Earlier this week the temperature here in Texas was 95 degrees. Not kidding. I keep hoping spring will come back, but I’m not holding my breath. Because if I do I will most certainly pass out from the heat. All of my black, winter-y, heavy clothes are too hot, to0 restrictive, and I am ready to find some new stuff. Although the clothes out right now don’t thrill me, I’m determined to find something that is summer-ready.

What I really want is a white skirt (like this pencil skirt from Boden), but there is no way I would travel in white. Airports and airplanes are dirty, and wearing white is just asking for something to spill on you in transit. So I’m thinking more along the lines of these stone-colored slacks from J. Crew. A lightweight (but not sheer!) print blouse is a great way to stay cool, and I love this sleeveless ruffled top from Banana Republic. Top it off with this short sleeved cardigan from LL Bean. Finish with some cute peep-toe flats, and you will be keeping it cool and professional on your next trip.

Building a Business Travel Wardrobe is an ongoing series here on Road Warriorette. The focus is on the key pieces a woman needs to build a wardrobe that is ideal for travel. Based on the “capsule” wardrobe model, each installment will feature an item that is professional, stylish, and that travels well.

Previous installments in this series have covered all of the components necessary to build a capsule business travel wardrobe:  suits, business casual, tops, dresses, shoes, bags, and accessories. Phew! That’s quite a list. Putting it all together can be pretty intimidating, but it’s definitely doable. Four day trips seem to be the most common (according to my readers) so that is the length of time we will plan for.

For a four day trip, the following work clothes need to be packed:

• Suit, with jacket, slacks, and skirt OR
• Business casual slacks and skirt
• Cardigan
• Four tops
• Two pairs of shoes
• One bag
• Coordinating accessories

Outfits for a four day trip could look like this:

Day 1 (travel day): Pants+blouse A (+suit jacket if needed)

Day 2: Skirt+blouse B (+suit jacket)

Day 3: Skirt+blouse C+cardigan

Day 4 (travel day): Pants+blouse D

Wear whichever shoes you want each day (I recommend alternating for comfort). I bookend with slacks simply because I prefer pants on travel days. Obviously, there are plenty of variations on these outfits that you could choose, which is why the capsule wardrobe is so brilliant. Another option is to bring a dress instead of a skirt–wear it alone one day, and topped with the cardigan another day.

Tips for making it work:

• If you have more than one capsule wardrobe, i.e. one in black and one in brown, try to alternate so you’re not wearing the same thing for every trip. My mother travels every month to see the same people, and she actually notes down in her planner which color she wears each time so she doesn’t wear the same one twice in a row.
• Make sure that all the pieces you pack are non-iron. Ironing is no fun!
• You can make the same skirt and top look completely different by changing a necklace to a scarf, adding a belt, and wearing different shoes.
• I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Make sure everything you buy is comfortable to wear!! (And be aware of any potential wardrobe malfunctions and address them in advance.)

And that’s it! You can pack fewer things, making for a less stressful trip, simply by utilizing a capsule wardrobe. Happy travels!

People email me questions about it. I see Google searches on it. And of course, I see it all the time while traveling. Evidently, there is a lot of confusion about where small carry-ons, or personal items, go. Let me clear it up for you.

There are only two scenarios:

1) You have only one bag, your personal item. In this case, it is perfectly appropriate to put your small carry-on in the overhead bins. If you want to have it closer at hand, put it under the seat in front of you.

2) You have two bags, a suitcase of some sort and a personal item. If you have two bags, put your larger one in the overhead bins (preferably as close to your seat as possible, with wheels facing the correct way) and your smaller one under the seat in front of you. Please do not put both of your bags in the overhead bins, as it takes up space that passengers getting on later will need. The only time this is appropriate is if you are in the bulkhead seats.

One place the personal item never goes is under your seat, or behind your legs. This may be more comfortable for you, but it means the person behind you loses out on space for their small bag or legs. Please be considerate!And the best way to know where all of your luggage goes is to listen to the flight attendants as you are boarding. They will tell you everything you need to know, especially if you don’t fly often.

After my purse was stolen last month, I despaired of ever finding a wallet I would love as much as I loved my old one. My sister had purchased it from Nordstrom (it was the Nordstrom house brand) five years ago, then tired of it after six months and gave it to me. I never dreamed that I would have it for five years–I don’t keep anything like that for five years! It had the perfect amount of credit card slots and pockets, a divided interior, an easy to access zippered coin purse, and was an adorable apple green to boot. Sigh.

Knowing I had to get a replacement, I went shopping only two days after my bag was stolen. It was probably too soon, as I was still in mourning for my stuff and had a hard time finding anything that was even remotely acceptable. But since my old wallet had been from Nordstrom, I figured I would go there and at least try. After circling the wallet counter for about twenty minutes, carefully inspecting every wallet, I saw it.

The bright orange is what got me at first–how can you lose a wallet that color in your purse? Once the clerk had it out for me and I got a chance to really inspect it, I knew the Hobo International Nancy was perfect. It has a divided interior, sufficient credit card slots (fewer than my old wallet, but it’s probably time to pare down), multiple pockets, and is cuuuuuuuute. The coin purse has a kiss closure, which is even easier to open than a zipper, and is made out of adorable black and white fabric. I’ve used it for about six weeks now, and it is highly functional. It works beautifully for travel, holding all of my receipts, membership cards, and boarding pass. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a beautiful, functional wallet that is great for travel.

At a recent party, a friend told me stories about her first few business trips. “It was so tricky! I would never know ahead of time if I had to wear a suit or not, because all of the locations were different,” she said. After a few visits, she figured out strategies to deal with this. Because, as she says, “You don’t want to be the only one not in a suit, but you also don’t want to be seen as the ‘corporate overlord’ visiting from headquarters.”

Here is how she dealt:

• Before you go, ask. Ideally, you will be in communication with someone at the location where you are visiting. Ask them directly what the dress code for that office is. This doesn’t always work, but if you can get a straight answer it will save a lot of headache while packing.
• Pack suits that don’t have to be suits. If you arrive at an office and no one is in a suit, make it simple to slip off your jacket.  Bring suits with pants/skirt that look great whether the jacket is on or not. Wear tops that have sleeves, so if you take your jacket off you will still look professional. A dress suit is a great option here, as long as it has sleeves.
• Take a cardigan in your bag. If I am wearing something short sleeved, I will often bring a (wrinkle-free) cardigan in my bag. If I get to an office and feel like I’m showing too much skin, I can easily put my cardigan on. This is also helpful if it’s warm outside but AC make the inside frigid.

Caveat: It’s not always possible, or advisable, to align your level of formality with that of the place you are visiting. I often go to locations where the employees are in jeans and t-shirts, but there is no way I will wear jeans while visiting a client.

If you are concerned about not knowing if you need to wear a suit on a business trip, there are ways to deal. Wanting to look professional but not stiff or awkwardly formal is a balancing act, so preparation and flexibility is key!

A comment from last week’s What to Wear to the Airport post got me thinking.

Mimi said:

I tend to get cold on long flights – especially now that blankets cost extra! Do you have any suggestions for what to wear if you are either 1) traveling in the wintertime? 2) over age 55 and might not look so great in leggings and a t-shirt (i.e. like they are trying too hard to look cute)?

Since I travel primarily for business, I only dress very casually on really long travel days (such as my upcoming trip to Manila–25 hours of travel!). On a normal length travel day, I will typically wear slacks with some stretch and some sort of knit top with cute flats. However, for those extra-long travel days, there are certainly lots of potential things to wear to the airport besides a dress and leggings.

The easiest part of a comfortable outfit is the top. Wear layers, in a knit, and bring a pashmina. I like to wear a t-shirt or cami that is really soft, topped by a cardigan, wrap, or long sleeved tee.  In the winter, of course, there are additional layers such as a sweater or jacket. I love drapey cardigans that will wrap around you–that extra cuddly layer can really keep in the warmth on a cold plane. (This one on sale at 6pm.com is a great example, and the price is nice!) I always take a pashmina, on every flight, no matter what. It has come in handy so many times as a pillow, blanket, napkin, etc. If you tend to get really cold look into a travel blanket that packs small but keeps you very warm, like this one from Eagle Creek.

The hardest part of a comfortable travel outfit is the bottom. No matter how comfortable, pants can chafe if you wear them for too long. Yoga pants, while casual, offer comfort, warmth, and pants that will move with you. If you are not feeling so casual, TravelSmith has some great travel pants, like their Voyager Knit Pants, that offer the comfort of yoga pants with a more traditional shape. Chico’s also has pants designed for comfort during travel, like the Travelers Fluid Pant. As a bonus, both of these pants pack well. Another option is a long skirt or dress, and if you get cold wear (you guessed it) leggings or tights underneath.

It is definitely possible to be comfortable and look good while traveling, regardless of age.  After all, it’s hard to enjoy your trip if you’re worrying about your clothes the whole time!

Last week, I went to West Palm Beach and Charlotte. It was a great trip, as far as work trips go. My meetings were very successful, I got to stay on the beach, my flights were reasonably on time. I also managed to get a swim and walk/jog in for triathlon training. So overall, an excellent work trip.

The only real mishap happened near the end of travel. Thursday was the last day of meetings, then I was heading home. My shirt for the day was a relatively new print blouse from Banana Republic (similar to the one in the picture, but more fitted), and I was excited to wear it as I’ve been trying to move more toward prints and away from solids. As I got dressed, I realized that the small buttons on the shirt I had chosen were functional, rather than purely decorative as I had assumed before. They only came down to the middle of my chest, but I don’t usually wear button downs because I am busty and always afraid of gaping. And of course, as we were walking into the office, I looked down and realized that two of the buttons had actually come unbuttoned. Yikes! I casually turned around and fixed them, but it set the tone for the day. I was hyper-aware during all of my meetings, and my presentation was especially nerve wracking. Nothing bad happened, until I was actually at the airport. I made it through security (which for some reason took forever), and stepped into the first ladies’ room I saw so I could change. After getting into the stall, I look down and realize those same damn buttons had come undone again. So everyone at CLT last Thursday, you’re welcome for the show. Oy.

The moral of the story is…… well, I’m not totally sure. I love, love this shirt, and I don’t want to have to stop wearing it. I also don’t want to flash cleavage at work. Because it will slip over my head without unbuttoning it, I think I will safety pin all of those little spaces closed. I guess the moral of the story is to  move around in your clothes before leaving the safety of your hotel room, and make sure that everything stays covered!!

A recent stay at a hotel went in a routine fashion, except for one thing. As I was setting my toiletries in the bathroom, I saw a little sign. Usually these signs say things like, “Don’t worry! If you forgot your toothbrush, toothpaste, etc., you can get one from us!” So, I ignored this sign for a while. Then I noticed it look unusually long for that type of sign, and I took a closer look. And laughed for probably ten minutes. Thanks for making my day!!

A reader recently sent me this question:

After a few business trips, I’m starting to get pretty good at going through security quickly. But I’m not totally sure what to do with my purse! I see some people put their purse in a bin, and some not. What is the correct way to do it?

Great question! I don’t know that there is a “correct” thing to do with your purse; it really depends on what will get you through fastest and with the least amount of fuss. Does your purse have a zipper? If so, I have found that the easiest thing to do is zip it up and put it directly onto the belt. If your purse doesn’t zip, then I definitely recommend putting it into a bin. The last thing you want is for stuff to fall out and then spend a lot of time having to wait for it to come through the scanner and pick it up! At least if stuff falls out in a bin, you can pick the whole bin up and move it out of the way. On days when my purse with a zipper is too full to zip, which happens sometimes, I will just throw it in a bin.

Hope this helps!

Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything is just a little off? Not bad, really, just little things that don’t go the way you wish they would, that snowball until you wondered how you made it to work at all? Today, trying to get to Nashville just for the day, was one of those mornings for me.

Having to wake up at 4am is never fun, but I went to bed before midnight last night so that at least I would get a little sleep. Of course, I woke up every hour for various reasons. My dog moved, my phone made a noise, my husband had to get up, etc. So when 4am came around I was groggy, but I got up.

Last night, when I was getting everything ready for this morning, I made sure the pants I wanted to wear were ready to go. This morning when I put them on, they were so wrinkled from the knee down that it looked like someone had wrung them out before they dried. Okay, on to outfit plan B. Luckily I had one ready, otherwise I may have panicked.

I managed to get the rest of my morning routine done, get my coffee, and get into the car only about ten minutes late. I start driving, and exit the highway for the road that will eventually lead me to the airport. Except after I get about a mile down, I see that there is a cop car, completely blocking the road. So I have to turn around, go back to the highway, and take another way to the airport that of course takes longer.

When I arrive, I’m a little concerned because a) there are only 45 minutes until my plane leaves, and b) it’s Monday so I know the lines will be long. I was not disappointed–the lines were incredibly long. Even the line to print out boarding passes was long. I manage to get my pass and get into the Premium Customer lane. Although I was flying Southwest, I’ve always gotten into the Premium Customer line and showed my American Platinum card, and they have allowed me to do that. Of course, this morning the guy checking to make sure only actual premium customers are in the line gives me a hard time, but whatever. But then our line takes forEVER. A lady that got in the normal lane at the same time I got in line went through faster than I did.

By the time I make it to my gate, they are boarding. I get right into line and on the plane, no breakfast of course, but I’m just glad I made my flight. And the best part of my morning, one of my friends is on the flight so we get to visit. After chatting for a while about various things, we notice that we haven’t actually taken off yet. No announcements had been made, so we just figure we have to hang out for a bit longer. After realizing that it’s 6:35, and we should have already landed in Houston (where I was connecting to Nashville), I start to get anxious. Then the announcement is finally made: it’s a mechanical issue and we are going back to the gate. (BTW, what is going on with Southwest these days?? They have had some awful luck lately.) By the time a gate opens up, it is after 7 and there is no way I could make my connection. Taking the next flight means that I would arrive in Nashville around 1:30pm. At that point I decide to cut my losses, call my travel agent to cancel my trip, and go home.

So. That was my interesting morning. Hopefully my next trip goes more smoothly!