OK style gurus - a business trip to SE Asia - what should I wear?

[Issymum]

The week after next I'm travelling to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore on business. I think the "dress code" will be smart-casual but tending towards the smart. Currently the temperature in those three cities is between 23 and 29 degrees, although most place I'm going to will be air-conditioned. I've got virtually no summer clothes for the office as the season tends to be so short that every year I just limp through by wearing one long black linen skirt, a black linen jacket and trying to work from home in a t-shirt and shorts/go on holiday!

I want to avoid tights if I can, but trousers are tough as I've got a small waist and flat stomatch but thunder thighs and a huge arse. So longish, elegant skirts or dresses will do (not pencil skirts because of aforementioned arse and thighs). A pair of smart, soft sling-backs would also be good.

No limit on luggage allowance and I'm willing to pay up to £100 for a dress or jacket and £50-£60 for a skirt or top.


I can't think why any of you lot would want to help me, but here's hoping......

[Northerner]

A business trip to Asia sound very grown up

[motherinferior]

You do not have a huge arse.

Can you nip to the lovely lady at Johnny Loulous?

Am racking brains.

[suzywong]

You can't avoid tights
everyone wears tights, don't know how they do it but they do. Sorry

[motherinferior]

If she wears a long enough frock she could get away with (shudder) pop socks, though, can't she.

[suzywong]

yeah, but she'll never pull

[Issymum]

Not sure about the long dress pop sock combination. Nothing against pop socks (always wear them under trousers) but I'm sure I'd somehow 'get found out' if I tried the same trick with a long dress.

Good thinking MI - a call to Fiona at Johhny Loulous may the answer. And my arse is huge, I'm just superbly skilled at hiding it. I could tell you a very long and dull story about a drunken dinner in Provence, a gay florist from Calgary and baring my arse to prove that point, but another time maybe!

Northerner - I'm not just grown up, I'm old.

[Issymum]

Suzywong - I'm shocked! "Pull" on a business trip - very poor taste.

[MrsBadger]

Have no experience of formal business travel or indeed SEAsia, but if it's a really business business trip everything will be airconned to within an inch of its life so don't go too mad with ultra-summer clothes.

My dad did a month on business in Mauritius and swore by stuff he got from \link{http://www.travelsmith.com/ts/subcategory.jsp?Category=%2fProductHierarchy%2fWomen's+Travelwear%2f+++++++++Blazers+and+Suits&Category1=%2fProductHierarchy%2fWomen's+Travelwear\Travelsmith} - not cheap and not always the most stylish of designs, but it packs easily, never needs ironing and stays cool.
\link{http://www.rohan.co.uk/Category2.aspx?CurrentCategory=Home%7cMens%7cMensActivity%7cMensActivityWork\Rohan} do great hot-weather business-travel stuff for men but very little for women (grr).

[motherinferior]

She pulls in Germany, give her a tropical clime and she'll be fighting off blokes plying her with exotic drinks.


I do think this is the Time and Place to get a Summer Work Wardrobe, Issymum (what happened to the Fit?) if you have time.

I personally would try Jigsaw for the sort of dress you're after; and, in fact, also Monsoon might have some tubular bias-cut linen ones.

[Issymum]

Thanks for the votes of confidence in my pulling power!

A very sophisticated lawyer recently told me that the answer to summer dressing for the office is black linen. So I dashed into M&S this morning and after trying on eight pairs of black linen trousers, I found an "Autograph" pair that fitted. Or at least came close enough. Perfect, I can wear those lovely pop socks. Two very nice Autograph tops, one in black linen and one in a more floaty sort of chartreuse colour followed. All achieved in less than 40 minutes. I'm going to buy \link{http://www.landsend.co.uk/icat/pc163373\this arse-covering jacket} (really poor photo - looks much better in the catalogue) today from Lands End and a bundle of pop socks and I'm done!

[LadyCodofCOdford]

oh hi IM
i got a great short for court form autograph linen too
hold on will find it

[LadyCodofCOdford]

\link{http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=8898&Product_Id=2008219\another stiunngion marks photo of course 0 thoguht the neckline is great fro no displays of flesh}

[bluejelly]

Used to work in asia and my best outfit was a navy blue linen mix long skirt/short sleeve jacket combo from jigsaw.
Cool and smart. Also no need to wear tights

[LadyCodofCOdford]

tights schmights

[Issymum]

I looked at that shirt Cod, but in my 40 minutes, didn't have time to buy it. Might go back then.

I don't understand M&S. Autograph is great, but it's not well presented in the shops or highlighted in their advertising campaigns.

[blueshoes]

I used to work as a lawyer in Singapore. Temperature is 33 degrees and humid to boot. Black suits is de riguer for practising lawyers (who tend to do advocacy as well). Not wool 3 piece because that smacks of foreigner, but perhaps in cotton/synthetic mix. Inhouse is more casual and linen suit will be fine . Normal to walk around without jacket, even for men.

If feeling adventurous, jewel colours go down well in suits - I find that in Asia, that is far more accepted, rather than the navy, black, grey parade in UK.

If you have a long skirt, could get away without tights. But for more formal meetings, they add a nice touch.

[bluejelly]

Don't forget on biz trips you'll be spending lots of time in air con environments which can get bloody chilly
So bring a jacket or shawl of some kind too

[LadyCodofCOdford]

there you haev it IM

[LadyCodofCOdford]

i was born in singapore

[Rojak]

And I'm moving to Singapore ... in September

I'd go with a nice linen / cotton mix suit (100% linen just crumples too much) with a sleevelesss cotton blouse under. It's not just the heat but the humidity you have to reckon with.

Everything starts to stick! And I'd give the tights a miss too (just get legs professionally waxed before going).

how long are you going to be in Hong Kong? You could get a suit tailor-made there. Cool wool is quite lightweight and easy to wear.

[LadyCodofCOdford]

when my parents lived ther int he late 60s mum had a wig as your hair style woudl collapse when you walked out hte dor
hardly any air con tooa dn she said you coudl tell the new folk as they still ahd a euspoean pinkiness to their skin no the pale yellow skin oclour you got form the humidity

[blueshoes]

Ah cod, as you can imagine, almost all public places in Singapore are now airconditioned. When I was living there, I did not spend more than 5 mins a day outdoors - typically walking in between buildings. And a lot of the shopping malls are connected by underground airconditioned walkways. A walk in the Botanic gardens in midday is suicidal. You end up living like a canned tuna.

[nailpolish]

i remember the air con when i was in singapore - i was actually freezing when in the malls etc

[blueshoes]

Nailpolish, funny that. Being a native of Singapore, I never really found the airconditioning cold. But a lot of expats did complain.

Conversely, I find houses here freezing cold, a situation that does not particularly bother dh.

[nailpolish]

blueshoes, i attended a wedding in the botanic gardens, your post has reminded me

i was a greasy spot on the grass by the time it finished, i was SO HOT!

but ive never been anywhere so beautiful, thanks for reminding me