Work Travel Capsule Wardrobe

work travel capsule wardrobe

I’m super pumped for today’s post because it’s something I am very passionate about. I’m sharing my ultimate work travel capsule wardrobe. I travel frequently for work and these aren’t just day trips. They sometimes last multiple days. Packing for these trips is painful. I use a carry on so finding items that fit in the suitcase and can be worn for multiple days is challenging. I use a carry-on and I want everything to fit in it. It can really be challenging.

Packing for work travel requires planning and thought. There is no throwing a bunch of stuff in a suitcase and hoping it works out. You have to plan your outfits and be organized while packing. That is why the most work goes into selecting the individual pieces.

I always, always, always bring a carry-on when I travel for work. I do this because it’s the quickest option. Checking a bag and picking it up in baggage claim requires at least an extra 30 minutes and I literally don’t have time for that. I often get off the plane and go right to the office or a meeting.

From Plane to Boardroom

Which brings me to my next point which is traveling in your work clothes. I need to travel in my work clothes and look fresh when I get off the plane. Let me tell you, this is actually hard. Just about every article of clothing I own gets wrinkled when I sit down. That is that nature of the fabric, especially if it’s a work suit. There is no looking fresh and perfectly pressed in a work suit that you’ve traveled in for hours. Until now!

My all time favorite brand, M.M. LaFleur has introduced packable suiting. Their packable suiting is machine washable, wrinkle resistant and perfectly polished. The pieces hold their shape after being packed in a suitcase for hours. They have four pieces in the collection; The Colby Pant, The Cobble Hill Skirt, The Moreland Jacket and The Yan Jacket. You can mix and match them to create the perfect suit.

Their suiting comes with a travel bag to pack up your pieces and put them in your suitcase. They even come with directions on how to perfectly pack the pieces. This maximizes space and efficiently packs each piece. I want to maximize my space in the carry on while not overpacking. Selecting the individual pieces is vital to creating office ready looks.

packable suiting from MM LaFleur

If you recall a while ago I created my 5 pieces for 5 outfits capsule wardrobe and wore those outfits to work for an entire week. It was a huge success for me personally and it’s one of my top posts that you all love and read.

Well I’ve come back with an equally exciting post that focuses on work travel. I’ve created a work travel capsule wardrobe using 6 pieces that creates 7 outfits. Now you don’t necessarily have to wear these while on work travel, but it is designed to be effective when your closet is your suitcase 🙂

The capsule wardrobe consists of two options that can be worn for travel, a formal meeting outfit, a work dinner outfit and everything in between. For shoes I’ve selected a basic black heel and a snakeskin flat. You can actually select any shoes, but having a flat for travel that you can also wear in the office is key.

The Pieces

Tops – The Joan and The Ismelka

The tops in this capsule are ideal for travel as they are odor resistant. They have been treated with polygiene which is an anti-odor finish that won’t hold smells. It’s actually used in a lot of active-wear brands and makes complete sense to be use on work wear pieces.

The Joan top is a simple top that can be worn in a lot of different settings. It’s from the M.M. LaFleur casual collection. You read more about that collection in this post here. But the top is a favorite in my closet and I grab for it constantly. It’s the perfect week to weekend top.

The Ismelka was released as part of the M.M. LaFleur Up, Up and Away Collection. The top has all the glamour of 1960’s air travel. The whimsical wrap takes this top up a notch and adds a touch of sophistication. It’s also machine washable which is a huge plus for me.

The Colby Pant

These are the pants of all pants! They are part of M.M. LaFleur’s packable suiting line. I can say with 100% conviction that everyone needs this pair of pants in their closet. They are absolutely magical!

Let’s start with the length of these pants. I’ve been 5’9 since the fifth grade and I’ve always had short pants. All my pants were ankle pants when they technically weren’t. Having a long pair of skinny pants now is so exciting. My ankle will never be cold in the winter ever again.

The fit and feel of these pants are out of this world. They have an elastic waist and are tailored beautifully. They hug the right places without being tight which means the leg falls just right from the hip. The pants feel like an athleisure pant while looking like a polished office pant.

And the best part they are completely packable and will not have any wrinkles. Yes, you read that correctly. Often when I travel for work I don’t bring my steamer and hate ironing clothes at a hotel. With these pants I don’t have to worry about looking like a wrinkled mess. They unpack and look like I freshly steamed them no matter what.

I told you this is the pant of all pants. So what are you waiting for, get a pair today!

The Moreland Jacket

One of the best pieces to own in your work wardrobe is a blazer/suit jacket. I have several, but this one is special…it’s packable, won’t wrinkle and is machine washable. This is unreal that a jacket that looks super polished for the boardroom is actually machine washable.

The fabric is magical because you can wear it for hours or have it packed in your suitcase for hours and it looks like you just picked it up from the cleaners. Its ideal for work travel. I spend hours on a plane and when I land I need to meet with clients. I need to look put together and fresh and having a suit jacket that doesn’t wrinkle is just what I need.

The jacket can be paired with the Colby Pant or Cobble Hill Skirt to create the ultimate travel suit.

Angelou Shawl

No matter how hot it is outside the airport and airplane are always freezing. I never travel without an extra wrap. And the Angelou Shawl is my go to! Not only does it keep me warm, it looks so chic! I usually wear it draped over my shoulders, but I’ve been known to use it as a full on blanket. It also looks polished to wear in the office for a meeting or take along as a wrap at dinner.

Black Dress

You can not go wrong with a black dress. You’ve heard it before, but you can dress it up and dress it down. If you select a form fitted dress, like the Shirley Dress, then you can also wear the dress as a skirt.

It’s my signature move actually! Put your dress on and then put a top, like The Joan (or The Didion) over it. It appears that you are wearing a pencil skirt and a blouse. It’s genius! And it allows you to get more wear out of your dress, especially in a travel capsule wardrobe.

The Outfits

I’ve categorized the outfits below into travel, boardroom, everyday and dinner. The best part of the travel capsule wardrobe is that you can wear each outfit for any occasion. With the packable suiting you never look wrinkled and always look polished.