Travel Wardrobe

[pratyk]

Now I know this is a highly subjective topic but I was wondering how everyone around here packs for short / intermediate / long stays (clothes, shoes, other accessories) to be functional but look sharp at the same time.


I travel a few times a year, mostly local (2-3 days to a week) and at least one international trip (7-15+ days) and I could sure use some tips..

[alan]

It really depends on what I'm doing whenever I get to where I'm going, but...


Pants:

I only ever take one pair of pants for dressier situations and one pair of pants for more casual situations (in addition to what I'm wearing on the plane) if my trip is that short. You can reuse pants a few times. For longer trips, take a pair of pants for ever 3-4 days.


Shoes:

This is the same as the pants. One casual and one dressy. You'll be wearing one on the plane, anyways, so it's not hard to pack a second pair. For longer trips like my honeymoon, I did take 4 pairs of shoes, but we were hiking, going to fancy dinners, lounging by the pool... There were a lot of specific, different situations. generally, you should only need a couple pair (and you'll only ever have one in the suitcase at any given moment because the other will be on your feet). I also ALWAYS pack my flip flops, but that's a personal preference. They take up no space and they're handy for hanging around the hotel.


Shirts:

Exactly WHICH shirts I pack depends on what I plan on doing, but (for shorter trips) I generally pack a shirt for each day, and then I pack an extra in case one of the shirts gets dirty. For longer trips, most nicer hotels either have laundry service or can arrange for it so you don't need to take 10+ shirts. Just take enough to get you halfway through the trip and expect to do laundry somewhere in the middle.


Suits:

I hardly ever have occassion to travel with a full-on suit, but it happens from time to time. My honeymoon was one such example. A navy suit will allow you to wear the pants and jacket either together or separately to help diversify your travel wardrobe while keeping it to a minimum of pieces. Just be sure to have both the jacket and pants cleaned together to prevent one piece from wearing faster than the other - even if only one piece gets dirty.


Layering:

Having pieces like sweaters and blazers allows you to make a large number of combinations while keeping the number of pieces down. I wouldn't carry more than one casual jacket/coat, though.

[alan]

Also, if you pick a single, general palette (or two if you're taking a lot of stuff) for everything you pack, it will making mixing and matching pieces easier when you get there. You should still have a few "pop" pieces to finish off the outfits, but that's easy to do with ties, socks, etc.


It's hard to go wrong with basic "foundation" colors - black, white, khaki, navy, grey, brown.

[nicholascrawford]

Wear your suit (or whatever is your dressiest outfit for the trip) on the plane and stuff the rest in a small carry-on bag. No garment bag, no problems!


I usually pack 1-2 pairs of pants and 2-3 shirts that all mix and match, regardless of the length of the trip. One pair of shoes.

[jason_carreira]

Nooooo! Gotta have at least 2 pairs of shoes... Gotta let 'em rest between wears, remember?

[nicholascrawford]

Work all day, party all night, wake up and go back to work when your feet hit the floor with the laces still tied!


I brought a second pair on last week's trip but didn't mind because it was a car trip. When I'm flying, especially internationally, it's gotta be one pair. =)

[Cannon]

The wardrobe is based on my usual inspirations: Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, The English Patient, and if it is cool or involves some nature, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. This means chinos (cream, british khaki, and one darker or navy color), maybe a pair or two of dark denim, one pair of sneakers, one pair of nice boots, a couple polos, a couple of button up shirts (usually a white and a light blue like an oxford), a couple sweaters, and a jacket. But this all varies depending on where I go, so some stuff gets left behind and others get more added space. For example, if it is a trip down to the Keys I would leave out a sweater.