Modest holiday outfits: what to pack for sun and cities

A ten-piece holiday capsule

For a week away, these ten pieces make more than a dozen outfits if the colours work together.

• Two long tunics or kurtas in printed cotton or lawn, for sightseeing days.
• One long shirt that can be worn closed as a top or open as a light layer over a tunic.
• One maxi dress with full sleeves, for hot days and simple evenings. Our shirt dress is a button-front option.
• One co-ord set that can also be split up and worn as separates.
• Two pairs of wide trousers or palazzos, one light and one dark.
• One pair of straight trousers for evenings and travel days.
• One large cotton scarf or dupatta that doubles as sun cover and a blanket on cold transport.
• One dressier piece, a long kameez with some embroidery or a richer fabric, for a special dinner.

City breaks

Cities mean miles of walking, stairs, cobbles and changeable weather. Hems should sit clear of the ground, since a trailing kameez picks up dust and gets stepped on. Side slits or an A-line cut give stride room on hills and steps. Pockets are worth having for a phone and a travel card. If you are visiting places of worship or museums with dress codes, a long tunic with full sleeves and a scarf in your bag covers almost any requirement.

Layer for mornings that start cold and afternoons that warm up: a long cardigan or a light jacket you can tie round the bag strap is easier than a coat.

Beach towns and hot resorts

In strong sun, loose full sleeves are often cooler than bare arms, because they keep direct sun off the skin. Choose breathable fabric: lawn, voile with a lining, and linen, which dries quickly after a rinse in the sink. Pale colours reflect heat but are more likely to be sheer, so check them in daylight before you pack.

For warm evenings by the sea in places such as Muscat, a maxi dress or a long kameez over wide trousers in a deeper colour looks dressed without being hot. Swimwear is outside what we make, so plan that separately.

Travel days

Wear your bulkiest pieces on the journey: the straight trousers, the long shirt as a layer and the scarf. An elastic or drawstring waist is kinder on a long flight. Keep one complete outfit in your hand luggage in case your case is delayed, and a light layer for air conditioning on planes and trains.

Ordering pieces for a trip

If the holiday is the reason for new clothes, order early. Production takes 5 to 7 working days once the quote is approved and paid in full, and shipping time is separate and varies by destination; our page on how long stitching takes explains the stages. Ask for the whole capsule in one quote so the colours and lengths agree.

With Fabric + Stitching we suggest fabrics that suit the climate you are heading to; tell us where and when. Start with the quote form and list the pieces from the capsule above. Customers travelling from the Gulf, for example from Doha, can have everything sent home before they leave.