Dear Diva,

I’m wondering if you would be so kind as to offer travel tips in terms of packing for two weeks or longer.

I am an accountant for a major oil company and have been traveling on a monthly rotational basis. So far, I’ve made two trips and will be leaving again January 12. I am at a loss as to how to pack lightly and smartly. This one aspect of my travel is driving me crazy because I know I’m highly intelligent but I can’t seem to get a good system going. You have no idea how long it takes for me to get packed. I swear I’m making a career out of it. Anyway, I gather from your blog that you like to look great at all times, so I’d love to know how you manage to pack all the essential items without packing the entire closet. Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated.

Traveling Woman

Well TW, the funny thing is that I read this email while talking on the phone with my father and he fell out laughing. Mainly because I do jus that….pack the entire closet. LOL

I am very methodical when it comes to packing for trips that are longer than a weekend. I begin by checking the TSA website for any updates or changes. You may also want to check the website for the particular airline you are flying. Keep in mind that those changes don’t always trickle down to the individual airports but it’s the most authoritative source of information.

After that, I make a list of each day I will be gone and write down outfit(s) for each day. That way I can be specific when knowing if I have a special event for a certain day and will need more than one outfit. For example: If I am leaving on Monday and will be traveling more than 2 hours, AND will be having dinner when I arrive – I pack a dinner outfit for Monday. If I am traveling for less than 2 hours then I fly in what I will wear and if there is no dinner at all then I only pack lounge clothes to relax in. Next day = Tuesday: board meeting, reception, hot date…..business suit for both the meeting and reception and a fly outfit for the date. I do that for each day being as specific as possible “blue suit, appropriate underwear, stockings, matching shoes, and accessories.” When making your list, come up with multifunctional pieces. You can wear a great pair of black slacks with both a sweater for Monday’s reception and then again with a smart blazer for Wednesday’s business meeting. Now you’ve cleared out space that would have been two suits.

For long trips I even begin packing a 4 or 5 days in advance in case I want to rethink some outfits.

Never forget to include casual wear and extra options. It will take you about 2 or 3 trips to determine how much extra you need and begin to wittle down. By extra I mean jeans, t-shirts/sweaters, sweatsuits, lounge wear before bed…

The key to maximizing your space when packing is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. Hopefully you can follow my attempt to describe what I mean. Fold a pair of slacks as if you were going to hang them. Then lay them on a flat surface and roll them like you were rolling wrapping paper around a tube. You will be able to fit more into your suitcase and squeeze tops into tinier spaces.

Original Diva always packs an outfit in her carry on bag just in case they lose her luggage. Always be prepared. I hope this helps chica.

Smooches in Supply~Diva in Demand