Tourist Uniform

topshop striped dress casual travel outfit_charleston college

Topshop dress sz 2 (similar striped style in petites, or the same style in gray melange)
Madewell mini Transport bag, Talbots sandals, Ray-ban sunglasses in “brown”

This is one of my go-to outfit types for traveling and exploring – a comfy knit dress, flat or very low shoes, and utilitarian bag that can be worn cross-body. My cotton dress is from Topshop at Nordstrom with limited sizes left, but I’ve listed a few similar options above from the same brand. I love that Topshop is usually petite-friendly even in regular sizing, and their petites line runs especially small. I recommend sizing up unless you like your items very form-fitting (I’m wearing a 2 regular here).
what to wear_tourist travel outfit spring
Speaking of Topshop, I also had the chance to try on more of their denim in both regular and petite sizing. Their denim fabric varies widely from style to style and it’s a little hard to gauge online. I’ve tried their “Moto Leigh” style in white before which was blush-worthily thin and sheer, however found the “Jamie” jeans to have a thicker medium weight to them. If you are looking for distressed skinny jeans that fit short legs without alterations, check out this petites pair with a 25″ inseam or this cropped pair with a 26″ inseam. I’m usually a 24 in most denim brands, but a Topshop size 25 fits me snugly.
striped dress madewell transport bag casual outfit
I like packing shoe and bag combos in similar neutral color families, so they can be paired mindlessly with numerous outfits throughout a trip. My sandals are old, unfortunately, but here are a few other options in versatile cognac brown with either low heels or wedges:

From left to right: 1) Steve Madden Nilla wedges  2) Franco Sarto espadrilles  3) Lucky Brand Channing flats  4) Sam Edelman Trina sandal
striped dress madewell transport bag casual outfit
It sounds like several of you are planning visits to Charleston soon, so per your requests I’ve started a post on all our favorite sights, activities, and eats from this visit. It should be up in a few days, so stay tuned!
charleston college courtyard spring south carolina

Thank you Nordstrom for partnering on this post!

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27 Comments

  1. Sunny Jamie wrote:

    Super chic outfit, I love your sandals!
    http://www.kevinluo.dk

    Posted 5.6.16 Reply
  2. BAMBI BOHO by Sylwia Badora wrote:

    lovely look

    Posted 4.4.16 Reply
  3. Mahendra Pingale wrote:
    Posted 4.4.16 Reply
  4. Jennifer M wrote:

    Hi! That's awesome! Are the duties high though?

    Posted 4.3.16 Reply
  5. Amanda Lim wrote:

    Super cute! Matching shoe and bag colors for travel is a great idea. And love the dress – I need to get myself a simple comfy dress for trips!

    http://thesimplepetite.blogspot.com/

    Posted 4.2.16 Reply
  6. mybeautrip wrote:

    Comfy and chic. You look perfect in this dress!
    xx

    http://www.mybeautrip.com

    Posted 4.2.16 Reply
  7. Jennifer Darisse wrote:

    I'm vacationing in Puerto Rico in a couple weeks and would love some tropical outfit ideas ! 🙂

    Posted 4.2.16 Reply
  8. Emily Harrison Harper wrote:

    It's great to have a few versatile outfits for traveling or a day out with the family. Very helpful article! 🙂

    xoxo – Emily
    http://www.larimar.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  9. affecionada wrote:

    Such a sweet photo of you and Nick, and your hair looks so healthy!

    http://www.affecionada.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  10. Pamela Gonzalez wrote:

    You look so cute in this dress! The petite figure suits you so well♥

    http://www.pamelayaquelin.blogspot.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  11. Emily Kate Farina wrote:

    This post is so adorable. I love the photo of you with your man. The dress looks great, and your hair looks awesome! I really love the mix of casual and pulled-together. Looks like you had a nice trip!

    http://www.fizzandfade.com/

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  12. Keri H wrote:

    Such a pretty look! Perfect for a daytime date. That last picture killed me. Too cute!!

    Enclothed Cognition/Bloglovin

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  13. Lee wrote:

    love this look! this is definitely my go-to look if I'm traveling as well 🙂

    Lee – leethrifts.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  14. Jenn wrote:

    I love this look! I especially am loving your shoes; have been looking for something similar for a while now!

    a small bit | bloglovin | twitter | latest post

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  15. Мария Воротило wrote:

    Perfect outfit for travelling or just walking. I love these flat shoes that were chosen by you.

    with ♥ by Masha | BRIGHT QUIETNESS

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  16. Unknown wrote:

    It does my heart good to see you two together – seriously love the love. About Topshop. I just bought the t-shirt you talked about a couple of days ago and love it! Being only 5' tall, v-necks are usually too low cut for me and this was no exception, but I bought several (really inexpensive: $2.99 ea!) cotton camis from Forever 21 and I can wear that instead of a bra and I'm quite comfortable.

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  17. Kblossoms wrote:

    Cute dress with azaleas http://www.kblossoms.etsy.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  18. Julie Hiller wrote:

    Cute outfit! I dress similarly for travel–flat shoes, comfy dress, and lots of layers!

    Lifestyle by Joules

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  19. Maggie Zemanek wrote:

    I really love this! It's stylish yet comfy 🙂 How are those shoes walking around?

    http://www.maggiealamode.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  20. Xinyi Chen wrote:

    Cute outfit!

    xx
    Xin

    http://xincerely.blogspot.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  21. Anonymous wrote:

    Jennifer… you can buy Maxwell online. Have had great experiences shipping to Cda. Good luck from a fellow Cdn shopper

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  22. prudence yeo wrote:

    Loving the effortless grace of this outfit and the last picture is so sweet 🙂

    Prudence
    http://www.prudencepetitestyle.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  23. Rachel wrote:

    nice dress and shoes!

    http://chicglamstyle.com

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  24. Anonymous wrote:

    Hello Jean! I have been viewing your blog for a while now and I have loved it so far! Your style is amazing. It's classic and timeless. I am petite and have always wanted to wear midi dresses but have been afraid because of my height. Seeing your blog has helped me realize that even petite women can look great in classic midi dresses! I'm in my 20s and you have helped me transition from my forever 21 college days to my Ann Taylor classic chic "adult" look haha. Thank you so much!

    Posted 4.1.16 Reply
  25. Unknown wrote:

    I live here! Is it creepy to say I know exactly where you are in each picture? Charleston is beautiful and I hope you are having a great time. If I run into you while you are here, I will freak out and ask for a selfie. Just letting you know.

    Posted 3.31.16 Reply
  26. Jennifer M wrote:

    I love those shoes they look so comfortable and I seriously wish they had Madewell up here in Canada! So jealous!

    http://onemomentplz.com
    One Moment Plz

    Posted 3.31.16 Reply

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