The Situation: Managing a travel wardrobe for extended travel
Connie is a senior director for an international organization. She was just promoted to a new role that will involve travel for three weeks at a time. She has been told by leadership her clothing choices would need to mirror her new promotion.
Connie’s biggest concerns are that the wardrobe choices look fresh and using just one bag plus a carry on. Her travels would be first be in the USA for meetings and then in Asian countries (where temperatures can vary greatly) to meet new clients. She needed professional suits for making presentations along with wise clothing choices to wear when entertaining.
The Solution:
We chose three lightweight three piece suits- one from her closet while adding two new ones. Two of the suits had skirts and pants. We used the suits as the anchors. Companion jackets and tops were added to wear with the suits and to be able to mix and match. We stayed with two color combinations so that any of the tops could be worn with the suits and jackets as well as with any of the pants or skirts.
Earrings, necklaces and scarves could also be worn with any of the combinations. The theme was that all pieces had to be interchangeable. Lightweight workout clothes and shoes were selected. We also packed two pairs of shoes, one pair of pumps and one pair of flats (choosing the AGL brand because they are very comfortable in a flat and a pump and Nordstrom had them on sale.) as well as hose. (Asian countries are very conservative.)
We took medium-size, fillable, liquid containers for shampoo, conditioner and any other necessary liquids. All items were rolled except the jackets which were encased in clear plastic cleaner bags. Also, packed items were put in clear bags so if the suitcase was inspected, they were easily seen. Connie confirmed there was laundry service at each of the hotels.
The Outcome:
Connie’s trip turned out to be very successful. She was told by senior leadership she always looked fresh and very confident. She said it was effortless to get dressed especially during the times she had jet lag. The hotels were great about laundry service and pressing jackets if needed. All items came out wrinkle free and were easy to re-pack again.
The smile is the prettiest thing you can wear. Author unknown.