I found all kind of conflicting information when I first set out to plan my outfits for Morocco. I knew very little about their culture and climate and normally would have compensated by bringing a wide variety of clothing—but with three separate flights there and back, I knew I needed to get a little more strategic if I wanted to avoid the stress of lost luggage. Here’s what I brought to my first trip to Morocco, along with my thoughts looking back.
Overview
Overall, I did not feel like I received a lot of judgement for the clothing I brought. I knew the culture favored conservative dress, but that the people were generally more open to visitors dressing in a way that was more comfortable to them. When I looked up packing guides, I found examples of women wearing everything from loose-flowing long everything to tight, midriff bearing club dresses. While what you choose to wear definitely depends on what you spend your time doing, I tended to favor towards the first option—on both a practical and respectful level. Loose-fitting clothing offers the advantage of being cooler as well as attracting less attention. I was able to repurpose a lot of items I already owned to fit into a “modest-ish” outfit.
Weather-wise, I was prepared for it to be much colder than it every really got. As a disclaimer, I never did anything too early or too late at night, and we stayed at hotels that were all equipped with in-room thermostats. That being said, I was glad I brought layers. Covering up my legs was already happening as I attempted to remain culturally courteous, and my trusty lightweight NorthFace jacket covered most of the rest, along with an oversized scarf/ shawl.
Let’s break down the outfits.
Travel
Like I said before, my journey to Morocco was broken up into three separate flights. Comfort was my first priority, and since I was flying with AirFrance (and their strict carry-on weight limits), making sure to wear my heaviest items was also a concern. I chose my heaviest pair of pants, which was a set of black cargo joggers (pockets are a must), a basic tee shirt, a zippered hoodie, and my trusted Brooks Ghosts. I also threw on my jacket and scarf 1) because I’m always freezing on planes, and 2) to relieve some of the weight out of my bag. Nothing too fancy here.
Day One
I got adventurous the very first day. For the most part, day one consisted of the remainder of my travel, gathering with my group, and settling in to our hotel in Marrakesh. My only excursion was for dinner that night. Since I knew Marrakesh was most popular with tourists and more accustomed to less modest dress and because it was a nighttime outing, I felt semi-comfortable with an above-knee dress. This one was Lucky Brand (thrifted), and fit loose through the torso. I paired it with my shawl and favorite Birkenstocks. This was the least modest I dressed my entire visit, and while I did notice a few more glances than I was used to (maybe because of being a little self-conscious), I did feel comfortable and like I wasn’t attracting too much attention.
Day Two
My day two was filled with a lot of sight-seeing through the city. I knew I wanted something comfortable and free-flowing, suitable for a bustling day through crowds and monuments. I also wanted something cute and flattering enough to justify all the Instagram shots I knew I’d be grabbing throughout the day. This dress came from threadUP and I felt like it fulfilled all these purposes. Paired with the same scarf and Birkenstocks, I was ready to go. When I left for an outing that evening, in the cooler nighttime temperatures, I threw on a light sweater and still felt completely comfortable.
Day Three
Another busy day. The main element that dictated what I wore here was the plan to visit the Majorelle Gardens—famous for its greenery and iconic blue architecture. The pink of this dress (from Amazon Essentials) was a perfect pop against this background, but that may be the end of praise I have for it. Before we even got to the gardens, the drawstring in the waist snapped, leaving me in a shapeless sack of a dress. Even after a quick repair (here’s your reminder to pack a sewing kit, people!), it never fit quite right, and the fabric may have been soft, but it was obviously cheap. My black loafters from Rothy’s, however, have yet to let me down.
Day Four
This was mostly a travel day, with a notable stop at Aït Ben Haddou. We were venturing out of Marrakesh into the Atlas Mountains, which meant cooler temperatures in the morning. I also knew Aït Ben Haddou would require a bit of physical activity. Easy enough with a pair of wide-legged lightweight pants (Old Navy), a basic black tee shirt, and the same Brooks shoes I had worn on the plane. In the morning I wore my light NorthFace, and in the afternoon I carried my shawl for sun coverage and warmth, depending on what was needed in the moment.
Day Five
This day was another big travel day, so comfort was in the front of my mind. This outfit was identical to the one the day before—just in different colors. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Day Six
There were a few smaller activities this morning, but this day contained the centerpiece of our travel through the country—our journey into the Sahara. We had a sunset camel ride into the desert slotted for this evening, so I knew a dress or skirt was out of the question. Linen pants (H&M, from threadUP, a patterned linen top (Joie, from TJMaxx), and a linen button-up (Flax, from Poshmark) made up my choices for the day. All linen everything seemed appropriate for the desert. Scarf-sellers popped up everywhere, especially in tourist areas, and I was able to snag one for a headpiece for the equivalent of about $5. Then Birkenstocks for the sand and I was set.
Day Seven
A little bit of sink laundry was a must before I set out this day—the camel behind me in the train decided he liked me and rested his mouth on my hip for most of the ride, leaving a gnarly stain on my tan pants. Besides this, to make everything fit in my small space (and to keep my luggage under weight), I had packed one less pair of pants than I needed to make it through the full 10 days. So this day saw the return of the Old Navy pants, with yet another basic tee shirt. This was our longest travel day, so no regrets about outfit-repeating.
Day Eight
We spent this day in Fes, seeing some sights and doing lots of shopping. I love this cropped tee from Old Navy from the athletic wear section and own it in five different colors. It hits me in the perfect spot on my waist and has held up against multiple washes. I paired it with a patterned slip skirt (Joie, from threadUP), the same gold scarf, and my Birkenstocks again.
Day Nine
This day was spent in Casablanca. It would contain both a visit to the Hassan II Mosque (so a little more modesty was appropriate for a religious site) and a final dinner at Rick’s Cafe that I decided deserved a nicer outfit than most I had worn throughout the trip. This wrap dress I found from threadUP I felt checked both those boxes. I paired this dress with the Rothy’s loafers again.
Day Ten
Travel day! Don’t judge me—I just wore the same thing I wore on the way.
Packing List
All in all, my clothing choices consisted of the following (including what I wore on the plane:
- Four pairs of pants
- Four regular tee shirts + one cropped
- Linen tee shirt
- Linen button-up
- Four dresses
- One skirt
- Light jacket
- One sweater
- One hoodie
- One scarf
- One belt bag + one packable tote
- Three pairs of shoes (sneakers, sandals, flats)
- Underwear for every day
- Three bras
- Five pairs of regular socks + 3 pairs for flats
- 1 pair pajamas
What would I change?
As much as I thought I had things pared down, I really could have cut back on what I brought. First and foremost was my dumbest decision—I really didn’t have a good idea of what the weather was going to be like but knew most of our hotels had pools. There were some people that did jump in, but they didn’t stay long—because it was November. I did not need to waste space on a swimsuit and coverup…in November.
I also would make the swap out for a different alternative instead of bringing the Amazon dress. In retrospect, knowing that the drawstring would break and looking at the pictures of a poorly-fitting garment, I think I could have found something better.
I also would have packed another outlet converter. I had brought a travel-sized hair straightener but was too afraid to plug it in to the single converter I had brought for fear of blowing it and losing my only charging access in a foreign country. I either should have left the straightener at home or, preferably, brought a backup converter.
Final Thoughts
I stressed way more than I should have for this trip! The temperatures were beautiful and the people were welcoming enough that I felt a baseline level of respect for coverage was sufficient to feel comfortable. My main takeaways/ favorite items were a comfortable pair of sandals, and large, lightweight scarf (useful for both sun protection, modesty, and warmth), and a packable tote (which I ended up stuffing full of souvenirs—even a rug!—and brought back home with me as expanded storage). I loved my time in Morocco and would wear a very similar wardrobe if I went again!