Interailing summer dress

[fleeceandwellies]

Hi I'm going to be inter-railing this summer. Its going to be hot and I'll have a rucksack. I'm looking for a bomb proof dress that can literally be screwed up and chucked in a bag for the evenings. I'm 56, 5ft 4 size 10 , decent boobs, nothing really above the knee pls. Cheap and needs to be able to be slung in a sink and wrung out to dry over night. Is there such a thing? thank you

This M&S dress is perfect - https://www.marksandspencer.com/cotton-rich-ribbed-midi-column-dress/p/clp61222317?color=BLACK#intid=plpnav_swatch|pid_pg1pip19g4r2c2

Cotton takes ages to dry …

I also have this, agree it's great, and am considering this, but need to try on yet:

www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/products/E482808-000/00?colorDisplayCode=09&sizeDisplayCode=003

Have a look at Unfolded dresses. Lack of creasing is their USP.

Second Mountain Warehouse. So versatile and don’t need any ironing. Also check out fat face

The problem with outdoor brands is they’re so f-ing ugly. What’s with that? Every time I get dragged into an outdoor shop by my husband I’m appalled by how ugly all the styling is for womenswear. ( and I like Gorpcore ). Do they think women who travel don’t care about style?

Sorry OP about my rant. I defintely think the crinkle fabrics will be the best.

Sweaty Betty have a range called something like “traveller” or something, where its clothes/ dresses but in sports style material. Have a look- they are brilliant and worth the money

Agreed. None of the outdoor brands do dresses that I’d consider for being out of an evening. Yes maybe for daytime adventures but not drinks, dinner, and a promenade. I’m now going to have to get to Uniqlo to try on that sleeveless dress in the blue, it looks brilliant.

Merino wool.
Breathable so good in hot weather
Smell resistant
Hand wash in cold water, quick to dry
Lightweight, forgiving of being packed

This one can be worn two ways so a bit of variety in your looks
https://wooland.com/en-gb/products/brooklyn-reversible-dress-ochre

Casual but with a smarter shoe and necklace would look dressier if needed.

wool would be so itchy!! And smells weird if damp

I took 3 when we went Interrailing for 3 weeks last year, all Jersey. One was long and red from H&M, one was a simple shift with rainbows on from Sugarhill Brighton, one was sleeveless and black with a draped skirt and was from God knows where (they were all from Vinted).

I also took 1 pair jeans, 2 pairs jersey shorts (so I could also sleep in them), 2 pairs leggings (to wear under dresses and shorts if cold. It mostly wasn't cold- it was a heatwave 😬). I was with the DC, and we just found a launderette once a week to wash everything.

All my stuff fitted in about a 30 litre rucksack.

Merino wool isn't itchy!

It is commonly used as a base layer for sports/hiking/mountaineering so worn as close to skin as possible and isn't itchy.
It wicks moisture away from the skin and dries quickly. And is smelly resistant.

It's a great fabric for travel.

i can’t deal with it 😂

Agreed! It’s a huge gap in the market.

I was in go outdoors the other week trailing around after my DH who was in hiker-geek seventh heaven and I peeled off to have a gander at the womenswear. Omg I wondered who had designed them and who bought them. There were a lot of slim outdoorsy type mums wearing fleece half zips, skinny jeans and trainers (with matching children) wandering around, but good God, talk about ‘exploring’…Exploring the outer reaches of any style or self respect!

If it were me op, I stock up on a load of thin viscose dresses - preferably crinkle. A lot of these suggestions, thick jersey, would be too hot in anything 30degrees+

Jersey can be thin!

It was 35 degrees plus when I was wearing those Jersey dresses.

If you take a sleeveless one, take a scarf for churches, to hide from the sun in and to wrap up in cold museums. Works well as a pillow and you can hide under it on the train too

Yes true! But they have to be thin. That long navy hush dress recommended at the start of the thread looks great - something I’d wear to the office in the summer, but on a hot sticky train. Nope.

The most fun places are wild

The one with the sleeves, or the black sleeveless one - both from Hush & both posted by me? None of the dresses I posted is jersey as I would find it too hot (though maybe not always in the evening, but I was erring on the safe side as the OP will be travelling in high summer).

They're all gauze or cheesecloth-type fabrics - ones with a really light loose weave. So just about the coolest possible, plus wrinkle-proof - as they're already wrinkled!

I know you’ve said nothing alive the knee, but similarly I wouldn’t go for anything too long. You’ll be up and down steps and staircases and won’t want either to trip or have to hold it up.

The navy one? Yes it is - though I would go for a sleeveless dress for the OP's purposes (as if it's still very hot in the evenings I feel much cooler with no fabric around my armpits!).

But I posted a couple of ones with short sleeves, in case that was her preference. If you like that Hush one, you should have a look at the cheesecloth dresses from Me & Em. They have a different style or two every year. New they're almost £200 - I have three or four & none cost more than £50 or £60 on eBay/Vinted.

This sort of dress:

https://www.meandem.com/fit-and-flare-twist-cheesecloth-maxi-dress-poppy-red

Merino is magic

decathlon hiking dresses.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/womens-hiking-dress-exploor-black/332929/c382m8972254

they do several colours but i find them quite short so wear the hiking underwear/shorts thing they also sell (very comfy as well). They do a few other styles with sleeves

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-hiking-dress-outdoor/335372/c246m8734802

I’ve worn the first one travelling and got lots of
compliments.

Slops of doom ...!!!

Now laughing at the memory of trying to pee over a shit-splattered hole-in-the-floor type "loo" on a juddering train in India, with one hand holding up my dress & the other holding my nose as I thought I'd vomit from the smell!!!

I did interailling last year and lived in Shein maxi dresses with floppy sleeves. They are the really cheap material that dries quick but also doesn't make you sweat. The sleeves stopped my rucksack rubbing when I was wearing it for hours in 32c.