What to Pack for New Orleans - Five-Day Trip

I wore light, cotton dresses to keep cool in the humid heat.

To be quite honest, there are not a log of quality packing lists and blogs addressing what you should wear in New Orleans!

Darling Husband and I spent five days in New Orleans in April 2016. It was humid and temperatures ranged from 75 to 85 degrees each day.

Here is what I packed in my carry on - and what we had to purchase when we were there.

• 3 dresses
• 1 pair shorts
• 1 pair jeans
• 2 t-shirts
• 1 sleeveless blouse
• 1 shirt
• PJs
• 1 pair Keds sneakers
• 1 pair flip flops
• 1 pair espadrille wedges
• 1 crossbody purse
• 1 rain coat
• 1 trench coat
• 1 denim jacket
• 1 dress
• 2 swimsuits
• 1 swimsuit cover up
• Umbrella
• Sunglasses

I wore this white skirt to Cafe Du Monde - if I got powdered sugar on my lap I didn't know it!

There were thunderstorms and lots of rain the days before our trip, so I was prepared for showers. Thankfully, it didn't rain on us one drop.

Here is what I didn't wear:

• 1 pair shorts - Felt too casual. Dresses kept me cool!
• 1 sleeveless blouse - because I didn't wear the shorts
• 1 t-shirt
• 1 pair espadrille wedges - they were too tall for the cobblestone streets and the miles of walking
• 1 rain coat - yay!

What I had to buy:

• 1 additional pair of walking shoes - Tory Burch espadrilles from Saks Fifth Avenue, we walked SO MUCH my Keds gave me blisters 
• 1 fedora-style hat - Darling Husband burned his head Day 1, also from Saks
• 1 t-shirt - Darling Husband didn't anticipate changing for dinner, sigh

I wore one pair of walking shoes in the morning and switched to another in the afternoon. Blisters happened day 1.

Darling Husband wore mostly cargo shorts and light t-shirts during the day and cotton polo shirts at night. He took one really nice outfit for a dinner out. Some restaurants have dress codes for men of sport jackets, so check before you go.

Verdict: Skirts and dresses that circulate air are the way to go! Plus, bring two pairs of good walking shoes to go the distance in this amazing city.

When in New Orleans ... wear a fedora! This hat saved his head and fact the rest of the trip.