Happy Friday!
By the time this message reaches you, if all goes as planned, I will have flown through the night from Los Angeles to Zurich for the first leg of a business trip that will also include stops in Milan and Rome.
I’ve never thought of myself as an anxious traveler but it might be fair to call me an “anxious packer.” Like many people who spend a lot of time on the road, I’m a little obsessed with packing. Because really, when you’re far from home, a well-packed bag can be a powerful source of comfort. What a relief when your suitcase contains just the thing to make you feel comfortable and cozy, professional and polished, or ready to party—and it’s easily findable.
For this reason, I’ve devised a series of systems to help me—and hopefully, you—conquer the fear of an empty suitcase.
Start with a list. This week, Quartz’s Anne Quito schooled us on the ancient art of sprezzatura—the Italian sartorial nonchalance that includes apparently unstudied details such as cobalt reading glasses and pink desert boots (a signature of world traveler Waris Ahluwalia, below), but avoids looking like you tried too hard.
Here’s a secret: Looking “effortless”—as opposed to, you know, careless or sloppy—takes effort, so we’re going to be a little Tracy Flick about this and make a list. (Joan Didion has one too.) This way you’ll be sure to have that perfectly rumpled pocket square for your TED Talk.
What’s on the itinerary? Write down important events—whether that means business meetings, a wedding, or a jitter-inducing date—and note what you’ll wear to each one, head to toe. You don’t need to plan all your outfits, just those which require special attire.
For the rest of your clothes: the packing pyramid. One of the nerdier things I’ve done is devise this pyramid to illustrate what I’ve found to be the correct ratio of clothing categories for a well-packed suitcase.
This was initially formulated for packing a carry-on for a shorter business trip + weekend fun hybrid that Quartz editor Caitlin Hu dubbed “the work-end.” But many of the tips hold true for other kinds of travel.
Categories bring order to chaos. Each essential clothing item fits into one of six categories: lounge/underwear, middle layers (top and bottom), outerwear, exercise, shoes, and accessories. Thinking—and piling—by category helps ensure that you don’t end up with your three favorite pairs of jeans but only one striped shirt to wear with them.
Pack in a cohesive color scheme to facilitate easy mixing and matching. If you’re anything like me, this will come naturally because there’s probably already a palette ( i.e: navy, black, cream, millennial pink) that dominates your dresser. That said, don’t leave your personality at home…
Throw in a wild card! If you’ve stuck to practical, mixable, matchable pieces so far, this should feel like a refreshing palette cleanser. In the past I’ve included an allover printed Suno jumpsuit, a leopard-spotted shirt-dress, or a bright coral-colored coat. Choose something that makes you feel like yourself—and excited to get dressed.
Accessories serve this purpose too. No joke, the right necklace can help you make friends. I have a triple strand of Zuni beads that never fails to attract a compliment from a woman I’d like to pal around with at a party. (It even works on Instagram.) Karl Lagerfeld says “silver is so much better than gold on the plane,” which I’m surprised to find I also have an opinion on: I agree! A fresh manicure also adds a pop of color, and no weight to your bag.
Speaking of personal care. Last year on a Trans-Atlantic flight, I came to the horrifying realization I had checked my toothbrush and toothpaste. I asked a flight attendant whether he happened to have one of those little amenity kits so I could brush my teeth. (I had been drinking red wine, if you must know.)
“No,” he replied. “Not for passengers in this class.”
A few minutes later he came back and offered me a toothpick. A toothpick! In the months since, I made this list of little things that make a big difference in-flight—a personalized amenity kit for far less than the price of an upgrade. (For the time being, the US Department of Homeland Security is still permitting pillows on all routes.)
For getting cozy: a blanket-like scarf or down sweater and compression socks (unsexy, I know, but so are swollen ankles). For sleeping: a lightweight microbead-filled head/neck/eye pillow; an actual eye mask because you’re not putting that neck pillow over your face; and noise-cancelling headphones. For moisturizing: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, Glossier’s Moon Mask, Aesop hand balm, and Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment. For refreshing: facial wipes; rosewater mist; the greatest natural deodorant; a mini rollerball of mild fragrance or essential oil; and of course, your toothbrush and toothpaste.
RIP Chuck Berry. Chuck Berry, a founding father and poet laureate of rock and roll, died at 90 on Saturday. Berry was born in California, but moved to St. Louis soon after, where his roots were strong. I’m from St. Louis too, and got to see him perform there in 2002. Back then, Berry played once a month in Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, a tiny basement club that the restaurant’s founder and Berry’s friend, Joe Edwards created for him. Berry, then 75, emphatically refused a stool that was offered to him, and finished his set dancing as he played his guitar, surrounded by fans he invited onstage.
Should you find yourself traveling through St. Louis, I highly recommend a visit to Blueberry Hill for a burger, a beer, or a round of darts. The toasted ravioli—a St. Louis special—are solid, and the jukebox is legendary. So is Edwards’ collection of rock and roll memorabilia, much of which features Berry. Outside, you can find Berry’s star on St. Louis’s Walk of Fame, pay tribute at a bronze statue of the legend, and pick up a record at Vintage Vinyl, just up the street.
I’ll still be traveling next week, so you can look forward to a dispatch from Quartz fashion reporter extraordinaire, Marc Bain. Until then, have a great weekend!
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If you haven’t already started George Saunders’ new novel, Lincoln in the Bardo (or even if you have), consider downloading the audio version. The book tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s deceased young son, stuck in the netherworld of a cemetery with a great many ghosts. In the audiobook, each spirit gets a different voice, amounting to a cast of 166 readers including Susan Sarandon, Don Cheadle, Miranda July, Lena Dunham, Bill Hader, Ben Stiller, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Offerman, and Megan Mullally. (The last two snagged the movie rights this week). I bought the audiobook on Amazon and—on a tip from my colleague Kira Bindrim, a seriously voracious reader—synced it to the Kindle app on my phone, where I can follow along in the text too.