Packing appropriately for a business trip can relieve some of the anxiety associated with travel — and help you focus on the work at hand.
“Travelling is hard on everybody,” says Anne Sowden, image consultant with Here’s Looking at You in Toronto. When you’re travelling for business, the people you meet still expect you to be focused on them and not whether you remembered to pack your toothbrush.
Follow these tips to make sure you look professional — not frazzled — on your next business trip:
> Mix and match
Take a look at the agenda for the trip, Sowden says, to help you plan what you’ll need to wear.
For example, just because you are gone for three days doesn’t mean you need three suits, she says. Instead, you might pack one suit with a couple of different shirts and ties. Or there might be events at which it would be appropriate to wear a suit jacket and casual pants.
Women can also mix and match by packing the basics: dress pants; a skirt and jacket in neutral colours; and a few tops.
> Start early
Give yourself plenty of time to pack to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Don’t leave it until an hour before you have to depart, Sowden says, or even the night before. Otherwise, if something has been left at the dry cleaners or you have to buy something before leaving, you will be rushed and more anxious.
Sowden recommends starting to pack a few days before you have to leave.
> Dress for the journey
Always dress professionally on a business trip — even when you’re in transit.
Avoid jeans and T-shirts, Sowden says. If your luggage is lost or your flight is delayed, you may not have time to change before your meeting. That’s why it’s wise to travel wearing something that would be appropriate for a meeting.
> Lose those wrinkles
Choose clothes made from fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily, Sowden says, such as wool, or material with some synthetic content.
If you get to the hotel, open your suitcase and find your clothing is rumpled, don’t panic. Sowden offers this easy trick to smooth out the wrinkles: hang everything up at the far end of the shower rail, turn on a hot shower and close the door. After about 15 minutes the steam will have made all the clothes wrinkle-free.
> Don’t forget about shoes
You can never be well dressed if you’re wearing the wrong shoes.
Take a minimum of two pairs of shoes with you, Sowden says: one dress pair and one that is slightly more casual.
Wear one pair as you travel and pack the other in a plastic bag to keep your luggage clean. Save on space by packing socks inside the shoes in your bag.
As well, she says, wear shoes that can be removed easily when you go through airport security.
This is the first in a two-part series on packing for business travel. Next week: Pack smart for business travel.