Packing for Japan: Pants/Skirts/Dresses

I've heard from several sources (friends, travel guides, websites) that you should pack a bit on the dressier side for Japan. One friend told me she didn't seen anyone wearing blue jeans when she was in Japan last year and advised on nicer pants and skirts and dresses instead. A dressier society is something I can get on board with so I'm happily taking her suggestion!

Here's what I'm packing for bottoms: two pairs of pants, a pair of nice shorts, one casual day dress, and one fancy black skirt.

I've never had a pair of pants that fits better than these Paige jeans. My sister-in-law found them at T.J.Maxx and they were too long on her so she gave them to me! Best gift ever. These are the kind of stretch jeans that don't lose their shape even after multiple times wearing them which is great for travel. They will go with all of the tops I'm bringing (perks of neutral colors!) and I can roll up the bottoms if it gets hot. I think I'll wear them on the plane too. They're as comfy as leggings.

These Gap olive khaki pants hit mid-calf and have sort of a tomboyish fit. They make me feel a little rugged-chic, you know? If Japan had safaris, these are the pants I'd wear.

These shorts (with pockets!) are not your typical pair of shorts. They're a looser cut and almost look like a skirt. One day we're hiking up a mountain to see a castle and I'll probably wear these so that I don't completely melt.

This is the one dress I'm bringing--it's a casual daytime shift dress that's made of a nice sweatshirt type material. Not everyone likes to wear shapeless dresses but for my fairly straight figure it's one of my favorite looks. This one also has pockets and looks cute with the sneakers I'm bringing. (The dyed pattern sort of reminds me of Ace and Jig's prints--partly why I got it!)

I'm so excited about this high-waisted knee-length black skirt. My sweet mother-in-law got it for me when we were shopping at Banana Republic together. This is my replacement for a little black dress and to me, this is better--I can wear it with any of the tops I'm bringing (tucked in or tied in a knot to the side), swipe on some red lipstick, and instantly I'm ready for dinner or a night on the town. It's pretty and light and I feel good in it. This is my only "fancy" piece of clothing but I know I won't get tired of wearing it and changing my look a little bit each time.

This is it for clothing! I made one small addition to my tops pile--a thin long-sleeved emerald green shirt I'd been intending to pack but forgot about because it was in the laundry--so my total clothing count is now at 11 and it's staying at 11. I actually put everything in the bag I'm bringing and it was shocking how light it was and how much leftover room I had. Hooray!

Next up, shoes. (This one is a record for me. I'm bringing only TWO pairs.)