So Sad
The Hidden Columnists--The Invisible Man (aka, Tierney) Edition (05 Nov)

All I can do is shake my head at the waste of column space the NYTimes gives to John Tierney, who digs himself further into obscurity with his latest column, "Camilla's Heavy Baggage" (if you're a Times Select subscriber and feel that you must view this for yourself, here's the link):

Before she and Prince Charles leave our shores, Camilla owes the American people the truth: how many dresses did she pack?

So far, she and British officials have refused to comment on tabloid reports that she packed 50 dresses for the eight-day trip. Perhaps she's trying to be diplomatic. She may know of the great modern American taboo against "overpacking," which is now defined as anything that can't be lugged onto the plane and crammed into the overhead bin.
[...]
Überpackers do not think that one wrinkle-free, stain-resistant blazer from the TravelSmith catalog is all you need for a trip to London. We don't understand the righteous joy travelers take in going around the world with two "versatile" pairs of pants. We don't understand their fondness for spending evenings washing underwear in the bathroom sink. We believe there are two kinds of travelers: überpackers and those who end up trying to borrow our stuff.

We refuse to be shamed into packing light. We honor the titans of the past, like the socialite Rita de Acosta Lydig, who early last century regularly checked into the Paris Ritz with 40 Louis Vuitton trunks. Or Queen Elizabeth, who traveled through Africa with luggage weighing six tons.