What to Wear: Turkey in March

What to Wear: Turkey in March

Guys…I have no idea if I’m packing the right things for our eight week trip to Turkey, Greece and Croatia. It’s going to be late March and pretty cold when we arrive. My standard European scarf and blazer combo seems a little formal for the Mediterranean. Plus, I want to try to take as little as possible to leave room for shopping.  What do you think?

TOP ROW
Sunglasses – A basic pair of black frames from Forever 21.
Necklace – I bought a pretty strand of red coral beads in Hawaii a few years ago.

SECOND ROW
Shirt – Everyone has a couple of these $15 striped tops from H&M. Good for layering.
Blouse – A light chambray button up is easy to wear as a layer or on its own.
Sweater – A pretty mint green layering sweater.

THIRD ROW
Tunic – I bought a beautiful cotton tunic in peacock blue from Sunhee Moon in San Francisco five years ago. It’s beautiful belted or loose. Plus, pockets!  This denim version is even more practical.
Blouse – Polyester blouses from H&M look polished but are super easy to wash and pack on a trip.
Dresses – I have a couple light and inexpensive dresses that layer well with tights underneath and sweaters on top. This patterned dress from Target is pretty cute.
Belt – A basic leather belt from Madewell.

FOURTH ROW
Jeans – My favorite worn-in jeans that work tucked in to boots or rolled up with sneakers/flats.
Leggings – My favorite pair of leggings are extra thick and from Forever 21 of all places.
Skirt – A basic corduroy skirt to wear with dark tights.
Cardigan – A coral layering cardigan from J.Crew.

BOTTOM ROW
Scarf – A must for visiting mosques and always something that helps you look put together while traveling. This pretty scarf option in blue and pink is $28.
Flats – I have a pair of broken-in black flats with a silver cap toe that are good for walking.
Bikini – Maybe a little too optimistic considering that it’s still early spring. But, hey, global warming! This navy bikini is from Topshop.
Boots – A pair of comfy black flat boots, to wear on the plane and in the cold.

Also: A couple t-shirts and tanks. A pair of puma sneakers. A puffy jacket. Black tights. Black turtleneck. Cross-body purse. Art supplies.

It seems like a LOT of clothes laid out like this. What should I leave behind?

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There are 11 comments for this article
  1. Sarah at 12:50 am

    I'm so impressed you would start a eight week trip with so little clothing. I'm heading to Kauai at the end of May for my 10 day honeymoon and I am overwhelmed just thinking about packing because my fiance thinks we should only take carry on luggage. I have a hard time not packing something in case I might need it. I really enjoyed your Hawaii series and am looking forward to being there soon. Any chance you would do a What to Wear Hawaii addition to get me started on what I should pack? 🙂

  2. Kristy at 1:15 am

    I'm a horrible packer but one thing I always take is one of those thin merino sweaters (j crew). I have a cream one and a navy one and they look nice over a turtleneck or a blouse, with a scarf or alone with jewelry– can hand-wash too. The two sweaters you have are really smart. I can't remember if one or both is merino.

  3. sarah at 5:12 am

    Wow looks like so little to me. I would throw in some flip flops for any swimming adventures. Can wait to live vicariously thru you two. Ps. I found some wine bars I will have to check out in my what to wear to get a date outfit!!

  4. Hannah at 3:32 pm

    I love that target dress, so pretty and perfect for that bridge between needing tights and being able to go barelegged. You'll have the best trip!

  5. Stephanie Rogers at 4:30 pm

    Not sure where you're going in Turkey, but outside of Istanbul the country is pretty conservative when it comes to women. For example, when I was there, I noticed that cafes were full of men, but it was much less common to see women hanging out. Anyway, for Turkey, I think you'd feel comfortable if you were fairly covered up. Also, in some areas, like Cappadocia, it gets pretty cold at night! I also went to Turkey while at the beginning of a 2-month round-the-world trip, so to have a warm enough coat, I brought a trench and layered a fleece under it. Save some packing room for scarves and other things you might find at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul! Good luck!

  6. Katie at 5:01 pm

    Hmmm…I might switch out the Target dress for a long jersey maxi dress? It'd be cute alone, or with the chambray on top and knotted…

    I'd probably only bring one sweater and if you need another one a sweater/coat/jacket is a great thing to get when you're there. Great souvenir.

    I was also going to suggest flip flops/sandals…then again, sandals might make a great souvenir too…

  7. mrsem Author at 5:11 pm

    Good call on the maxi dress. I hadn't thought of that!

  8. Sarah at 6:23 pm

    Thanks! Our honeymoon plans are to hangout at the beach, hike, snorkel, kayak and maybe dress up for a dinner or two. We'll be staying half the time on the north side and half the time on the south side.

    I like a causal look with a touch of trendiness. There are washers and dryers available at both places so in theory I could take less clothing and wash everything as needed.

    I'm so looking forward to the sunshine after months of rain and fog in Portland.

  9. Anonymous at 2:03 pm

    march might be a little cold in Turkey, depending where you are going obviously. unless you are going to the south or wast coast you mishould pack a jacket that keeps warm. you might not feel comfortable wearing a mini skirt in the central parts of Turkey in small towns otherwise there is no problem with clothing especailly the ones you have chosen.I am Turkish and Live in Istanbul, pls let me know if you need any help 🙂 . -burcu

  10. Anonymous at 3:17 am

    Quick question: what kind of purse do you usually carry on your international trips? I am going to Europe this spring and want a light weight versatile yet stylish bag to catch all.
    Thanks, Sam!