Business Travel Tips - How to Travel with Ties

Necktie-wearing businessmen and long airplane trips are more than just stereotypes, it's a reality for hundreds of thousands of men out there, and it's probably one for you as well. Getting to your destination is only the easy part; the challenge is disembarking and going straight to that crucial meeting without looking like something the cat dragged in. With a few measures, however, your tie can enter that meeting smoother than your plane ride. Pack It Properly One way to keep your best business necktie from getting all scrunched up during the trip is to stow it in your luggage or hand-carry before boarding the plane. Of course, this strategy involves more than just dumping your tie into your bag prior to leaving. Find yourself one of those necktie containers, which can come in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes. They can range from diminutive boxes just right for a rolled up tie to long, luxurious wood holders that can keep a necktie folded in half. Whichever one you manage to obtain, the important thing is that you have something rigid and structured that will protect the fabric from getting creased and wrinkled in transit. In a pinch, you could also opt to stuff your tie into some of your more structured clothes. A rolled up tie is usually protected fairly well inside a formal leather shoe, for example, or tucked into the inner pocket of a suit jacket. In fact, you could use virtually anything you happen to have, so long as there's some structure and rigidity to it. Quick Necktie Care Should your tie get all scrunched during the trip, however, there's nothing else for you to do but set it straight, literally. On a regular case, this would usually call for a trip to a dry cleaning store that specializes in silks so that they can do the necessary procedures. That option, however, isn't available to you if you're in a rush. What you can do is pop into your hotel room (or a motel, if you haven't checked in yet), hang up your tie and take a quick shower. The combined heat and moisture of a quick shower should take care of any minor wrinkles, and minimize major ones, at least, without risking any damage to your tie. A ten-minute shower should straighten out your tie and refresh you just enough to make a decent excuse for your slight tardiness. No-Fuss Necktie Fashion Just because you're trying to adhere to the rules of business formal fashion doesn't mean you have to wear delicate starched items from head to toe. One great way to avoid the travel-weary ties is to get a necktie that's resistant to wrinkles in the first place. Knit ties, for example, are slowly becoming an accepted item in office-acceptable men's fashion. At the same time, you could bunch a knit tie up into a ball, straighten it out with your hands and still knot it up presentably. A solid knit tie in navy or black isn't just great for travelers; fashion-conscious jetsetters love them because they work with practically any shirt in existence, and are interestingly textured to boot. Something as simple as investing in a higher quality necktie can already save you a lot of trouble when you travel. The pricier, better ties are made with more fabric lining it inside, the best ones have a total of seven layers, making them thicker and thus harder to get creased. Not only do you get a better looking knot from premium ties, but you also avoid a lot of hassle with regard to how you look straight off a ten-hour flight. Business meetings are often about impressions, and your clothes and style can say a lot about who you are and how you work. Do yourself a favor and look your best when you go into those meetings. And for any guy in a suit, looking good always starts with the tie.