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Las Vegas has always intrigued me. For years, I wanted to see places I’d read and heard about, especially the themed resorts. I wanted to walk through every casino and listen for someone winning big. I pictured the traits of Las Vegas as similar to my favorite place, Manhattan, in the sense of being international, one-of-a-kind, touristy, never sleeping, and indulgent. But I wanted to avoid Elvis sightings, wedding chapels and wondering how much more showgirls made when performing topless.

Prior to my first trip last fall, I pondered over what to wear while there. Reading other traveler’s accounts that a person can wear “anything, anywhere” didn’t help. I even read one fairly long thread on a message board debating what kind of shoes to wear in Vegas; people who were out all day, walking the strip, had vastly different opinions than those who get into Vegas glamour, as you can well imagine. I was stumped. Going to Vegas, (where apparently one could wear summer or winter clothes in October) opened a world of possibilities. Unfortunately, with the first few days unusually cool and the last couple days hectic, I never did get to enjoy the Flamingo’s famed, landscaped pool area. So, I’ll just relay what I found appropriate for an average family doing normal, touristy things in the city when it’s around 50-60 degrees (By the way, I saw several women wearing winter boots at night, but even I, normally cold, did not think they were necessary.)

During the days I wore Capri’s with coordinating camisoles/tops under blouses. This worked because the blouses could come off easily and be tied around my waist when out in the warm sun, but the long sleeves were sometimes needed when in casino air conditioning. I felt a bit dressier than if I was wearing jeans or shorts, but not overly fussy. I always felt that length of pant can accommodate flats, sandals or tennis shoes equally well, and, since I wore all three at various times of day during my stay, I felt comfortable without feeling too frumpy. I didn’t feel that I wasn’t dressed well enough for the fancy digs of the Caesar’s Shops or walking through the mega-resorts, but wasn’t too overdressed for casual stops like the nature preserve or a fast food snack.

Nights deserved a total re-creation. Seeing a Cirque du Soleil performance was definitely a fancy occasion. For that I wore a slinky skirt and top set with heels and my teenager wore a short sleeved tunic dress with leggings and heels. (We needed outerwear, since the temperature dipped to 50, so I took a knobby, short, dressy jacket and she wore her Criss Angel hoodie purchased at the Luxor that day.) Again, we weren’t over the top elegant, but neither was the majority of the audience, either. Afterward, our choices comfortably took us shopping and were warm enough for the half hour wait at Treasure Island’s outside “Sirens” performance.

For Phantom of the Opera, my daughter wore a jumper with coordinating long sleeved top and leggings, and a long, sparkly scarf tied around a pony tail, while I wore silky black pants (with a slight flare) and a royal blue halter sprinkled with fine glitter. Heels and dressy bags set off our ensembles, and the same outerwear was much appreciated, since the Venetian’s theater was exceptionally cool. Afterwards, we were dressed appropriately for an upscale Chinese restaurant.

To attend a magic show, I wore a knee length, shirt-type dress with a matching wide belt and my daughter wore an embroidered, lace edged, denim mini skirt with a favorite top. These outfits also took us browsing downtown for dinner, souvenir shopping, and the outdoor Freemont St. experience.

(Lest I overlook the male view, my husband wore good-quality slacks in the evenings with a dress shirt, and more casual pants and pullovers during the days. Men have it so easy.)

Our clothes weren’t attention getting, but we felt warm, comfortable and more special than on run-of-the-mill-days. Our travel wardrobe added excitement but was adaptable to wherever we’d find ourselves. Keeping those goals in mind, we can all succeed when it comes to packing for our trips.