chicks That Trip, LLC; prompt, courteous, & professional travel specialist since 2008, what is the major change you’ve seen in the travel industry through the years?
CO: When we started in this industry (truly started selling in late 2009, as the first year and a half was all about researching the business), the economy was in turmoil, and a lot of people thought we were crazy to get into the travel business given the economy and the potential of competing with larger online agencies like, Expedia and Travelocity. But, what I’ve personally seen is that a lot of consumers are traveling again, since the mid to latter part of 2011 through today. There has been a large uptick of referrals and people contacting us to plan their trips the beginning of this year. Overall, there appears to be “information overload,” from Internet sites, and a lot of our clients appreciate our personalized service and professionalism; especially since we serve specific niche markets. They know if they need to speak to us, we are available, and we return calls! So, I think the travel community is doing well, and people are definitely traveling more than they did from 2007-2011. I think as the economy continues to (slowly) recover, there will be even more people wanting to travel, especially since they have been restrained for several years – they are tired of cutting back, and are wanting to experience travel again.
SENSE: As most women know, packing for a trip is essential in comfort and leisure while away from home. What tips do you have for the optimal packing experience?
CO: This is my personal specialty. Any friends that have traveled with me know I am a minimalist, yet I always have what I need. My main suggestions are: pack light, repeat, pack light; bring clothing that can be dressed up, and dressed down; be able to mix and match items, so be sure to bring clothing that can do double duty; wear your largest shoes versus packing them, since they tend to take up more space; lay out everything you want to take on your trip, place it on your bed and cut it down by 50%, and finally, if you forget something, don’t sweat it because nobody will ever know!
SENSE: Any particular clothing that is a must?
CO: Depending on where you are traveling and if it’s for business or pleasure, it’s always good to have one, maybe two nice outfits, either a couple of dresses or two skirts with nice tops, and make sure those tops can be worn with jeans and slacks too; if you are traveling during winter months, make sure to wear a jacket, and stuff the pockets with your scarves, gloves and hats, so you don’t have to take up space in your luggage with those items. If you know you are going to be walking a lot, a comfortable pair of shoes is essential (break them in BEFORE you go on your trip), a dressy pair of shoes, and a casual pair of shoes. I like items that can serve multiple purposes. For example, I have a golden colored Pashmina that goes with everything. It is great to wear as a scarf around my neck, or to wrap around my shoulders if I am out in the evening and it gets cooler, and I can also use it on the plane as a blanket.
SENSE: Looks like we’ll have to give you a Raw Infinity Scarf to test out, maybe even replace that Pashmina ;)!
SENSE: How about the most forgotten piece of clothing on a trip?
CO: Interestingly enough, a lot of people forget underwear. They are so wrapped up in the main clothing that they will realize (oftentimes once they’ve arrived to their destination), that they’ve forgotten to pack underwear.
DB: For some reason, socks! I myself have forgotten them and friends I have traveled with find themselves at a convenience store purchasing them. This is if you are going to be hiking, taking long walks or “working out”, yes I said it… many gals I know like to work out, then hit the spa afterwards as a reward. Tip: shove two pairs of socks into your tennis shoes.
SENSE: Whoopsy! We may not make undies but Sense Clothing does specialize in travel wear, why do you choose Sense as your go to clothing while traveling?
CO: Sense clothing is a traveling woman’s BEST FRIEND. The clothing packs well, and because of the type of fabric that is used, the clothing doesn’t wrinkle, and doesn’t take up a lot of space. Also, Sense has enough “sense” to make their products interchangeable with other items within their clothing line. Everything goes together seamlessly.
DB: These words come to mind for our travel ladies…. Stylish, Sassy, Chic, Sporty, “Sensible”
SENSE: What kind of specialty trips (like your Soulful Destinations featured escapes) do you all offer that you could see the Sense woman attending?
CO: It’s always my desire to ensure that any of our featured escapes are to destinations that are interesting and have a lot going on, but also allow you to relax and just enjoy your vacation. We have our featured escapes that are updated every quarter, if not more frequently, but we will also start incorporating other events throughout the year to destinations where we will host some of the events, like our Women’s Empowerment Retreats, and our Culinary Escapes. These are are events that are designed specifically for women to get away, relax, learn something new and network. Incidentally, we will be holding a culinary themed trip to Puerto Rico, the Fall of 2013, so stay tuned!
SENSE: Now, the ever most important question, how many shoes and what kind should be packed for let’s say a week long trip (warm weather!)? Because, well, we love our shoes and want to pack them all!
CO: Aww, the shoes! Again, I always recommend packing the least amount of items as possible; however, the good thing about warm weather shoes is that some of them don’t take up a lot of space like, ballerina flats and flip flops. I would still stick to as few as possible, and only take one, maybe two pair of shoes that have larger or chunky heels, like wedges, because they take up a lot of space. If you have to take some “sassy” shoes, I’d recommend taking a tan color that can go with anything, or getting some of the wedge espadrilles that are multicolored, because they can be worn with anything. If all the shoes are flip flops or smaller heels, then 4 pair is a good amount. There are just enough to be versatile and satisfy those women who have to have a different pair of shoes for their outfits, but is not too many that they will take up a lot of space. I frown on taking a pair of shoes for everyday; it’s not necessary and is a space waster.
DB: Had to laugh out loud on this one, because clearly, I have not mastered this and need to follow Chanté’s advice. I have been known to take an extra bag. But as of late, I have taken the neutral color strappy sandal, flip flops, walking or tennis shoes and a HOT neutral or black pair to wear with my dressy outfits.
So now that our packing confidence is flowing, what would we pick out of the Sense closet to be jet set ready?
The Tunic Pant
Off The Shoulder Top
Infinity Scarf
More to come from our favvy travel outfit later (give-a-way!?!?).
Now what was all that talk about winning? Well Chanté, Dawnielle, and the ladies here at Sense Clothing want to give you more than just advise.
Book a trip with Chicks That Trip, LLC, take off on your journey provided by their services by Aug. 31st, and be entered to win a $200 eCertificate, towards future travel, compliments of United Vacations. Not only that, but also WIN a $75 “Sense Cash” promo code to use at http://www.wearsense.com included with the eCertificate. That’s $275 worth of travel and travel gear, just for going on a trip…woowhoo!
Okay where we going? NYC? Bali? Europe? 🙂
For more information regarding the drawing please contact:
brittany@senseclothing.com
Sense Clothing's Blog 