My husband has been interviewing with a company across the country. In a few weeks the company will be flying the two of us out to check out the housing and schools. And so I ask, What should I wear? Some info that might help: I am 5'7", 34 D and a bit of a gut, but not a problem if I wear my spanx. Fair skin, dark brown short hair. I am 30 years old and would love something I'd actually be able to wear again, with two babies (well 2 & 4 -they are still babies,right?) I usually slump around in stained t-shirts and worn out jeans. I don't think they'll cut it.

Abbey

Abbey wants to stick with comfortable basics for this trip, particularly if she will be house hunting. But she also wants to up her everyday style a little bit, because this is a chance to dress like someone who isn't changing diapers and filling sippy cups. She should leave her stained tees and worn out jeans at home, and pack some pretty pieces instead.

A lightweight jacket. I know we're having a heat wave, but I've noticed that to compensate for the rising temperatures, businesses (restaurants and hotels especially) are turning up the AC. Having a jacket in her car or bag will give Abbey the option to layer up in the freezing indoors without sweltering in the hot summer outside. A jacket travels better than a sweater, which can get stretched out from all of the putting on and taking off.

Comfortable shoes. House hunting is hard work, and Abbey's feet will bear the brunt of it. She should pack shoes that she can walk all day in so that she won't be distracted from the houses by her aching feet. But don't default to tennis shoes, which are hard to pack and difficult to wear; instead look for some cute skimmers or sandals with a little bit of support.

Three or four skirts. Again, I know we're having a heat wave, but Abbey should skip shorts and go with a skirt, for two two reasons. A skirt is cooler than shorts, for starters, AND it looks more grown-up and dressy without being fussy. For house hunting Abbey can pair her skirt with a tee or tank (unstained, please) and her jacket; for dinner with her husband or his potential new bosses, she could trade her tee for a light sweater.

A Friday Style reader recently turned me on to Libby Dibby skirts, reversible wrap skirts made from vintage or vintage-inspired fabrics. They are available in 25 color and pattern combinations in sizes small to XXL, and retail for $69.95 and $79.95. They are the perfect travel skirt; packing two Libby Dibby skirts is like packing FOUR regular pieces.

An aside about skirts versus dresses: I am a big fan of skirts for travel; you can easily change the look of a skirt from daytime casual to evening dressy by changing just your shoes and jewelry. You can also swap out one top for another and wear the same skirt two (or more) days in a row. The down side of separates is that they require a little more thought and planning, while a dress is easy: just put it on and go. BUT a dress isn't always as versatile as a skirt--some dresses are just not made to wear with flats AND heels. In any case, Abbey also wants to pack . . .

One dress and a pair of pretty shoes, in case anyone wants to wine and dine her while she's getting the lay of the land. She can look for a dress in a simple jersey fabric, something that won't wrinkle in her suitcase. If she chooses something fairly simple she can dress it up for evening or pair it with casual shoes for daytime. And then, when she gets home and gets back to being the mama, the dress will fold right back into her everyday wardrobe.

Abbey should try to strike a balance between comfortable and chic for this trip, but mostly she should keep in mind that NO ONE will be wiping their peanut-butter covered hands on her, and she should take advantage of that.