How to pack for a business trip with just 10 pieces

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This week I headed out on a week-long business trip.  For years, I would travel every week.  I don’t travel much since I have had kids.  So, when I went to pack on Sunday, I had to dig deep in my memory to recall how I would pack for an entire week and not check any bags.  All of the packing tips eventually came back to me and I ended up packing just 10 wardrobe pieces for the 5-day work week.  My approach to packing took years to refine.  The purpose of this post is to describe how to pack for a business trip with just 10 pieces.

But, first, let me digress.  Years ago, I recall a co-worker of mine referred to a business trip as a “vacation,” meaning it was a break from her duties as a mom.  At the time, I thought that was a horrific thing to say about her kids.  And now — as I sit alone in a King bed drinking hot (yes, hot!) tea with a full night’s sleep ahead of me for 4 nights straight — I realize that that lady spoke the truth.  While I love my kids and miss them dearly, a few nights away now and again can go a long way to ensuring I stay sane.

OK, can you just tell me how to pack already?!?

Yes!  Just one more thing.  Well, actually, a couple of things.  If you’re interested on non-travel wardrobe advice, see posts about Blouses, Pants/Skirts, Cardigans/Blazers, Shoes, and Jewelry.  Also see my timely post on Fall Wardrobes.

How to pack for a business trip with just 10 pieces:

(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

First let’s cover what to wear on the plane

It’s important to remember that you can re-wear some of these items during the week (and I didn’t count them towards the 10):

• 1 Black Blazer:  a blazer helps keep you warm on the plane!

• 1 Pair of Black Pants:  again, pants help keep you warm but you could do skirt / tights.  I opt for a pair that is cropped, since that can go with heels or flats

• 1 Pair of color / patterned flats:  flats will help you stay comfortable and the color / pattern will give your otherwise monochrome outfit some “pop”

• Ivory Blouse – this likely cannot be reworn during the week but everything else can

Without the shoes, this outfit may be a bit dull.  The shoes really give it some “pop.”  It’s otherwise super comfy, which is important on travel days.

Now let’s cover what goes into the suitcase…how to pack for a business trip with just 10 pieces:

Here are the target number of pieces by type to pack:

• 1 bottom (usually a solid color skirt; blue goes with a lot of colors, so I tend to choose that).  There are actually quite a few adorable blue skirts, and I have two here.  I couldn’t choose just 1!  But the idea is that you choose 1 for the suitcase, of course

• 1 pair of black heels

• 1 Ivory Cardigan

• 1 Black Cardigan

• 1 top per day (4 for this trip, plus 1 to be worn on flight out is noted above):  here is where I go for patterns / pop since everything else is more or less monochrome.  Below are some ideas.  It’s important to keep in mind the color of the skirt you chose (blue) and shoes (red) since these tops will need to coordinate.

Note:  this also comes in Ivory but I chose the blue here to get some variety!

While there is a lot of black and white, it’s important to note that everything can more or less go together.  Having pretty patterned tops, and a pair of colorful shoes, you can get enough variety to keep the other pieces interesting.  And you don’t need to overfill your suitcase!

So, here is how I’d approach the week with the 10 pieces above:

Day 1:  see above, where I describe what I would fly in

Day 2:  Velvet by Graham & Spencer pattered top, Ivory Cardigan, Blue Skirt, Red Shoes

Day 3:  Velvet by Graham & Spencer red ruffled top, black pants, black cardigan, black heels

Day 4:  Blue Vince Camuto tie neck top, black pants, ivory cardigan, red shoes

Day 5: Elie Tahari zip front top, ivory cardigan, blue skirt, black heels (and tights for warmth on the plane)

As you can see, you can get a lot of variety with just a few pieces as long as they coordinate.  The staples (i.e., pants, blazers, shoes) need to be work horses!

Other packing tips and tricks:

• Don’t forget other items to pack besides your wardrobe (i.e., toiletries, gym clothes, pyjamas).  In fact, these other items often take up a lot of space, which is why I usually keep my work wardrobe to 10 pieces
• If you have evening activities, you may want to also pack a pair of dark jeans if you have extra room.  They should integrate well with any of the pieces
• Choose 1 set of jewelry for the week.  See my thoughts on jewelry here.  If you have a set with a long necklace and 2 pairs of earrings, you can get enough varied looks for the week
• Consider throwing in an ivory camisole.  You never know when you may spill something or realize one of your blouses has a hole in it.  You can always wear a camisole with a buttoned blazer.  It’s a great contingency plan that doesn’t take up a lot of space in the suitcase
• Not wardrobe related, but I suggest you take photos of your car where you parked it at the airport (if you drove) as well as your room number.  Those are easy to forget!

Check out this great post on the Owning Your Profession site on Personal and Professional packing lists!  Great tips and ideas for both you personal and work lives

I hope you enjoyed my guidance on how to pack for a business trip with just 10 pieces.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences below!