The Suit That Hides An Overnight Flight
No one wants to go straight from the plane to a taxi to a meeting. But sometimes your finger slips during booking, and an ‘am’ becomes a ‘pm’, and suddenly that leisurely hour to shower, shave and change in the hotel disappears in a puff of jet fuel. A hand dryer’s not getting suitcase creases out, so you need a suit that can withstand economy class. Enter Paul Smith’s A Suit To Travel In. The British design icon showcased his new travel suit at LCM on the back of Olympic gymnast Max Whitlock, whose bar and floor routine made even EasyJet flights look relaxed. “It’s made from a treated wool, which is crease resistant,” says Mr Porter buyer Sam Kershaw, “and it’s slim fit ensures a sharp silhouette.” Not rumpled, travelling salesman. Paul Smith A Suit To Travel In, available at Mr Porter, priced £730.
A Wardrobe That Dresses Up And Down
It should be a given that you’re travelling with carry-on luggage only (tight schedules and baggage carousels don’t mix). So with space at a premium, you need clothes that swing both ways – up for meetings, down for post-deal drinks. That means shirts with barrel cuffs and a collar that works with-or-without the tie. “Canali is renowned for its easy care shirts, which wear well throughout the day,” says Kershaw. So you can head straight to the bar, but look like you’ve hit your hotel room first. If you’re doing dinner first, make sure you’ve packed a navy blazer. It dresses down your suit trousers, but can punch up jeans and a sweatshirt if the venue’s more barbecue than cordon bleu. Again, Canali has you covered, says Kershaw, with a jacket that’s water- and crease-resistant, coming a relaxed cut that ensures your look clocks off when you do.
The Bag That Keeps You Juiced
You can work on the plane, you think. Then you boot up to discover that you forgot to plug your laptop in overnight. Enter the Slaint holdall; as well as offering enough space for an overnight trip, it also packs a battery that can charge your computer, phone and tablet back up to full power. And unlike most tech-oriented luggage, it’s crafted not from ballistic nylon, but luxury saddle leather. So now your carry-on can be as smart inside as it is out. Eon Holdall, available from July at slaintbrand.uk, priced £1,400.
The App That Gets You The Best Seat
As air travel becomes less like a magical journey through the clouds, more like a big, winged bus you’re trapped on for most of a day, you need the scoop on the prime real estate. Seatguru has cabin maps of near every flight on earth, with user reviews of which seats suck – so you don’t get stuck with restricted legroom or eau de chemical toilette – as well as which provide enough legroom to satisfy even Peter Crouch. Available at SeatGuru, for free.
The Headphones For When Kids’ Ears Start Popping
No matter how savvy your seat choice, odds are you’ll still end up in front of the newborn discovering the joys of flying. In order to focus fully on that Powerpoint presentation, you need a pair of cans that block out ambient noise and offer full-spectrum sound – to drown engine hum and reward your decision to switch work for Game Of Thrones. The M500 headphones, from British audio expert KEF, offer all that in a lightweight package which won’t tip your baggage allowance over, plus an ergonomic design that adjusts to your head. Meaning they’ll stay comfortable for an entire Shanghai red-eye. KEF M500 Headphones, available at Selfridges, priced £249.99.
The Spa That Fits In Your Hand Luggage
Travel presents two problems: skin-parching air con on the plane, then temperature changes once you land, which combine to leave you looking like your fryer shift just ended. To counter the first without encouraging the second, think little and often. “Keep a travel-sized amount of moisturiser and apply two to three times a day,” says Lloyd Hughes, creative director of male grooming brand men-ü. Look for products with pro vitamin B5, allantoin, or sodium hyaluronate, like Dermalogica’s Skin Hydrating Booster (£52.70), which encourages water into skin cells. Decant a serving into a contact lens case to avoid trips to the overhead locker.
Once you hit tarmac, find a bathroom for some pre-meeting facial TLC. “You need a cleanser or a mask to counteract greasy skin,” says Hughes. “Look out for ingredients such as tea tree oil, which is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial. This is a great treatment for a greasy T-Zone. Corn starch and witch hazel are natural astringents and are also good sebum absorbers.” Make your cubicle a quick-fire spa with men-ü’s D-TOX Clay Mask (£5); apply, leave for five minutes, then wash away those hours in recycled air. Finish with men-ü Matt Moisturiser (£4.50), to keep shine in check long past passport control.
