Men’s Work Travel Capsule

Like many, my husband travels so much that he’s evolved into his own mobile office.

He has packing logistics for his laptop, cords, and chargers down to an efficient system,

ensuring nothing’s missing, that everything works, and it’s all interchangeable.

Not so for his work travel wear, so I built a capsule wardrobe to streamline his travel

prep. First, I set a few rules: comfortable clothes that reflect his position; ease of

upkeep; and today’s flying rigor makes suits impractical. The capsule is freestanding,

making it as seamless as his mobile office.

I only picked two colors for the capsule, blue (his favorite color) and khaki, to make it

easier, though you could include one more color for additional flexibility. Next, I

purchased two pair of pants (a jean and a khaki performance pant) and two button down

shirts, both a blue plaid.

Additionally, I bought a blue sneaker, two blue quarter-zip pullovers and two blue

sweaters. The sweaters and ¼ zips were solids, so I bought one light, one dark blue of

each. Finally, I purchased two professional looking t-shirts, a blue and a grey, to mix

and match underneath.

The result is that he has 16 different coordinated outfits of different weights, regardless

of what he chooses. He can pick anything from the travel capsule without thinking, thus

reducing the effort it takes to pack and the wear on his regular wardrobe.

He can also add new capsule pieces, like another neutral pant or additional casual

shoe, to increase his options. Ultimately, the capsule has reduced a big travel stressor

replacing it with a simple system of clothes that stand on their own.

Tammy’s Truism: Today’s performance fabrics now allow for comfortable and durable

clothing that always looks professional.