It’s actually not that hard. You just have to give up the idea of making your hotel room your home (unless you’ll be there for a month), and you have to give up on trying to bring your entire wardrobe with you.
The simplest thing is to remember that your going on the plane outfit COUNTS as one of your casual or business casual outfits, and you just have to understand you’re there for only 5-14 days. It’s not forever. You can remix and rematch items and there is no need to bring another sweater when you can wear the same one but with different tops underneath and with a mix of wearing another pair of bottoms with it.
Example:
2 tops
1 sweater
1 pantsYou can get 4 outfits out of that.
1st top + 1 sweater + 1 pants
2nd top + 1 sweater + 1 pants
1st top + 1 pants
2nd top + 1 pants
The key is to use accessories to make each outfit different. Wear a different necklace (something chunky then light the other day), and wear a different pair of earrings, or do something different with your hair.
If you want to go REALLY minimalist with a very tiny little travelling bag, use that above packing – 2 tops, 1 sweater, 1 pair of pants. You could even wear one of the tops, the pants and the sweater, and pack the other top with a pashmina or something.
The thing is, I’m not a fan of being a total minimalist when going on a trip – I still want to be able to have some variety or else it gets boring. Remember that you’ll be going back to the same work site again so you can bring a totally different outfit to jazz things up if you wanted.
Honestly, NO ONE notices what you wear at work. Sad, but true. You could wear the same brown dress every single day, or the same suit, and if you changed your top underneath and changed the accessories, no one really gives a damn or notices that you wore the same suit twice. They just don’t notice.
Here’s what I bring for a business casual trip for clothing
1 work-appropriate sweater (this includes sweaters with structure, belts, etc)
3 work-appropriate tops (not strapless, no skinny straps, sleeveless is fine, but more like a sheath top)
*The exception is that you CAN bring something strapless or with skinny straps but you can’t wear the top without a structured jacket. Therefore, if you want to maximize your wardrobe, bring tops you can wear alone with jeans as a casual outfit, or or alone (or with a sweater) with business casual pants.
2 bottoms (either one pair of pants or two, or one pair of pants and one skirt)
7 days of underwear
1 bra (you’re wearing the other)
1 large t-shirt for sleeping
1 pair of heels (black or brown)
The great thing about bringing all that stuff, is that your casual ‘going out’ outfit on the nights and weekends, can be exactly the same as above with the mixing and matching.
But don’t forget, you can wear a more casual outfit on the plane like with another work appropriate top and jeans with another work-appropriate sweater with a pashmina and a pair of casual ballet flats. That gives you a whole other outfit for casual going out. If jeans aren’t your thing, bring a dress to wear on the plane and you can use it to go out at night or even to work.
With that above combination you could go away for about 2 weeks to a month with doing laundry here and there. No kidding.
As for makeup and toiletries, you can’t bring anything over 3 ounces anyway, so you should not be filling up more than a small pouch with that stuff.
Makeup
Eyeliner
Eyebrow liner
Eyeshadow
Concealer
Bare Escentuals powder
Brushes (wrapped)
Blush
Toiletries
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Face wash
Toner
Acne cream
Accessories
This stuff doesn’t take up much space. But don’t bring your whole jewellery box. I bring about 5 necklaces, 3 pairs of earrings, a watch, couple of rings and that’s about it.
As for business formal clothing, I’d suggest bringing:
2 suits (one black with pinstripes or black, and dark chocolate brown or another neutral shade. I’d even suggest red as being something fun, and you can mix it up with 2 pantsuits or 2 skirt suits or one of each)
3 work appropriate tops (this is to wear under your suits)
1 pair of heels (black or brown, either can be worn with either coloured suit because it all matches)
*If you have space, another pair of heels is a good idea
7 days of underwear
1 bra (wearing the other)
1 large t-shirt for sleeping
And for your plane outfit, wear a dress, or jeans to use to go out with and a business casual sweater, and wear ballet flats to be casual. OR, to save even more space (you gotta make choices), then wear a suit on the plane, packanother suit, with another pair of shoes, or whatever.
Same Accessories, Makeup and Toiletries.
And there you have it. 
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- How do I travel so light?
- 10 Long Trip Traveling Essentials
- Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
- How to pick a fab suitcase that won’t make you tear your hair out
- Review: Taking the MegaBus from Montreal to Toronto
Rae
on Jul 18th, 2008
@ 3:59 PM:
Wow!! V. thorough!
I just finished making my packing list – you have a great deal of self-restraint that I, unfortunately, do not posses
Anonymous
on Jul 18th, 2008
@ 7:51 PM:
Good tips, thanks!
I have to disagree with your assertion that no one at work notices what you wear. I’ve worked in a lot of female-oriented offices where EVERY woman cared what everyone else wore. Men don’t notice, but women really, really do.
twentysomethingandclueless
on Jul 19th, 2008
@ 4:34 AM:
Great post!
Btw, noticed that you mentioned Bare Escentuals – have you heard of Everyday Minerals? It’s WAYYY cheaper than BE, has a million different shades, and a free ’sample kit’ (you only pay shipping) for you to figure out which shade you are. I discovered it recently and been on the forum, and it looks like it’s really good.
(Um, didn’t mean for that to come out sounding like a total advert, but I’m just excited about it, and saw that since you seem to be into mineral makeup too, I would share that info.
)
Fabulously Broke
on Jul 19th, 2008
@ 9:31 AM:
rae: LOL… I just hate carrying luggage.
Anon: Okay, if you’re in a really female oriented environment, I guess so… but even *I* don’t notice when people recycle an outfit they wore on Monday with a different bottom + necklace unless I’m REALLY paying attention. I’m just not into that i guess.. I work with a lot if guys too.
*shrug*
Generally speaking, people don’t notice or care as long as it isn’t the exact same outfit every day.
Twentysomething: Once I run out of this stuff, I’ll try ‘em! THanks!
frugallygreeninthecity.com
on Jul 19th, 2008
@ 12:24 PM:
I have to agree that people do notice what you wear. I get comments all the time from my customer that notice my suits……even the ocassional man!
Much like you though, I keep everything to minimal. I choose the primary color for the week. Example: this week was black week…so I only packed one pair of black heels and all my suits matched it.
Another tip I have is that I carry a mini incense kit or candle in a small tin to burn and give my hotel room a homey scent.
Keep up your great blog!
Sales Rack Raider
on Jul 19th, 2008
@ 2:46 PM:
I recently had to pack for a long business trip, so I can totally relate to this. Getting me to check luggage is like pulling teeth, so everything I pack had to fit inside a duffle.
For me, the minimal is 2 pairs of pants (either in addition to or including what I wear to the airport, which cuts down on the bulk inside the duffle). Spills might ruin that only pair of pants, and it might not be cleaned up right away. My rule is to always have a backup.
Whether someone notices what you wear depends on the flashiness of the clothing. If it’s plain black, probably no one would notice; you’re absolutely right that changing up the accessories will create whole new outfits. It’s true that no one would notice if you’re wearing the same suit…provided that your tops and accessories are different.
G&D
on Jul 20th, 2008
@ 9:44 PM:
Great tips FB! I’ll see if I can actually stick to them for my weekend getaway in September. Wish me luck!
Penny
on Jul 21st, 2008
@ 8:21 AM:
Thank you for the post! Where do you go to find accessories?
I will definitely try this next time I travel.
PreciousGem-Refinement in Progress
on Jul 21st, 2008
@ 4:54 PM:
This is great! Although when I travel I usually go for a month for business and I go abroad but I can honestly say that I always take too much and I don’t use it all…I’ll keep this guide in mind for future trips though!
Fabulously Broke
on Jul 25th, 2008
@ 8:53 PM:
I guess what I meant to say was exactly what sales rack raider said — if it’s flashy, they’ll know.
Penny: As for accessories – I just wander around stores, and buy modern pieces I love. E.g. Etsy.com, Ellenikemoto.com, Juneshindesigns.com, Sugardaddyshop.com, Snazzygirl.com etc..
I hate checking in luggage. I hate hate hate it, and that’s why I’ll sacrifice looks and style (a bit) to make it fit
Kiki
on Jul 25th, 2008
@ 10:32 PM:
Great post, and perfectly timed! This popped up just as I was begining to pack up my entire life into two suitcases for a year’s worth of travel. Love the blog, FB!
Fabulously Broke
on Jul 26th, 2008
@ 6:24 AM:
You’re welcome
That’s my dream – to be able to pack my life in 2 suitcases and move.
Workin’ on it
compactmanifold
on Jan 14th, 2009
@ 12:31 PM:
I’m of the same mindset- I hate checking luggage! I also have so many cute, very small bags that I’m always motivated to trim back.
One of my big secrets (well, now not so secret) is the Patagonia Morning Glory Skirt. It’s the most amazing item in my wardrobe – relatively inexpensive at $60, un-wrinkleable, washable in a machine or sink, and comfy as can be. It has more flare than the pictures show and drapes so beautifully that I always feel like I’m wearing one of my most expensive pieces of clothing, even though (to my chagrin) it’s far from it. I’m 5′5″ and it falls to a smidge below the knee, right where the tops of knee-high boots go.
It must be wrong to love an item of clothing this much.
As for packing, skirts do stay cleaner than pants. On trips where I’m not in a barn for most of the time (whole different packing strategy), my skirt and maybe a pair of pants suffice for bottoms, and I take a couple of shirts, a sweater or vest, and a jacket. I usually don’t take a second pair of shoes.