It’s getting to be vacation season. Hooray! Business travelers will often combine a fun trip and a business trip, to maximize time away and minimize travel time and costs. But for people who still want to carry-on, what kind of things can you pack that will do double duty? A packing challenge? I accept!

Here are some key pieces that will transition well from work to play.

Pashmina. Yeah, yeah. You hear from me about the glories of the pashmina all the time—in fact, when I was trying to help my sister plan her packing list for a trip to Paris, she told me to “lay off about the scarf already.” Hah! But seriously, they are amazing. A pashmina is a critical accessory to any business outfit, but can serve as a bathing suit cover-up or even a casual dress on vacation.

Floaty tops. My favorite travel uniform is blouse+cardigan+slacks/skirt. Choosing blouses that can stand alone with shorts will stretch your wardrobe.

Dresses/skirts. When choosing which dresses or skirts to bring, look for less structured dresses that can be dressed up for work. For example, instead of a sheath, choose a patterned a-line and top it with a cardigan or blazer when you’re on the job.

Suggested packing list for a 4-day business trip with a long vacation weekend:

• Slacks
• Dress
• Skirt
• Shorts
• Pashmina
• 2 blouses
• 1 cardigan
• 1 blazer
• 1 casual tank
• Swimsuit

 

Outfits for work:

• Slacks+blouse+cardigan
• Dress+blazer
• Skirt+blouse+cardigan
• Slacks+blouse+blazer

Outfits for vacation:

• Shorts+tank (sightseeing)
• Dress+pashmina (dinner out)
• Swimsuit+pashmina (pool time)
• Shorts+casual tank (hanging out)
• Skirt+blouse (brunch)

Readers, how do you pack for work and fun trips in the same suitcase?