But don't despair; if you follow the guidelines below, you will be able to just throw what you already have in your suitcase and go.

1. PICK A COLOR SCHEME

Choose your separates in three colors that match -- i.e. rust, gold and beige or red, white and black. Make one of the colors neutral (white, black, ivory, tan or beige). Try not to wear all neutrals. You'll blend into the background, especially in the desert.

2. LET SEPARATES BE YOUR GUIDE

Separates are best for a lot of reasons. They're easy to "layer" when it goes from warm to freezing. One-piece outfits need constant washing and you don't want to be seen in the same thing too often. Lingerie, sportswear and even your pajamas can be counted as a separate. Two words about jumpsuits - don't bother. You'll know what we mean when you try to struggle out of one in the confines of an airplane bathroom.

3. TRAVEL FRIENDLY FABRICS

Fabrics that travel well are silk, light wool crepes, stretchy nylon and believe it or not, some velvets. And don't forget the old stand bys denim and khaki. They go with anything, can withstand a nuclear winter and you can actually get away with wearing them more than once before washing. Avoid linens and heavy cottons. They wrinkle like crazy.

4. YOU'LL WALK MILES IN YOUR SHOES

No matter how hard you try to rationalize it, you will only need three, yes, three pairs of shoes on an average vacation. Each pair should be of a color that fits your chosen color scheme. You need flats for walking, low-heeled shoes for a quick shopping trip or brunch. And high-heels for dinner, dancing or that come hither look at the Tiki bar. Warning: stilettos and cobblestone streets do not mix.

5. ACCESSORIES TO THE RESCUE

Accessories can do more than gild the lily. They can take Miss Lily from Sunday to Saturday and from day to evening. The right scarf or jewelry can turn a jersey two piece from a day touring the wine country to a night on the town. Let scarves and jewelry set the tone for the outfit.

6. SCARVES -- TYING IT ALL UP

Pack at least two that fit your color scheme and that can be either casual or dressy. A casual scarf should be long, thin and simple in color and pattern. A dressy scarf can be larger, and more complicated in color and pattern. Try animal prints or something with a metallic thread in the pattern. A larger scarf can be tied around the waist or over the shoulder.

7. HATS ARE TOPS

A good hat can shade your face from the sun, finish off an outift and hide the fact that you haven't had a chance to wash your hair since you left home. Straw hats are the best to go from the beach to brunch or from a walk in the woods to a seaside dinner. If you want to go for a really pulled together look, use your casual (see tip 6) scarf to create different hat bands.

8. JEWELRY UNLIMITED

Since the space jewelry takes up in your suitcase is minimal, it's not necessary to limit yourself. A word of warning. Do not flash a lot of expensive jewelry when traveling. It will attract the kind of locals you don't want to meet.

9. BUCKLE UP WITH BELTS

One matching belt per pair of shoes will do. Also try bringing along a metallic belt that can dress up an outfit in an instant.

10. HAND BAGS TO GO

Pack one for day and one for evening. Hand Bags present an interesting problem. While traveling, a woman has to carry her wallet, passport and make-up but she also has to carry a still-camera, a video camera, extra batteries, tapes, guidebooks, maps and, depending on the country, toilet paper. If she has children in tow, she's carrying more bags than a redcap at LAX.

For day, the best vacation purses are tote bags with long shoulder straps, backpacks or slings. In other words, take along any bag that leaves your hands free for customs inspections and/or the sale racks at Harrod's. At night, you can switch to a smaller Coach or clutch bag.

A word of caution if you're traveling internationally with animal skin accessories: In some countries, accessories made from the skins of endangered animals can get you arrested.

11. FLOOR LENGTH ROBE

For your own safety, never wear anything less when answering the door of your hotel room or letting in anyone from room service.

12. WHAT TO WEAR IN TRANSIT

The word to remember for traveling is "layering". Things can go from hot and stuffy to freezing in an instant. Don't forget your feet. Keep them warm and comfortable. The shoes you left New York in will be killing you by the time you get to London.

Also check the weather of your destination and pack for the lowest and highest temperatures. If there's anything you absolutely positively cannot afford to lose, carry it with you. There's the obvious items like cash, credit cards, passport, jewelry and contact numbers but don't forget things like medication or hard-to-find make-up.

If you are truly anal (as we are), also carry on the plane or train with you a small pouch with the necessities for the pre-arrival touch up - toothbrush, mouthwash, make-up, eye drops etc. For air travel, you'll also need to apply lots of skin lotion. But remember, nobody looks fresh coming off the red-eye.

13. WOMEN OF COLOR

Few places in the world carry make-up dark enough for women of color. Women of color do not constitute a large enough part of the marketplace in these areas. This is true for countries like Australia or cities like Beverly Hills. Take extra with you. Also there are few places outside the U.S. that can handle relaxers and African-American hair. If a relaxer needs touching-up, a stylist should take care of it before you leave. And to keep that relaxer from frizzing up don't forget your shower cap.

14. HOW MUCH TO PACK Use the following formula: Add the number of days of your vacation to the number of days you will be traveling. Then pack one complete outfit (composed of separates) for each day. This formula is not to help you prepare an outfit for each day. If you're having a good time, you may be changing clothes at least three times a day. If you assemble enough separates, you should almost certainly have enough pieces to create the number of outfits that you need.

15. HOW TO PACK

Use the pick, mix and nix method. 1.) Pick all the clothes you want to take. 2.) Mix and match the pieces to make sure you can co-ordinate several outfits. 3.) Nix anything that doesn't go with at least two outfits.

16. MAINTENANCE

Take nothing that has to be Dry Cleaned. It's expensive overseas and not every hotel offers an in-house service. Travel steamers are a good idea but most hotels will provide you with an iron. When you get to your room, hang everything immediately. If anything has wrinkled, just hang it on the shower rod (away from the water) and turn on the hot water full blast. The steam will do wonders. A good stain remover is a must.

17. PACKING IT ALL IN

The fastest way to get wrinkles in your clothing is to fold everything into neat little bundles. The key to minimizing wrinkles is to fold long items (pants, long skirts etc.) only once and to place them one on top of the other like layers on a birthday cake. You can put tissue paper in between the layers for extra protection. Pack with the heaviest items on top. Cushion your electrical appliances (hair dryer, curling iron etc.) by placing them in the center of your packed clothing. Place smaller items like jewelry and panty hose in your shoes. But only your costume jewelry. It's amazing how many sticky fingers can get into a locked suitcase once it leaves your hands.

BONUS TIP

If you're going on a three hour boat tour and the first mate's name is Gilligan, cancel your trip or pack more clothes. Bon Voyage! ----
Shirley Pierce and Janet Behmer are the authors of the book that's changing the way women think about clothes and themselves -- "Dress Me Now: How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave". Check out their DressMeNow.com web site at http://www.dressmenow.com