Versatility keeps travelers looking good
As a managing director for clothing chain Talbots Inc., Jane Inman regularly finds herself traveling up and down the Eastern Seaboard visiting stores.
Not only does the job require knowledge about current fashion trends, it requires her to have a handle on current weather conditions -- so she knows what exactly to pack.
"I can go from the snow to the sun and back again," Inman says before a recent business trip to Florida. "You always want to look appropriate for the weather."
Inman, who travels every week, is a pro when it comes to packing for trips. She relies on comfortable, versatile clothes that can be mixed, matched, and layered.
For example, she might bring two pairs of black pants -- one long and one cropped -- that will work with tops in different colors or textures.
In case the weather changes, she likes to layer two tops, such as a knit top with a blazer or a camisole with a blouse. And because all the tops coordinate with the bottoms, she has options in case she spills something.
Even in cold weather, she tries to avoid coats because they can be cumbersome to carry and can wrinkle her outfit. Instead, she relies on wraps and sweaters, which can also be convenient for covering up on an airplane.
Along with the weather, Michael Macko, men's fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, considers what kinds of events and activities he will be attending. On a recent trip to Dubai, for instance, he attended business events, as well as a horse race and a dinner on a yacht.
He advises a similar mix-and-match approach for men. A navy or gray jacket can be worn as part of a suit or paired with khakis or jeans as a more casual sport coat.
Frequent fliers have their own methods for keeping clothes clean and wrinkle-free. Inman keeps her clothes on hangers in dry cleaning bags, which she folds into thirds before putting them in her luggage.
Eric Brinker, director of brand management and customer experience for JetBlue, tries to roll up his clothes instead of folding them and also packs shirts folded directly from the cleaners. Macko prefers to wrap his clothes in tissue paper, which he admits is painstaking, but it is effective in preventing wrinkles.
Shoes can pose some difficulty for travelers because they are heavy. On a short trip, Inman might try to get by with only two pairs of shoes and will try to wear the heavier pair so she won't have to carry them.
Brinker, who flies JetBlue's domestic routes weekly as part of his job, tries to limit his shoe selection to three pairs: loafers, lightweight running shoes, and flip flops.
Business travelers also put careful consideration into the types of luggage they use. Inman, for instance, prefers a soft shoulder bag because it is lightweight and allows her extra room to bring home gifts for her family. Macko has two rolling suitcases from L.L. Bean. He will use both bags on longer trips, but always makes sure he can carry them himself.
Macko is not always able to pack light and usually will check a bag. Inman prefers to carry her bag on the plane -- as a result, she has become adept at packing only what she needs.
"You learn pretty quickly that you don't want to lug that bag around too far," she says. 