Travel Like A Pro Part 1: Skirts In Boots

Having grown up as a military brat, I've done a lot of travelling.  Maybe not enough to qualify as an expert, but close enough to know how to travel well.  So, to celebrate one of my talents - travelling - I'm going to do a few posts with travel tips, just in case your holidays involve cross country treks, continental skips, calculated avoidance of relatives, or all of the above.

First up on the agenda: packing clothes that are both casual and dressy enough to not look like a miscreant in a nice restaurant.  It's also important to not look like one of those harried airport patrons wearing sweats with "Juicy" across the butt while sitting next to a woman in a pencil skirted-business suit with her legs crossed away from the pink mess beside her.  Trashy.

The easiest and most versatile way to pack, for warm weather or cold, is to take skirts and boots.  Boots keep your legs warm, skirts always look nice, and regardless of stereotypes, skirts are way more comfortable than jeans.  To pair a skirt with boots, I recommend going with flared, a-line skirts that can be matched with plain t-shirts, sweaters, or nicer blouses.

Above are a few of my favorites:

1) Yellow "Great Escape" skirt from Anthropologie.

2) "Little Birds" skirt from Etsy seller alejandrina. 

3) Cashmere "Working Girl" skirt from Etsy seller Econica. 

4) Shirred wool skirt (available in four colors) from J. Crew.

Being anti-leather, all of the boots I picked out as favorites are vegan and cruelty free.  A long list of animal-friendly, skin-free online retailers can be found at Peta's website (don't be scared off, it's just a list of stores) under Compassionate Shopping Guide. 

These boots, going clockwise, can be found online:

1) Charcoal faux suede slouch boot by Zulu at Alternative Outfitters. 

2) Thames by Neuaura brown dress boot at at Vegan Chic. 

3) Tom's vegan wrap boot (in four colors), and remember that if you buy a pair of Tom's shoes, then they give a pair to a child in need. 

4) Zarrah boot from Madden Girl at Moo Shoes. 

I haven't gotten around to buying a new pair of boots yet - all the pairs I own are either leather and I feel too guilty to wear them, or they make my feet look too big because I didn't size them right.  I've got my eye on that slouch pair, though. 

What do you like to pack for travelling?  Are you an anti-sweats-in-airports person, or am I alone on that...