sightseeing in style

With all my frequent flying this past spring--Mexico, St. Barth's, Aspen, New York, San Francisco!--I am closer to cracking the code on chic vacation wear. I now know that whatever makes its way into my suitcase must be able to stand up to heat and humidity, miles of walking city streets, hours of sightseeing, and day-to-night dressing--and look drop-dead chic while doing so! Now with summer travel(s) on the horizon, I'm looking for more do-it-all-around-the-world pieces--and I've hit jackpot with the following. A Tory Burch dress, above, which can wend around Florence during the day with easy sneaks, then sit down to dinner with a pair of sandals at Capocaccia. I'm also coveting these cosmopolitan-cool dresses by Cos, Tibi, GoenJ, Asos, Veronica Beard, Equipment, and 4. Collective. I'll definitely pack a pair of culottes like this H&M (which I have) or this Rebecca Taylor, because they are stylish yet easy and straddle the day/night gap. Of course, sneakers are a must: they can work fashion magic with my daytime dresses, minis, and midi-skirts , plus will let me canvass new cities and jet through several time zones in comfort. My current faves: this Superga, this Rag & Bone and this A.P.C. I limit myself to just one pair of heels, a super versatile open-toe sandal like this J.Crew, this Givenchy (on sale) or this Madewell. It's always wise to bring a warm layer, whether it's to fend off an over zealous A/C or keep an evening breeze at bay. A go-with-everything cardigan, like this or this is a no-brainer, but if there's room, I'd also throw in an outfit-elevating lightweight jacket like this and this. Bon voyage!

Photo: 9 to 5 Chic