6 Helpful Tips for Traveling in Style
There’s no doubt that we all like to look as fresh as possible as often as possible. If you’re a frequent traveler, however, then you’re probably all-too-familiar with the challenges of trying to preserve the state of your clothes during transit, so that you look your best when you arrive at your destination. Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of both, here are are some tricks that’ll help keep you looking great throughout your entire trip.
1. Minimize wrinkles by packing tightly. Wrinkled clothes are never a good look, but how do you avoid them when your clothes are packed in a suitcase? It’s the movement and shifting of the clothes that causes the wrinkling, so your best defense is to make sure that everything’s packed in there as tightly as possible. Don’t use a bigger suitcase than you need, and fill any gaps and spaces with socks, t-shirts, underwear, or whatever else you have that can help keep your clothes from moving around.
2. Garment covers are your friend. Next time you’re at the dry cleaners, ask for a few extra plastic garment covers, and use them when you’re packing. Make sure each item is covered separately before you put them in your suitcase – you’ll be shocked at what a huge difference it makes when you unpack.
3. Don’t waste your bathroom steam. The steam from the shower can be annoying when you’re trying to see yourself in the mirror, but it’s a godsend if you’re trying to get those last few creases and wrinkles out. Hang your clothes in the bathroom and keep the door closed during and after your shower, and let the steam work its magic.
4. Be careful with the hotel iron. Ironing your fine clothing can be a very tricky affair, especially if you’re using a communal iron that you’re not familiar with, but sometimes your jacket lapels really do need a quick press. Err on the side of caution when choosing a setting on an unfamiliar iron (you can always make it hotter if you need to), and never put the iron on the lapels directly – use a white t-shirt as a buffer to protect the fabric.
5. Carry some key accessories. A long horsehair brush is a great tool to brush your clothes and keep them free of dust, lint, or anything else that might accumulate. To make your life even easier, you can get a brush that has a shoehorn attached to the handle, or carry a shoehorn separately. Any accessory that makes your life a little bit easier while traveling is a good idea, if you have room.
6. Freshen up your socks and underwear whenever you need to. Hotel laundry services are usually ridiculously expensive, and many hotels don’t even offer it, but if you’re running out of clean socks and underwear, don’t panic. Simply wash them in the sink with shampoo, rinse thoroughly, and hang them up to dry.
Looking your best during travel is well worth the small amount of effort you have to put in to make it happen, and hopefully these tips will make it even easier for you to look your best. Bon voyage!