Work trip wardrobe help

[Pinkvici22]

Please help - in 2 weeks I have a work trip to London

I have no idea how I’m going to pack everything into a small carry on case and backpack - travel by train

Daytime - corporate wear so I’m thinking blazer, 2x dresses, trousers, 2-3 tops

Evening will be dinners out - possibly one fancy but generally casual I expect - what can I take?!

The rest of the team are men so not able to get advice from anyone!!!

How long are you going for? I had 3 days and wore what I traveled in first day back on day 3. Took 2 dresses and a jacket, pants etc in backpack. Wore a smart coat and scarf. Added travel set of makeup, in little plastic pots so decanted foundation and hair stuff. Used shower gel from hotel. I did pack a smart pair of shoes as well. Then just had a hand bag.

How long is your trip and will you be walking far? I can usually do a week in a carry one case given a little planning.

For a week I would take 2x trousers 4x top (or 2x top and 2x nice knit), 1x skirt and 1x dress. I’d add jeans that work with the extra tops for casual dinners, and I’d travel in those plus the knit. I’d take 1x smart flats and 1x boots for dresses and skirts. If it’s mostly men they won’t notice what you’re wearing as long as you look tidy and smart.

I'd also add, if it's mostly men, they rarely change out of what they wore in the day for dinners. It's usually work >bar>dinner>bar! Unless it's an actual event type dinner, so maybe you don't need lots of casual or dinner outfits.

Black or navy trousers with a few different tops will cover lots of permutations.

A small trolley case and rucksack is plenty for those things. You can mix and match and wear clothes you've worn to dinner the next day to reduce the amount you need. Also use the clothes/shoes you've travelled in again.

I go on 4/5 day conference trips most years with that amount of luggage and it's fine, even with hairdryer, toiletries, laptop, extra shoes etc.

Yeah, most of the men will have one jacket, two trousers at most, a shirt, pants and socks per day and little else.

Even if you need a 'dinner dress' they don't take up much space in luggage.

Thanks all!

Would've helped if I’d said how long!!! 5 full days, probably travel Sunday evening and return Friday evening.

I think you’re probably right - some days I probably wouldn’t change for dinner.

I may have a little walking to do.

If you're going on the train, why are you restricted to a small carry-on case?

I always start with shoes - the aim is one pair to wear, one pair to pack. Every outfit works with one or other pair.

Five days is entirely doable, I'd reckon on packing a blazer and trousers, and a couple of blouses/shirts, and travelling in something more comfortable (wide leg trousers and trainers?). Pack one evening dress, pare your makeup/skincare down to a five minute routine so you don't have to pack so much. I've travelled with work a fair bit over the last year, and the thing that's helped me the most is having a packing list saved on my computer, so I'm not racking my brains trying to remember what to pack, I never forget to bring my chargers, and it helps me feel more organised. Primark do some really useful little silicone pots for decanting your toiletries into, and you come to realise that a) no-one really cares what you're wearing and b) there's a lot of joy in travelling light!

spend my life on the road it seems!! also coporate...So I would...
Sunday travel, casual, if having dinner at hotel no need to dress, so just wear what you travel in (obviously no trackkies!!!)
Rest of week day - depends if sat in hot hotel all day or out and about...
2 x trousers would do over 4 days with change of blouses/fine knit smart jumpers - shoes/boots to match
1 x dress
If you have it a jacket/blazer
Scarf/pashmina
Nights - honestly in hotels I stay in normal business travellers so everyone relaxed so jeans/pants and couple of tops and then a smart/cas outfit in case you go somewhere a little smarter.

Thank you for all the responses! I’m starting a list.

I really won’t manage more than a small case and backpack on the train. The workdays are not too problematic as I can mix and match with one pair of shoes. I was more concerned about evenings but I think I’m overthinking it!

Long sleeved dress to travel there and back and 3 other dresses for the 3 days and nights. Don't see the point of a jacket if you have a coat. If cold, cardigan or jumper worn over dress when travelling. Flat boots and a spare pair of flat shoes.

I will have to be in a suit/blazer daily for work, so that’s not optional I’m afraid! it’ll be 5 working days, probably dinner most nights with colleagues.

I’m pretty confident about limiting my make up/skincare etc. Also think I can manage with loafers and trainers.

I will need laptop etc as well so I may need to think about a new bag which can be used for travel and daily for work - any ideas??

Your work won't allow a smart dress/ dressy day dress? I'm in a profession which pre Covid required very smart workwear but it must be 20 years since I last owned a suit.

Yes - suits daily.

Ok, not sure why you were asking then- there's your answer- suits. Although you said "Daytime - corporate wear so I’m thinking blazer, 2x dresses, trousers, 2-3 tops"- that's not "suits"

Is it skirt suits? Or are trouser suits allowed?

Yes trouser suits, skirts suits, dresses and jackets.

My Q was more focused on what to do for dinners etc - sorry if that wasn’t clear!

If you can pair the same suit jacket with trousers and a dress, and for evenings, leave off the jacket, it’s easier to create an outfit from trousers or dress than with something like a pencil skirt.
Tops take up less space than bottoms in luggage and jackets are very hard to transport. But if you travel a lot for work consider getting a bag specifically designed for suits.

The advantage of working in a suit is that you automatically look more relaxed and casual just by removing the blazer, even though that would be another person’s work wear iyswim.

Winter fabrics - wools/flannels can be dressed down with sweaters and boots. As a general rule you can get away with being too dressy more easily than too casual. So for work trips aim for the smart casual side of casual rather than the athleisure end of that spectrum. The type of fabrics can make a huge difference - high wool content = thinner, lighter and warmer compared to trying to pack a bulky acrylic sweater, and thinner knits pair well with winter weight tailoring.

It’s a bit harder to pull off that versatility with summer type suit fabrics. In summer you at least have the advantage of very lightweight dresses. But if you aren’t going straight to work and will have time to change, you have more flexibility to wear a bulkier casual option.

A padded laptop sleeve might be more versatile than a laptop bag if you can put it in a handbag that could double up for work/ later.

I travel quite a lot with work and only ever take a cabin case. In fact at the end of the month I'm going to a conference in South America and still only planning on taking a cabin case as I can't face taking a big case on the train to the airport!

I'd echo what others have said about multitasking outfits from day to night. If you take off your jacket and add some different jewelery and shoes you can dress up what you were wearing during the day quite easily.

Thanks for the recent replies.

I have a Samsonite carry on case which I think has a suit compartment (hasn’t been used since pre lockdown!) so that should be good. I’ve sorted work clothes and think I’m pretty sorted now.

Im still contemplating a rucksack plus handbag for travel.