Business Travel Mixing Comfort and Style

Most of my adventures don’t require that I dress up, you don’t need a suit in the jungles of Nicaragua or racing a Baja truck across Mexico. But sometimes the nature of a trip means dressing up is not optional, its required. Be it a business trip to NYC to meet with a client or a special occasion like a wedding packing with a suit means you have to be selective and whatever you bring needs to be versatile enough that you can wear it multiple ways. Here are some of my tips for traveling when a suit is required.

I generally prefer to bring a dark blue or grey single-breasted, two button suit, since they are the most versatile. The Siena Suit from Canali is a perfect example of a suit that allows you to transition from a business meeting to a night on the town. Suits, even lighter weight summer suits, take up a lot of space in your bag and with airlines limiting the size and quantity of bags you can take, packing the right suit is key. Another nice feature of the classic two-button suit is the jacket can always be paired with dark jeans and a patterned dress shirt for a smart-casual look.

Once you have selected the perfect suit, getting smart with your accessory choices is the next way you can save space while still being in style. An interchangeable belt gives you two belts in one and when paired with the right shoes allows you to completely change the tone of your suit. Black belt and Oxfords for a serious all business look, while a brown belt and Loafers give a more casual look to the same suit.

The dress shirt and tie are also an important part of any suiting look and can completely change the style of a suit. I always pack a classic white dress shirt, a patterned dress shirt (usually in blue), and a dark grey dress shirt, a black or charcoal grey tie and a tie with some color. Be it the classic style of a white shirt and dark tie to a more relaxed look with a patterned shirt and no tie, you’ll be able to adapt your suit to whatever the occasion may be.

Canali actually has put together a special travel essentials page on their site which pairs all of my personal travel essentials with other great items like their Merino Wool Sweaters, PRYMA for Canali hand-made headphones (perfect for on the plane), and dozens of other select items that make traveling not only more comfortable, but more stylish as well.