by: Danielle Ternyila, Zyia Active Independent Rep

Packing for a business trip used to be such a daunting task, with having to prepare for so many unknown variables, last minute dinners, and varied business-attire expectations. The one thing that will never change from city to city, however, is our desire to pack light and easy! I’ve learned along my way how to minimize luggage, so I’ll share how I packed this past week for a 3-day business trip to the beautiful city of Boston!

Pick Your Color Base

This is the first thing on my mind when packing, and for me it always revolves around the shoes. If you’ll be walking exhibit floors and large conference halls like me, focus on the footwear that will be carrying you everywhere. Once you know what shoes you’re bringing, you can start working on your color palette for work trip. Everything else you pack should revolve around those colors.

It’s better to pick a more neutral color that can be paired with a lot, rather than something vibrant and outstanding. For my late-March work trip to Boston, I went with a blush/nude tone that I could pair with whites and pinks; I packed my most comfortable strappy platform heels and a basic sneaker for outside the meetings, the gym, and walking around exploring.

Choose Versatility

This is where my White Grid Tank came in handy! This crop tank has a built-in bra to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Everything I pack had to serve more than 1 purpose, so a bra/top in one is a no-brainer. Then I pull in some simple tanks and tops that can be styled for at least 2 different looks.

I packed the White Muscle Cubana Tank that has great ventilation and lots of coverage, so I wore that on Day 1 with joggers, which I swapped out for leggings to get some cardio in later. This top was also a comfy alternative to a PJ top and worked for a quick cardio session! It was comfy to drive up in, too.

I should also mention, I choose bras like the Grid Tank and our other Zyia sports bras because they also double as swim tops on the off chance I have time for a dip in the pool!

Avoid Anything That Wrinkles

The key to a business-professional wardrobe in a suitcase is clothes that don’t wrinkle. I purposefully pack bottoms I know won’t wrinkle, like the lightweight Everywhere Pants from my Zyia Active boutique; I can wear any pair of these (in black, olive, or navy) more than 1 way too by pulling up the legs into a capri style for some versatility, but they pack so neat and small that I’ll usually pack more than 1 pair anyway.

For my corporate travel this week, I went with the Black and Olive colors, and I also threw in my Navy Perfection Joggers, which are another comfortable staple for a flight too. All of these bottoms resist wrinkling, are sweat-wicking, quick-dry for those rainy days or sweaty gym workouts (because after all, they are basically activewear), and all feature 2 functional deep pockets.

These 3 colors all pair well with the nude-blush color palette I have created for this early-Spring trip 😉

Minimize Extra’s

You’ll always have the urge to throw in a few extra pieces in case something comes up, plans change, or the weather disrupts things. Plan out your days and the outfits to accompany them, then see how you can pull together those pieces to create some different looks.