You open the car door and exit the driver's seat, stretching your arms and legs. It's been a full day of driving and you have just 30 minutes to check in to the hotel and meet your colleagues -- some of whom you've never actually seen in person. It's time to make a good first impression, but your shirt is wrinkled, there's a Rorschach stain on your pants because of an unfortunate ketchup incident, and your hair has taken on the appearance of the "before" photo in a hair product commercial.
If "looking good on the go" were a ship, it would have sailed a long time ago.
Truth is, whatever your mode of travel, looking your best starts long before departure. To prep like a pro, you'll want to strategically select certain luggage pieces, clothing items, and hair and skin care products.
Overwhelmed? No need. Becoming a gorgeous (or handsome) traveler is even easier than entering an online bidding war for a mystery hotel room. Start with your wardrobe. Select a two- or three-color palette and stick with it. With a few pairs of pants and shirts, and a couple of cardigans or jackets, you can mix and match the separates for different looks and end up packing fewer items. Add a few accessories to your wardrobe, like scarves, belts and jewelry, and you'll have even more options.
Tencel, known generically as lyocell, is a fabric made from wood pulp that's wrinkle resistant and often blended with cotton, silk and other materials. Polyester, polyester blends and spandex blends tend to wrinkle less, too, thanks to a manufacturing process that impregnates the cloth with resin and helps it maintain its original shape.
In general, to avoid wrinkled clothing as you travel, keep this guide in mind:
• Choose thick fabrics over thin.
• Choose loosely woven fabrics over tightly woven.
• Choose print fabrics over solids (the prints make wrinkles less noticeable).
[source: O'Donnell]
Pay attention to the terminology used on fabric labels, too. "Wrinkle resistant" means a fabric won't take on a raisinlike texture after a few hours in the car, but that it still might benefit from a gentle smoothing with a warm iron. "Wrinkle free," on the other hand, refers to garments that can be washed, dried and worn without any ironing [source: Tasker].
