Packing for an overseas trip

There are those who pack light for a business trip and arrive with the wrong shoes. Others pack heavy and wind up feeling yoked to their bags. Then there's Nancy Novogrod, one of the world's very well-wheeled travelers.

As editor in chief of Travel + Leisure magazine, Ms. Novogrod spends roughly a quarter of the year traveling for her job, often to far-flung places like Egypt and China where she needs to convey the aplomb of a smart executive.

If you think you've got it tough with that four-day conference in Frankfurt, imagine packing for a three-week tour of Asia -- like the one Ms. Novogrod is taking this fall -- that includes daily meetings, speeches, and formal dinners that require a change of shoes, dress and handbag. I've seen her in action on more than one occasion and I'm here to say that she doesn't wrinkle, not as far as I can tell. To attain that level of perfection, she packs a bag full of tricks.

Suiting up for business travel can be tricky for any of us who want to make the right impression. But women, who have more stylistic latitude than men in the U.S., face a bigger risk of being off point.

Overseas travel is particularly complex if it involves a vastly different culture. Another veteran traveler, hotel-industry attorney K.C. McDaniel, on any day may be testifying at a trial in London or negotiating on behalf of clients in Dubai. In the Middle East, she is sometimes the only woman in the room -- and one of the first women her clients' adversaries have been confronted with on a professional basis. "If you walk through the door and your outfit says secretary or file clerk, you have an uphill job to do," she notes.

Ms. Novogrod and Ms. McDaniel say their packing process starts with buying the right clothes -- looking for comfort, fabrics that can travel with minimal care and styles that will bridge cultures. Both women do serious research on the local mode of dress before they begin packing. For a speech in Cairo in April, Ms. Novogrod called the event planner to ask what people would be wearing.

"I buy a lot at Prada because they use a lot of synthetics," says Ms. Novogrod, thinking of wrinkles. "I love cotton shirts, but I rarely wear them on airplanes. ... I rarely travel with jeans because I need to look put-together." Another trick she employs: a closet full of close-fitting cashmere cardigans that add warmth and a put-together edge.

Ms. Novogrod says she takes care to choose clothes that work, rather than those that make a statement. "It's possible with fashion to become so concerned with the surface that you're not approachable," she notes. "I'm conscious of looking appropriate -- to my age, to my profession."

But she is careful not to play it too safe, because there are situations where a distinctive, colorful piece can work. Ms. Novogrod has been very happy with a recent purchase of a cotton Pucci tunic. It has turned out both to be packable and to look great from stages or a dais.

The actual packing process for Ms. Novogrod can take place over several days. She makes notes in advance. When she settles down to pack, with her schedule in hand, she lays out outfits complete with shoes and handbags to be sure she has the right thing for each event -- and not a single extra item. "Otherwise, you end up taking way too much," she says. "What gets me most is coming back with clothing that I've never worn. I hate that."

Ms. Novogrod checks one roll-on suitcase for a shorter trip, say up to a week. For longer trips, like the three weeks in Asia, she takes two roll-ons -- one for clothes and another for shoes and bags.

Read more.