I have a lot of empathy for those who have anxiety about flying; having suffered from it myself when I was young, I know it is not a fun way to travel for yourself or your travel companions. After years of not suffering, I am sad to report that my travel anxiety has come back, but this second round, at this point in my life, is not from the airplane or inflight turbulence but from getting through the crazy busy airports and the herding process of boarding. The airport anxiety usually results in hold-ups at security, finding an overhead space, and avoiding other passengers carrying large drinks and paper bags of food so by the time I get to my seat, I know the hard part is over, and if the flight is on time, I can finally begin to relax. |
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Getting through security with pre-check is helpful, but the importance of packing well in a small carry-on bag has become a science experiment for frequent travelers. The airlines are getting more and more fiscal on measurements and weight, so just cramming everything into a carry-on piece won’t cut it anymore, and keeping things as lightweight is just as important. With most of us traveling with a laptop, the remaining weight for a 20lb allowance for your wardrobe can be limiting, to say the least, so packing correctly has become more important than ever.
For a short business trip of a day or two, I always plan my outfit needs around the needs of the various meetings I expect to have. I will pick a narrow color palette, such as navy with grey or black with khaki, to help sort out the pieces for the upcoming trip. This also helps me with accessories (which we men must think of too). Navy, for example, gives me a choice of brown, cognac, and navy, which I would co-ordinate accessories around, trying as best I can to avoid multiple shoes as they quickly add weight and volume to my carry-on. The white sneaker is an easy choice and literally can go with any color palette and probably why it is ever more popular with our clients who are looking for less formal business attire. |
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Our 4-way stretch is amazing, and it is easy to understand why our clients love it so much. I find myself relying on its easy wear and simple care more and more. I literally have slept in 4-way stretch pants on long-haul flights and find that a simple steam with a hotel iron is an easy way to freshen them up. Having the option for sportscoat in this miracle fabric gives me a perfect travel companion, and I have learned to hang my sportscoat on the little hook on the back of most airplane seats. Most of the lightweight wools we offer for spring in essentials are year-round and wrinkle resistant due to the high-twist characteristic of the wool yarn from our Italian partners. Similar to the 4-way stretch, a wool sportscoat or suit can be easily freshened up if needed with a light steam. This also applies to summer weights that are blended with wool that we offer in the collection; just remember to hang in-flight, but this advice also applies to car journeys too, and why most cars have small hooks over the back seats. I actually leave a hanger in my car to further help maintain the shape of my jacket.
For shirts and knits we offer a wide range of easy-care fabrics from non-iron shirts to Journey from Thomas Mason and our performance blends from Canclini and Ratti. Our Canclini fabrics are great as shirts and stylish polos, which can work under sportscoats for most business trips. Like the 4-way stretch, the Canclini and Ratti fabrics are incredibly easy to take care of with a quick steam; most wrinkles from packing can fall out. My latest favorite is the Albini Flex; with its soft colors and high percentage of stretch, this knit fabric is a great travel companion; with its easy-care and polished look will work great for business needs.
Anything longer than a few days (4 days max) can be taxing on you and your wardrobe, so with much chagrin of my travel companions, I would rather check my luggage than have the stress of cramming too much into a carry-on and having the airline make you check it anyway if you can’t get it past the gate. For me, it’s one less thing to stress about, and the upside is it always gives you room to do some impulsive shopping. |
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