Getting Dressed is a JOB

I'm only slightly kidding...five useful thoughts on packing for work (and play) travel

Good morning from this garden I stumbled on in Paris outside the by Malene Birger showroom. So wild how many thousands of little gems there are like this here. What a place! Chanel jacket (some serious TRR gems right now. And not no to this if you are a size 4.) Polo pants.

Getting dressed is part of my job, which feels funny to say! But I’d argue it’s part of everyone’s job. What are you saying to your boss, your coworkers, your fellow commuters without speaking? What are the needs of your day? Are you on your feet? (Supportive shoes!) At a desk? (Comfy waistlines!) You get my drift. And those thought processes behind what we choose to wear can feel even more intense when you’re putting it all together out of a suitcase…wanting to display your most confident professional self, without the broader resources of your home closet. But it can also be liberating. Working with a smaller selection can help clarify what we REALLY want to wear, and what is just noise in physical form.

I’m freshly home my biannual work trip to London, Milan and Paris (getting the scoop on what we will want to wear next Fall…more on that next weekend) where I got up, got dressed and meditated on what worked (and what really didn’t!) for two weeks of meetings, shows and on-the-ground research.

And since meditating on getting dressed is what I do best, I have some takeaways on what I’ll do well to remember for the next time I pack my suitcase…and of course, some fun on-the-fly solutions that worked for me this time around (and hopefully will for you too.) Today, five ideas that helped to carry me through, sartorially speaking. Plus a kind of travel wardrobe diary…because getting dressed is the most FUN JOB. And sometimes, outfits are the story!

Think about where you are going. Really.

Ok yes, this sounds straightforward. Check the forecast. Skim your daily schedule. But then, also do a little research on the destination’s culture: Will the restaurants require you to change for dinner? What is the local uniform (from what you can glean) from the internet and friends? Work travel allows us to experience a city as close to “local” as possible, without actually moving to said place. So I like to, at least slightly, dress the part of the daily commuters where I am. And it’s also helpful to not look like a total mark on the metro. Is there anything better than someone asking you for directions in the local language!? Success!!

I mention all this because London/Milan/Paris all have slightly different vibes. And I ended up tweaking what I wore in each. I started my trip in London, where I was hosted by Burberry to attend the FW25 show. Thank you Burberry for getting me back to London for the first time in 10 years! (*Disclosure, they paid for that leg of my trip.*) I had been joking with a friend six months ago that my itch to get back to London was getting so strong I really thought I should go to Burberry this season, so when their team reached out and asked if I wanted to join them, I was over! the! moon!

Travel day outfit (though I did wear sweatpants on the long haul from JFK —> LHR) I wore this for a day of exploring the local retail scene (trench report coming in April!!) and then onto my short commuter flight from London to Milan. Burberry trench, Donni sweatshirt (sold out but I also like this one), Levi’s, Birkenstocks.

But back to what I was saying. London is a city with a constant threat of rain. Extremely practical people with straight forward ways of dressing. I was there two days and pretty much wore one outfit the entire time. Felt fine on the Tube not over or under dressed at a chic-as-can-be dinner at The Dover, directly to the fashion show, a quick stop in my hotel room to record a podcast and then to the afterparty, all without changing.

On my way to an early dinner with a friend before the show, looking very much at home here in head-to-toe Burberry. The brand generously offered to dress me for the show, and so of course I spent hours on the site picking out the perfect outfit. Narrowed it down to denim on denim and this insanely cute little kilt…but ended up in the full denim simply due to the sheer amount of activities I wanted to pack into one evening…mobility was key. Trench, denim shirt, jeans (took my regular 26 and they are prefect), boots, bag, B earrings (which, I could not resist and had so much fun wearing…for all you other Bettys, Beckys, Beths, Brookes and Biancas out there!)

A better shot of my denim on denim that has unexpectedly become this trip’s next lesson in packing. The combo just works in so many scenarios. Dressy, casual, travel day. Swap out coat and/or jewelry. Can’t overstate the brilliance of this plan that I accidentally included in my suitcase that I wore multiple times. But more on that in bullet point no.2 below.

The uniform did a 180 in Milan, where people move a bit slower and the sun shined brightly the entire time I was there.

There is a culture of window shopping in Milan, where on the weekends, couples young and old, families, dogs, all walk extremely slowly, stop in front of store windows and discuss their contents. It’s honestly remarkable to witness. But in addition to making you realize you should slow down a little bit, it reinforces my understanding that there is an extreme respect for craft and product there that’s in their blood. I mean, we all know what that “Made in Italy” stamp on a product means.

With that understanding, I felt an urge to get a little more dressed. The whole week there I pretty much exclusively wore my two pencil skirts, switching between them and changing my jacket to give the appearance of changing clothes. And…real shoes, no sneakers, no Birks.

Day one in Milan. Sunny as can be with a slight chill, wearing all tried and true pieces that you’ve seen from my closet, but in a very Milanese way. Kallmeyer jacket, Donni sweatshirt (and the available alt), The Row skirt (a beautiful alt if your size is gone), tights, Bally mary janes, Miu Miu bag, small, old wayfarers. I’m thinking about trying these, which are similar.

Same same but different. Bally jacket (my big purchase of the trip and not available online) but any cropped leather works. I also like this and this for a similar idea in shape/legnth/closure. V-neck layering which we talked about in January. Linnea Lund sweater (she is good too as a merino option) Extreme Cashmere tee, vintage YSL skirt (many alt ideas in this letter!) and same accessories as above.

And then in Paris, for the past week, all bets were off. So many styles represented here on the streets. Yet everyone is dressed. I always joke that in Paris, you’re not quite sure who is going to a fashion show, and who is just going about their day. And this truly does apply throughout the day. I saw a full on, sequin jacket at the breakfast buffet in my hotel! In Paris I had fun experimenting with the wardrobe I brought, layering and delayering, alway with some sort of confident, feminine element. Maybe a more ladylike shoe (Chanel moccassins were worn a lot) or fun pants or pink or a chain bag. For some reason here, I just want to be the most feminine version of myself. I’m less interested in the irony of masculine/feminine balance getting dressed here and more focused on feeling grown up. Maybe that is an exploration for another day! You can see what I mean below.

When all else fails, just look at a Miu Miu runway show and glean some inspo. For a long day of shows and meetings, I wore a uniform of basic shapes and colors paired with a ladylike long, collarless coat and fun shoe to make sure it doesn’t feel too boyish. A Kallmeyer coat (left the scarf at home) which I wore on the plane as a blanket, and which folded up nice and flat in my suitcase for the return. Great medium weight and unfussy shape for travel, if I do say so! Cos sweater, LMND blue button down, Toteme pants (I wanted a slim leg for this trip and these were perfect (regular size, needs a hem).

The Row for The Row! Always a special day here in Paris. The mood is always calm walking into the Row’s presentations. And I like to wear something that day that also gives me the feeling of calm and control. Brought back out my sparkly pencil skirt for the second time this trip but paired it much differently. With chunky flat brogues (also the Row, but these are great too. And how about these on sale?), opaque tights, a white tee and navy V, a thin, sporty puffer to Americanize it all (stylistically speaking!)

For a crazy day of running around Paris. Issey Miyake show near the Louve. Victoria Beckham in an abandoned building in the 9th. “Resee” of Chloe in the 8th. Lunch with the very talented jewelry designer Charlotte Chesnais at Palais Royale. A visit to Simone Rocha’s showroom in the Marais. Karen Brown’s debut for Polo Women’s in the 6th (which was amazing and the talk of the TOWN. Huge congrats Karen!)…I was all over the map. So my outfit was too. Comfortable for running around but also so fun to wear. A Chanel jacket borrowed from the brand for my trip, the hood is attached! Polo khakis. Chanel moccassins, my own and worth every penny! I love the combo of something decadent with something hyper functional. And the black shoe made sure it didn’t feel too summery.

Get yourself a jean that can do both

One thing about work travel for me, is that it often requires an outfit change for dinner. Work dinners, for me, usually involves helping brands and publications celebrate new seasons and new partnerships. I realize jeans might not be right for work travel for everyone reading, but consider this for vacation, too: An extremely helpful piece to pack is a jean that can easily transition daytime outfits to nighttime outfits. At the moment, that is most definitely a dark rinse, straight leg jean with no fading. Something stiff enough that can hold a cuff with flats for the day, but long enough to look incredibly elegant in the evening draped over a heel. Since I had already packed this Burberry pair for their show, I decided to make it worth its real estate in my suitcase and wore it throughout. I really am loving this jean. The butt is flattering but not overly tight. The legs nice and straight. The denim stiff but not uncomfortable. I secretly hope they let me keep them. :) But if not, I still have my Auralee Twists, which are excellent. And the Madewell Stovepipes in “rinse wash” look great if you want something even slimmer and not have to deal with cuffing at all.

Dark jeans for daytime meetings. Burberry jeans. Bally jacket. Guest in Residence cashmere sweater (someone asked me about the quality a few months ago and I said I’d report back after I’d worn it more, and happy to say, it’s held up great! So I hope you are still reading!). Levi’s tee peeking out. Black boots from the Row (sized down a half size) but literally any black ankle boot you have would work here.

The same Burberry jeans as styled with heels and a metallic clutch for the Burberry show afterparty in London. I also wore this same exact outfit to the 7pm Alaia show in Paris, with the long navy coat over it. (Belt is Dehanche)

A Mixture of Metals is a MUST

I do not like to get myself into a situation where the zipper on my bag throws off an entire outfit. My clients all know that I’m a psycho about the seamlessness of hardware on bags/coats/shoes. Except in very specific situations, I would rather crawl out of my skin than have a gold zipper on my bag and silver buckles on my shoes. It’s a tick, what can I say. So I always make sure to have two bags with me. One with a gold zipper and one with a silver, even if I’m going somewhere for three days! You already know about the Miu Miu bag I have been schlepping around from last weekend’s send. But the other heroes of this trip are two little pouches from Khaite - a large one in the perfect shade of cherry red with an optional crossbody strap, and a small one in a metallic “eel”, mostly for evenings - both with silver zippers. This way I don’t have to plan an entire outfit around…my bag!? Now that would be a fashion tragedy.

Silver buttons call for silver bag (at least silver zippers!).

Leather Jackets Are The New Blazer

It was textbook transitional weather in Europe on this trip. 40s in the morning, 60 by 2pm and back down to 40 when the sun went down. It was glorious. But it meant I packed all wrong. There were three coats in my suitcase that I didn’t wear once!! Can’t even believe the wasted suitcase space. 🤦‍♀️

I didn’t bring a blazer because I don’t like to layer a blazer under a coat all day and I was planning on wearing coats!! This was a huge mistake….ALWAYS PACK A BLAZER! I’m yelling at myself, not you. But what I’m getting at, is that the pivot has been to embrace leather jackets. I brought two and bought one more. (I didn’t say I travelled light. :)) And since you know I’m only a recent leather jacket convert, it has been a curious exercise, styling them throughout this trip - a time of year when I want to feel like my most confident self. But I am leaning in and was thankful to have packed these mid-weight layers, which I’ll be pulling back out in April in NYC. And if the sheer volume of leather jackets I’m seeing on the streets in Paris foretell anything, it’s that we are all going to be leather jacket people now.

A fun outfit that I wore to the Chloe show on Thursday morning. Was planning on pairing this with my long navy coat but the forecast was 66 degrees! Leather jacket to the rescue. Bally jacket. Polo wrap pants from last year. I’ve been inspired by this pant shape since the Alaia Guggenheim show and these really scratch the itch. Here are the Alaia’s of my dreams. And these, these or these could work if you too want to try this shape.) Polo flannel, Levi’s tee, Valentino bag, wayfarers, The Row boots.

Another Milan moment in leather (in addition to the two noted above in my Milan dressing diary.) This outfit is…Versace!! For some reason everyone is always shocked to hear that I love this brand. But as you all know by now, I don’t discriminate! And I like hints of the unexpected. Plus, if you went to the store, you’d realize it’s not all about skimpy mini dresses. The brand asked if I’d like to wear anything to the show and I immediately knew I wanted to wear one of these fun 80s crinkle shirts and the A-line coat pictured. A little Versace. Still very me. Paired with my Levis that I flew in and the Row boots I wore almost every day I was here.

Always pack a party…top?

Amanda Brooks’ Always Pack a Party Dress came out 10 years ago, when I first started doing the whole fashion week circuit thing. And for some reason the title of that book just really stuck with me. I always pack something fun, just in case, and always think of her! Since I knew I had a lot of evening events this trip, I packed two: My Bode ruffle top and Recto sequin skirt, both of which I’ve talked about ad nauseam the past two months. And both of which I wore multiple times! So here is your reminder, that you should always pack a little bit of fun. It doesn’t take up much real estate, and you won’t regret it!

Bode ruffle top with Polo pants (notes on alts above), patent leather moccassins and a wild Valentino bag. Go big or go home!? Wore this to a dinner celebrating Bon Marche and Savette, two companies I admire profusely!

My sequin skirt (I told you we would let her live on!!!!) with a Cos zip hoodie, balmacaan coat (this one looks very similar), sheer tights, patent mocs, red bag. I wore this exact outfit once in Milan and once in Paris. So happy to have packed it, and it really took up almost no space.

Black Pajama Pants

Ok, here is a sixth tip, which is not exactly a style solution but a travel solution that must be shared. Black pajama pants. Maybe you want to go to the breakfast buffet! Maybe you need to run to the concierge to ask for late check out. What if you get sick and need to run to the pharmacy on the corner!? A lounge pant that doubles for sleep, that you won’t feel ridiculous leaving the room in, is actually my unsung travel hero. Since I was gone two weeks this trip, I brought two (one from Eileen Fisher and another from Kye Intimates…not to be confused with Khy by Kylie Jenner, LOL!). But this is just today’s PSA for those who managed to read this far. Doesn’t matter who makes them, just make sure to throw them in the suitcase.

On my way to breakfast, pre-coffee, laptop in hand. Extremely puffy eyes so don’t mind my covering them! Kye Intimates pants (also love and brought these from Eileen Fisher), a Skims l/s tee (wore on the plane both directions!) Donni sweatshirt (which I’ve also worn with skirts this week!), Birkenstocks.

That’s all for today’s extremely personal send. I recognize your work travel might look a little different from mine. But hopefully you managed to take away some inspiration for your next trip either work or play. The shows will continue in Paris until Tuesday evening, so I’ll see you back here next week, when we breakdown what to expect from fashion for Fall 2025.

Yours TRULY,

Becky