Here I am at DCA in my travel "uniform" for an overnight trip to Tampa.

Here I am at DCA in my travel “uniform” for an overnight trip to Tampa.

Do you wear a business suit when flying for a business trip with a shirt that simply never wrinkles? Or is your style more suited to a pair of dark-wash designer jeans, T-shirt and blazer? Any way you go, we probably put more thought into these decisions than we realize. We might be, for instance:

  • Flying long or short-haul
  • Sitting in coach or business class
  • Staying overnight or several days
  • Packing a few extra pounds from the holiday season
  • Going directly from the airport to a meeting – or your hotel
  • Starting in “winter” (New York, Boston, London) but landing in “summer” (Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix)
  • Dressing to impress a VIP
  • Eager to wear a spectacular new dress or jacket

Yet despite all the factors, many of us have some sort of travel uniform – and I will be sharing them on TravelUpdate.com in occasional posts from here on out.

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To be featured, send me a description of what your typical business travel airport “uniform” looks like, along with a brief summary of your thought process and – if you have – any interesting story that may involve your airport fashion choice.

I’ll kick things off… I usually have a bit of time before having to go to a formal meeting, so my favorite “uniform” these days is a pair of dark-wash jeans, a comfortable but stylish top, a few pieces of costume jewelry that I can easily slip off at the security checkpoint (and/or lose and not care) and either a blazer or a cardigan.

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In the photo above, I’m wearing a new cardigan from Banana Republic that kept me warm on the flight, but it’s not heavy enough to be a burden I land in Tampa, Fla!

Shoes – for me – presents the biggest fashion dilemma. Ordinarily, I prefer to travel in heels or boots with heels when flying for business. If I plan to be on my feet (in heels) at a two- or three-day conference, I always make a point to bring flats for my return journey.

Today, I’m wearing sandals since I’m going to Florida and will have time to check into my room before attending a lunch. I will never wear sneakers to the airport for business – or leisure; the only time I ever do is when the boys and I are returning from one of our ski-until-we-drop Park City trips. If I bring them at all, they’re in my bag.

Readers: What does your travel “uniform” look like?