What to wear on a trip probably stresses me out more than it should. I don’t think of myself as a fashionista (or fashion blogger), but I am a sewist and that means I’m very aware of my clothing. My goal for any piece of clothing is comfort and I try to be practical when it comes to the choices I make.

We visited Japan during their summer rainy season so I knew to expect average temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with a lot of humidity and rain. The humidity worried me the most coming from the dry heat of Utah and I wanted to make sure we were prepared for it.

I knew I wanted linen for the trip and considered purchasing things, but knew I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t at least try to make something. This gave me renewed motivation to start making things again and, within two weeks of our trip, I ended up making two tops and three dresses for Isabelle and me.

For our two weeks in Japan, I packed 4 different outfits that I could mix and match and ended up packing everything handmade except two pairs of shorts, jackets, and undergarments. Anything I bring on vacation is usually washer/dryer friendly for laundry runs too. For more details on everything I packed, see my full packing list.

I’ll share a more in-depth review of each pattern, but for now, I’m sharing the handmade garments I brought to Japan.

What I Made For Japan

Helen’s Closet Reynolds Top and Dress: I bought this pattern specifically for the trip. It looked simple and I thought I’d have an easier time fitting it. I also liked that people called it a scrap buster and bought a few linen blend remnants with this top in mind.

I also made a purple linen dress for Isabelle. She appreciated the pockets and I found her comfortably housing a water bottle in her pocket at one point.

Read the sizing details and pattern review.

Peppermint Magazine Bardon Dress: I made the linen version for myself. I’ve wanted to make a linen dress for a while now and I’m glad I made this in time for the trip.

The double gauze dress was the last make for Japan and I only decided to make it after seeing Isabelle fall in love with my first version of this dress. She was literally draping herself in the double gauze fabrics from my fabric stash and wearing my Bardon Dress around, declaring that it was hers now. I thought about altering the one I already had, but I love it myself so I decided to start from scratch.

This dress took a bit to fit her just right, but I’m glad I took the time to make it. Isabelle ended up wearing this the most on the trip, even on the long airplane rides.

Read the sizing details and pattern review.

Previous Makes I Brought

I also brought the following handmade items:

• Peppermint Magazine Pocket Skirt. I made this skirt with a striped fabric from the Candlelight Wovens collection a couple of years ago, but haven’t had a chance to wear it and realized it was way too tight to wear comfortably. To make this work for the trip, I made the waistband bigger and replaced the old woven label with one of my cotton ones.
• Sew House Seven Remy Raglan. This is the first version I ever made as a pattern tester using a linen blend from Joann. At first, it was stiffer than I wanted but has washed up well over the years.
• Style Arc Byron Top. This linen top is heavily altered and I didn’t love the pattern. If you want to try it, I recommend making a muslin first.
• Fennel Fanny Pack. I absolutely love this thing. It goes with me everywhere and is the perfect size.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I ended up making myself the perfect summer capsule wardrobe and I’ve been wearing almost everything nonstop since I got back. Linen really is perfect for heat and humidity and I’m so glad to have these summer staples.

If you want to read more about my travels, find all my Japan posts here and all my travel posts here.

Thanks for reading!