If you've recently accepted a job requiring a certain amount of travel for business purposes, you're probably looking forward to exploring new horizons, meeting new people, and stretching your professional wings. However, traveling can be rough on your business attire, and showing up for a meeting in rumpled clothing will not make a good impression. Following are three strategies designed to have you looking clean, crisp, and dressed to impress when you reach your destination.
Pack Tightly
Packing tightly in a standard-sized suitcase may be challenging if the trip is only scheduled to last for a day or so, but it's an excellent way to keep your clothing from becoming overly wrinkled while in transit -- when clothes are packed loosely, they have more room to move around, which results in more wrinkles. Use a smaller suitcase for quick trips to ensure that you'll be able to pack individual items as tightly as possible.
Invest in Top Quality Garment Bags
Placing your clothing in good garment bags will keep them free of wrinkles when in transition to your destination. This option is best for those trips when the occasion calls for business-formal attire, such as extremely important board meetings. The garment bags will also provide protection from spills and other hazards that may get on your clothes and make it impossible for you to wear them to the intended event.
Another benefit of using a good garment bag is that it will protect your clothing from atmospheric moisture while in the process of traveling to your destination. You can also keep one of your favorite business outfits in your closet in a garment bag so it's ready to go in the event you have the opportunity to go on a last-minute business trip.
Buy a Small Hand-Held Steamer
Using a small steamer is an excellent way to smooth out areas of your clothing that have developed small wrinkles during the course of your trip. You can also hang the clothes in the bathroom, turn on a hot shower, and close the door to let the steam work its magic, but you won't be able to target certain spots for last-minute touchups the way that you can with a handheld steamer. It's also a good idea to include a small sewing kit in your luggage in the event that you need to do a quick repair job on a hem or loose button.