Tips for Stylish Travel

Traveling stylishly is a skill that is honed through experience. The more you travel, the better you get at knowing what to pack as well as how to pack. As someone who has made my living traveling for a number of years, I’ve gotten fairly good at the art of packing for travel. It wasn’t always like that, however, and I certainly made many mistakes along the way. To help you avoid those pitfalls and to have you looking your best for your next trip, I’ve teamed up with Eton for the launch of their SS2014 Red Ribbon Collection to offer you some of my tips for stylish travel.

Know what you’re doing and where you’re doing it. This may sound obvious, but being clear on all of these details can help you to best plan what to pack. Whether it’s a trip for business or pleasure, I’ve especially found that knowing the kind of restaurant or bar I’ll be going to—I’ll often check them out online to get a feel for the vibe and dress code—is key to deciding how and what I’ll bring along. You never want to be overdressed or underdressed.

Stick to a few great basics. The key to making sure you have all your bases covered in terms of being able to dress up or down as the situation dictates, is to pack those key versatile basics that you should already have. A great fitting navy blazer is an absolute must. If I’m spending a weekend somewhere, I’ll usually take a few button-up shirts that I know look good with or without a tie, as well as my favorite pair of jeans, corduroys, and a pair of dark chinos.

Pack multiple accessories. I personally don’t like deciding exactly what tie or pocket square I’m going to wear prior to the day I’m actually going to wear it. These finishing touches reflect my mood as much as they do my style. The good thing about ties and pocket squares is that they don’t take up much room at all, which makes it easy to pack quite a variety. Regular readers of the blog may remember that I took a healthy portion of my collection to Venice back in October.

Wear comfortable and versatile footwear. When deciding what kind of footwear to wear and/or pack, it’s important to remember that these items can take up a lot of space in a carryall, garment bag, or suitcase. Choose something that can work in a variety of situations and that can be dressed up or dressed down. For me, recently, that has been my Allen Edmonds dress boots. They look great with a suit in a business setting and equally sharp paired with jeans for an evening out at bar or cocktail lounge.

This Look: Navy blazer c/o Reiss (more options here) – Shirt c/o Eton – Selvedge denim jeans by A.P.C. (New Standard) – Pocket square c/o Eton – Belt c/o Banana Republic – Watch by Timex – Leather carryall by Floto Imports (similar here) – Wingtip dress boots c/o Allen Edmonds (Dalton)

Giveaway

I am pleased to offer my readers the chance to win their choice of one shirt and two accessories from Eton. Entering is easy—just use the widget below. One lucky winner will be selected randomly and announced right here on Thursday, February 20. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you have any travel and packing tips you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian
He Spoke Style

Photography by Rob McIver Photo.

Disclosure: Compensation for this post was provided by Eton. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Eton.