Business trip // Expert Packing tips
5 expert tips to help you pack for your next business trip
Packing for a business trip is no easy feat. Of course, you’ll want to travel light, but you’ll also want to be able to dress to impress. Here, Christopher Legard, Managing Director at men’s clothing retailer Joseph Turner, gives us his expert fashion tips that will help you pack for your next business trip.
Preparing for any trip can be tricky, but when it comes to a business trip, it’s important that you’re dressing to impress every day. That means you need to know exactly what to pack, from clothing and footwear to accessories and toiletries. Below, I’ll be taking you through some of my expert tips to help you figure out what you’ll need to pack for your next business trip.
Choose the essentials
When it comes to any trip, the less you can pack, the better. That means you’ll need to pick out a few essential items of clothing that you can mix and match together each day. So, take a blazer and a couple of smart shirts in pale colours. For formal events, you can pair these shirts with some smart dress trousers or a suit, but you can also pack a pair of jeans, chinos or corduroy trousers for a smart casual look. Try to pack trousers of a similar colour if you can, as this can make it easier for you to match everything together. It’ll also mean you won’t need to take as many pairs of shoes.
Take a few pairs of shoes
As a rule of thumb, try to keep footwear to a maximum of two pairs: your smart dress shoes and a more casual pair. Leather brogues and oxford shoes are perfect for those formal looks and, for those smart casual occasions, consider taking along a pair of moccasins, loafers or deck shoes. If you travel in your smart casual shoes, it’s even less for you to pack!
Pack a few accessories
Adding a couple of accessories to your look can really help you impress colleagues and clients. Of course, you’ll already be packing a few ties to go with your business attire, and if you’ve stuck to the same colour scheme with all of your shirts and trousers, it should be easy to pick a tie that you can wear more than once. You should also pack a pair of smart cufflinks that you can wear with any of your shirts. Plain silver ones usually work best.
Pick the right fabrics
Once you get to your hotel, you don’t want to be spending time ironing everything you brought with you. If you choose the right fabrics, you can avoid any wrinkles and creases appearing in your clothing during travel. Natural fibres like wool are pretty durable against creases, so pack a couple of wool jumpers to throw on top of your shirts for those more casual days.
Cotton is a versatile fabric that’s usually used in shirts and suits. Plus, if you opt for a cotton-polyester or cotton-lycra blend, your clothing will be more resistant to wrinkles — which means you’ll have crisp shirts your whole trip.
Don’t forget toiletries
Just because you’re going away doesn’t mean you can’t take along your usual toiletries: just remember to keep them small. You can decant your usual shampoo and shower gel into travel-sized bottles. For your facial hair, a beard oil will keep your beard looking fresh and healthy. And, because it comes in a small bottle, it won’t take up much room in your case or bag.
By taking a few essential shirts, trousers and accessories, you can pack a little bit lighter for your next business trip. Plus, by choosing the right fabrics and keeping yourself well groomed, you can really dress to impress!