Right Dressing Can Boost Your Confidence

Geography isn’t as important as it once was in determining how dress. As the world population is exposed to more and
more of the same influences, tastes, inevitably, have become more global, less local. So, when traveling for business,basic professional attire is appropriate just about anywhere like a tourist it is helpful to understand the tendencies in different parts of the United States and the world. You should be able to remix items from your existing wardrobe to suit any destination.

MIDWEST - CHICAGO AND DETROIT

Cities like Chicago and Detroit are more cosmopolitan than other parts of the Midwest, and women dress up for work in.

Suits. In Minneapolis and other women are comfortable with a more workday, casual look, wearing Khakis and Sweater sets.

Evening: A lot of entertaining is corporate in the Midwest. Black-tie fund raising events take place quite often in these cities. Women wear Cocktail Dresses or Pant Suits to black-tie events in dressy fabrics like velvet and satin.

Accessories are dressy and unique. Preferred colors for formal dress in the Midwest are black, deep browns, midnight,navies, and dark purples.

NORTHEAST - BOSTON

Boston is an intellectual city, which gives rise to individualism and trend-setting. However, there is a division between suburban and urban women in terms of fashion. The suburban women are slightly more conservative and wear brighter
colors and lower hemlines. The city woman prefers trendier fashions in more subdued colors and with higher hemlines.

Evening: Urban and suburban women prefer the little Black Evening Dress but personalize it with a Jacket. Because of the cobblestone streets and the periodically inclement weather, women most often wear low heels.

NORTHEAST - NEW YORK

New York City is considered the fashion hub of the country, and Business Women are fashion-conscious and impeccably groomed, yet iconoclastic. Colors are urban standard: black, charcoal, chocolate, beige, with, and splashes of color. Pedicures, manicures, a well-maintained hairstyle and color, and groomed eyebrows are essentials.

Well - Tailored Suits are standard in most industries.

Evening: For most formal parties, Long Dresses with quality accessories will do nicely: the old-money society set dresses simply and elegantly for black-tie charity functions; glitterati-literati openings and events, women dress dramatically and not necessarily in a traditionally formal manner. The newest, cutting-edge designs are popular. Many New York women own a little black dress, which can be worn to a variety of events simply by adding or subtracting accessories. They often mix separates, which contributes to enormous personal style, a hallmark of New York dressing. Suburban New Yorkers are much more relaxed and colorful.

NORTHEAST - WASHINGTON, DC

The Suit is a key in DC and traditionally a realm where women can shine and pull focus through color, though more and more are being. The no-nonsense suit is worn after dark, dressed up with a scarf or pin. A lot of women in DC tend to avoid making over fashion statements and generally frown upon seductive dressing, preferring that their political views, power, and influence make their statement.

Evening: Entertaining in Washington often takes place in the home. Politics is the talk read the newspapers, magazines, and listens to the news on TV and radio to keep up.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST- SEATTLE

Women are more concerned with being comfortable than with being on the cutting edge of fashion. Working women tend to dress business casual, wearing pants, blouses, and sweaters and only resorting. Accessories are where women indulge in being fashionable.

Evening: For formal occasions, women tend to wear a classic dress (hem to the keen; not a cocktail suit)in black or jewel tones.

THE ROCKIES - DENVER
Dressing for work in the Rockies is business casual: Pants or khakis with a blouse, sweater, or crisp white a blouse, sweater, or crisp white shirt. Color and accessories like belts and earrings is a key.


Evening: There are more charity functions per capital in Denver than in any other city in the country, providing many occasions for formal dress.
Women’s evening wear is understated and elegant. The little black cocktail dress predominates, but women will wear ankle-length gowns for very grand events. Many events in Denver call for “Creative Western Elegance.” Women
typically wear broomstick skirts and matching Western jackets with nickel or silver conch buttons.

SOUTHEAST - ATLANTA

Atlanta is a casual city, but the city’s booming business sector has attracted people from around the world, and the professional dress code is fast becoming that of a larger metropolis.
Women wear conservative suits or business appropriate skirts or pants and blouses, with mid-height heels. Black is not a popular choice in this vibrant city. On the popular are prevalent colors among women. Society women wear khakis, the “great white shirt”

Evening: Women are practical but not prissy. Style is always ladylike, which is the most important dressing guideline for women. Tailored feminine elegance is admired more than trendy extremes; women prefer clothing that can be worn
both to the office and to symphony.

SOUTHWEST - HOUSTON

Texas women have a well-deserved reputation for being the most dressed, if not the best dressed, in the nation.
Career women wear Skirt or Pant Suits in bright color with Feminine Blouses. It is not unusual for women in Houston or Dallas to change clothes three times a day exercise clothes, business attire, evening wear. Heat, humidity, bitter
cold, and the chill of air-conditioning have a lot to do with this.

Evening: Unlike in many other cities, career women almost always change clothes for the evening, whether it is a cocktail suit, dress, or formal wear. If a woman has good jewelry stones one might refer to as “jewelry” rather than
jewelry she wants clothes the show these off.

TROPICAL - MIAMI

Business wear has been influenced by the influx of South and Central Americans conducting business in this region.
Clothing is more feminine than in other cities, with shorter hemlines and higher heels. Business attire has a light,tropical feel, with suits tending toward light neutrals and dresses more prevalent than they are in other cities.


TROPICAL - PALM BEACH

Thought they, re geographically close, Miami and Palm Beach are worlds apart. Palm Beach sports an old-school, old-money look. Business attire in the two cities is similar.

WEST COAST - LOS Angeles

Business dressing is divided into three categories in Los Angeles, and all of them revolve around, or take their clues from, Hollywood:

1.The execs-the people who work in the offices and make decisions about money wear dark suits, whether they are men or women. LA is less designer label-conscious than a city like New York.
2.The creative execs-agent, PR executives, and producers all fall into this category-dress corporate creative, which means trendy, hip clothes that have professional polish: From-fitting pants with a crisp white shirt or dress with boots.
3. The talent-anyone from an actress to a director dress extremely casual, while still being responsive to the season’s new trends.

Evening: Aside from red carpet events, LA occasions rarely call for formal attire. One might wear Pants and a Top,possibly a Jacket, unless it was an opening night, and then a Pant Suit in silk or linen. At a museum party or slightly formal affair, a cocktail dress will be worn, and more Pantsuits in silk or linen. At movie premieres, the stars wear Short Dresses or Pantsuits, always designer wear, sometimes mixed with vintage clothes.

WEST COAST

Women are sophisticated, formal, and European in style. Weather is variable
September and October are the warmest months and demands a season less wardrobe. Light wool crepes and season less silks are favored; there is little need for heavy winter overcoats or clothing for steamy climates.

We Remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

What Is Your Interview Wardrobe

Interview Wardrobe

The clothes you choose to wear to your interview will create the first-and most important-impression upon those who matter, up until your first day on the job. At that point, you can start to relax into the club’s attire. But at this point, dressing to impress is mandatory, and the clothes you choose are critical. This section discusses the interview wardrobe’s key pieces, and the messages they send.
“At one time, the most qualified person got the job. Today, in a situation where three people with equal qualification are interviewed for a job, the one with the best communication skills gets it.”

WHAT DO YOUR CLOTHES SAY TO THE INTERVIEWER?

BLOUSE

Uptight or Elegant?
PEARLS Pretentious or Pulled together?

SUIT JACKET

Suit Jacket Long ago pilfered from menswear , the jacket acts a strong, no-nonsense centerpiece to any business look. It gives the body shape, suggests stature, and imparts the wearer with confidence. Because its overall intent is to convey power, a jacket’s workmanship, quality, and tailoring are critical.

FABRIC Should drape smoothly, not appear stiff, shiny, or flimsy.
COLOR Neural-black, gray, navy’ or beige.
SHAPE Slightly nipped in at waist.
POCKETS Optional pockets lie flat and are lined. Do not remove string to open.
LENGTH Hem extends to the bottom of the hips.
SLEEVES Sleeves land at the base of the thumb.
COLLAR Collar lies smooth and flat against the neck.
SHOULDERS Shoulders are structured but not overpadded.
LAPELS Medium to small lapels<3”1/4 from seam to point is ideal> lie flat without buckling.
FIT Armholes should fit well-not too baddy, no too tight; this part of the jacket can’t be tailored.
STYLE Single-breasted.
BUTTONS Buttons are the same color or darker than the suit and never too large, flashy, or covered in fabric.


Suit Skirt

WHAT IT SAYS
Formal, urban, conservative.
FABRIC Drapes smoothly.
NO BELT LOOPS
SHAPE Simple-a-lime or straight, not too tight and never frilly.
DETAILS For maximun versatility, the waist should not require a belt.
FIT Skirt should not be too tight or too short-do a sitting text in tit before purchasing. Check the rearview mirror. What look fabulous from the front can cling or slouch from other angles.
QUALITY Make sure seams are even and not pulled. Check that lining is firmly intact.
LENGTH To the knee. It’s the length that says, “I’m professional” and looks best on most legs. Shorter could be considered too fashiony; longer, more traditional.


Suit Pants
WHAT IT SAYS
Confident, contemporary, practical.
FIT Pants should drape smoothly over the body, with no tight areas that droop. Check that the pocket lining is smooth and not bulky.
OUALITY Check that fabric hangs evenly and seams are not mismatched or pulled.
THE BOTTOM LINE The seat of the pants should be neither overly baggy nor clingy. To ensure proper fit, check your rearview mirror and sit down while wearing the pants.
ZIP CODE Side, front, or rear closure are acceptable.
BANISH BELT LOOPS
For your first suit, a clean waistline is the most flexible. Belt loops always require a belt and that your top is tucked in.
FLAT FRONT VS. PLEATS
Both are professional; the flat front is more slimming and sophisticated.
LENGTH
The pant leg should break at the instep. When having your pants hemmed, bring the shoe you will most often wear with them.
CUFFED LEG VS. CLEAN
Both are acceptable; a clean leg is more versatile.

Tops are key wardrobe enhancers: Change your top and essentially you’ve changed your look. Choose shirts and that are compatible with your suits. Make sure each top fits comfortably under your suit jacket-and looks suitably professional should you take your jacket off.
BLOUSE
A soft, somewhat loose feminine top. Conservative, confident, ladylike. FIRST PURCHASE: Solid white, cream, black, or a color to match your suit.
SHIRT
Button-front, cuffed-and-collared top inspired by menswear. Efficient, classic; respects authority. Choose a classic, men’s style dress collar; a button-down can be limiting. FIRST PURCHASE; Solid, white cotton.
T-SHIRT
Trim, collarless, cotton or jersey top. Easygoing but organized. Ready to roll up your sleeves Choose substantial, opaque cotton or cotton blend with stretch-anything flimsy will lose its shape. Make sure neck is not saggy or baggy. Keep it plain . Try a shot of color.

FIRST PURCHASE: Solid white, black, or to match the color of your suit.
1 JACKET+4 TOPS = 3 DRESS CODES
Shoes

Never underestimate the power of shoes. A good pair can make a ho-hum dress look like a million bucks. The wrong ones can send a great suit straight into the gutter. Shoes also tend to make at-a-glance statements about your workplace identity, and your message better be clear-I’m capable, confident, and yes, great with derails.

Portfolio
A portfolio is a sleek and efficient alternative to the handbag. It can help keep resumes presentable, hold a notepad, and conceal any preinterview cheat sheets you want to study en route to your meeting.

We Remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

What Is Your Interview Wardrobe

Interview Wardrobe

The clothes you choose to wear to your interview will create the first-and most important-impression upon those who matter, up until your first day on the job. At that point, you can start to relax into the club’s attire. But at this point, dressing to impress is mandatory, and the clothes you choose are critical. This section discusses the interview wardrobe’s key pieces, and the messages they send.
“At one time, the most qualified person got the job. Today, in a situation where three people with equal qualification are interviewed for a job, the one with the best communication skills gets it.”

WHAT DO YOUR CLOTHES SAY TO THE INTERVIEWER?

BLOUSE

Uptight or Elegant?
PEARLS Pretentious or Pulled together?

SUIT JACKET

Suit Jacket Long ago pilfered from menswear , the jacket acts a strong, no-nonsense centerpiece to any business look. It gives the body shape, suggests stature, and imparts the wearer with confidence. Because its overall intent is to convey power, a jacket’s workmanship, quality, and tailoring are critical.

FABRIC Should drape smoothly, not appear stiff, shiny, or flimsy.
COLOR Neural-black, gray, navy’ or beige.
SHAPE Slightly nipped in at waist.
POCKETS Optional pockets lie flat and are lined. Do not remove string to open.
LENGTH Hem extends to the bottom of the hips.
SLEEVES Sleeves land at the base of the thumb.
COLLAR Collar lies smooth and flat against the neck.
SHOULDERS Shoulders are structured but not overpadded.
LAPELS Medium to small lapels<3”1/4 from seam to point is ideal> lie flat without buckling.
FIT Armholes should fit well-not too baddy, no too tight; this part of the jacket can’t be tailored.
STYLE Single-breasted.
BUTTONS Buttons are the same color or darker than the suit and never too large, flashy, or covered in fabric.


Suit Skirt

WHAT IT SAYS
Formal, urban, conservative.
FABRIC Drapes smoothly.
NO BELT LOOPS
SHAPE Simple-a-lime or straight, not too tight and never frilly.
DETAILS For maximun versatility, the waist should not require a belt.
FIT Skirt should not be too tight or too short-do a sitting text in tit before purchasing. Check the rearview mirror. What look fabulous from the front can cling or slouch from other angles.
QUALITY Make sure seams are even and not pulled. Check that lining is firmly intact.
LENGTH To the knee. It’s the length that says, “I’m professional” and looks best on most legs. Shorter could be considered too fashiony; longer, more traditional.


Suit Pants
WHAT IT SAYS
Confident, contemporary, practical.
FIT Pants should drape smoothly over the body, with no tight areas that droop. Check that the pocket lining is smooth and not bulky.
OUALITY Check that fabric hangs evenly and seams are not mismatched or pulled.
THE BOTTOM LINE The seat of the pants should be neither overly baggy nor clingy. To ensure proper fit, check your rearview mirror and sit down while wearing the pants.
ZIP CODE Side, front, or rear closure are acceptable.
BANISH BELT LOOPS
For your first suit, a clean waistline is the most flexible. Belt loops always require a belt and that your top is tucked in.
FLAT FRONT VS. PLEATS
Both are professional; the flat front is more slimming and sophisticated.
LENGTH
The pant leg should break at the instep. When having your pants hemmed, bring the shoe you will most often wear with them.
CUFFED LEG VS. CLEAN
Both are acceptable; a clean leg is more versatile.

Tops are key wardrobe enhancers: Change your top and essentially you’ve changed your look. Choose shirts and that are compatible with your suits. Make sure each top fits comfortably under your suit jacket-and looks suitably professional should you take your jacket off.
BLOUSE
A soft, somewhat loose feminine top. Conservative, confident, ladylike. FIRST PURCHASE: Solid white, cream, black, or a color to match your suit.
SHIRT
Button-front, cuffed-and-collared top inspired by menswear. Efficient, classic; respects authority. Choose a classic, men’s style dress collar; a button-down can be limiting. FIRST PURCHASE; Solid, white cotton.
T-SHIRT
Trim, collarless, cotton or jersey top. Easygoing but organized. Ready to roll up your sleeves Choose substantial, opaque cotton or cotton blend with stretch-anything flimsy will lose its shape. Make sure neck is not saggy or baggy. Keep it plain . Try a shot of color.

FIRST PURCHASE: Solid white, black, or to match the color of your suit.
1 JACKET+4 TOPS = 3 DRESS CODES
Shoes

Never underestimate the power of shoes. A good pair can make a ho-hum dress look like a million bucks. The wrong ones can send a great suit straight into the gutter. Shoes also tend to make at-a-glance statements about your workplace identity, and your message better be clear-I’m capable, confident, and yes, great with derails.

Portfolio
A portfolio is a sleek and efficient alternative to the handbag. It can help keep resumes presentable, hold a notepad, and conceal any preinterview cheat sheets you want to study en route to your meeting.

We Remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

New Laws Of Fashion Part 1

With more quality available to the American man than ever before, there are also more pitfalls. To help you navigate our expanding sartorial world, here are Esquire’s fifty new laws of fashion. Commit them to memory. Break them if you like. (We’ll tell you how.) Then go undaunted.

1. YOU WEAR THE CLOTHES, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

2. INVESTING IN QUALITY OFTEN MEANS INVESTING IN THE THINGS YOU CAN’T SEE. Like the movement inside a mechanical watch, the full hand-canvasing in a jacket or single breasted suits, or the hand-stitched uppers of your shoes.

3. BLUE JEANS ARE GOOD; DARK-BLUE JEANS ARE BETTER. Leave the boot cuts to cowgirls and black denim to ex-cons.

4. CELEBRITIES LOOK GOOD IN CLOTHES FOR TWO REASONS: a) They’re famous. b) They have someone whose full-time job is to dress them. Don’t get discouraged. Get famous.

5. YOU SHOULD DRESS FOR AIR TRAVEL AS IF IT WERE STILL A PRIVILEGE. Start with a collared shirt and a tailored jacket. And if you can’t bear wearing proper shoes, low-key leather sneakers will do. Ditch the sweatpants, though. You’re not at the gym. How to break it: Flying private gives you sartorial carte blanche.

6. A WELL MADE AND PROPERLY KEPT SHOE WILL LAST YOU THREE DECADES. When shopping for your feet, remember to invest in leather soles and uppers and Goodyear-worthy welts. Remember, too, that all-leather shoes are easier to rebuild. How to break it: If it’s obvious that your loafers are from the seventies, retire them.

7. WOODEN SHOE TREES ARE A GOOD IDEA. But you need only one pair. Put them in the shoes you’ve been wearing all day. The shoe, warmed and wet from your body heat and perspiration, will contract as it cools over the shape of the tree and return to its original form. Within an hour or two, the tree has done its job. Leather Tramezza shoes (made to measure, starting at $810) by Salvatore Ferragamo.

8. THERE ARE TWO WAYS YOU SHOULD STORE YOUR TIE: 1) Lay it flat in a drawer. 2) Roll it up like a Swiss roll by folding it once and then rolling it from the narrow end. Both methods allow the tie to settle and regain its shape overnight.

9. BROADEN YOUR COLOR WHEEL. Colors that real men actually look good in, though they don’t realize it (one item of clothing at a time, please): pink, turquoise, and coral.

10. IT’S BETTER TO BE OVERDRESSED THAN UNDERDRESSED. Being thought eccentric for wearing a tux to a swim meet is preferable to wearing a T-shirt and jeans to a wedding.

12. IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET: one razor, one bar of shaving soap, a shaving brush, a comb, deodorant, nail clippers, hair gel, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. Done.


13. BUY THE SUIT THAT FITS, NOT THE ONE YOU WISH YOU COULD FIT INTO. A suit that’s too tight will make you look fat. And while an oversized suit may seem more comfortable, in reality you’ll just look like a ten-year-old playing dress-up. In between the two is the suit that fits.

14. WOMEN ARE SEXY WHEN WEARING ONE ITEM OF MEN’S CLOTHING. How to break it: Or nothing at all.

15. WATERPROOF AND WATER-RESISTANT: There’s a big difference.

16. WET SHOES SHOULD BE DRIED IN A WARM PLACE NEAR AN OVEN (BUT NEVER IN ONE). But be careful: Rapid drying can irreversibly crack the leather.

17. "A WELL-TIED TIE IS THE FIRST SERIOUS STEP IN LIFE." —OSCAR WILDE

18. BE SUSPICIOUS OF THE GUY IN THE STATE U. SWEATSHIRT. Varsity sweatshirts are usually worn by people on whom the educational establishment in question had no lasting or useful impact at all or by people who paid for their kids to go there and would dearly like to advertise the fact. How to break it: Let go of suspicion if you live within twenty miles of a Big Ten school.

19. YOUR EYEGLASSES SHOULD CONTRAST, NOT MIMIC, THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE. Here’s a quick guide, courtesy of renowned eyeglass designer Richard Morgenthal.

Your shape: Heart
Your specs: A heart-shaped face already has a lot of definition. Since your head is top-heavy, go for a geometric frame that gives some width to the lower half of your face.

Your shape: Square
Your specs: Since a square face already has angles, go for a round or oval frame that shapes your cheekbones. A decorative frame with width will often do the trick.

Your shape: Round
Your specs: Avoid dark frames; they only make your face appear heavy. A round face needs direction, so opt for angular and narrow frames—never a square or a circle.

Your shape: Oval
Your specs: A modern rectangle is best for an oval face. Because your face is longer than it is wide, you’ll need frames that provide width. If your face is wider than it is long, go the opposite way.

20. IN THE NEW JEANS-AND-A-SUIT-JACKET ENVIRONMENT, A POCKET SQUARE CAN STAND IN FOR A TIE. Here’s how.

Astaire: To be done only with a silk handkerchief. Begin by spreading the material across a flat surface and pinching at the center, allowing the fabric to pillow around the pinch. Only an elegant pattern will do.

Churchill: Constructed in the same fashion as the Astaire pocket square but with the additional step of folding up the corners. This style is slightly more ragged in a very purposeful way. Must still be done with silk.

JFK: The structured nature of this style can be done with almost any material: silk, linen, or cotton. Very measured and exact, it calls for a quiet pattern on the hankie and is usually worn by men you’d trust to invest your money.

Bond, James: Straight out of the 1960s comes this straight-across approach. Donned by spies, news anchors, and heads of state, this style is simple and clean. It should be done with a white linen or cotton handkerchief.


We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Flight Suits - Your Wardobe When You Travel

IT'S the beginning of another summer travel season, and passengers at some of the busiest airports look little different than if they were shopping at a mall, their increasingly casual wardrobe of T-shirts and shorts having eclipsed any remnants of the golden era of travel, that time before airline deregulation led to cheap tickets, when dressing for the airport meant dressing up.

But take a closer look, and it's apparent that many travelers are even less well dressed than if they were at the mall. Savvy passengers have discerned the subtleties of passing hassle free through the Transportation Security Administration's checkpoints. Chic at the airport this summer means no lace-up dress shoes, no belts, no heavy-metal jewelry, no jackets required.

Dressing up isn't worth the effort when it is likely to lead to the sort of indignities experienced last week by Donna Repko, a business traveler at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. After passing through security in the late afternoon rush on her way home to Boston, Ms. Repko suddenly turned to a screener and said with a sense of urgency, "I think my jacket got caught in your machine." A moment later, a gray plastic bin poked its way through the X-ray machine. Scrunched beneath it was a ball of white pleated cotton, smudged with black streaks. "This is why I don't dress up for travel," Ms. Repko said.

For decades, the old fashioned have lamented the way young people - and now most people - dress for air travel. The advent of more stringent security measures in the nearly four years since the 9/11 attacks might have been expected to usher in a return to formal dressing, as a way of appearing respectable and drawing less scrutiny. But in fact the opposite seems to have happened.

"If you have on a fine suit, you don't want to fold it up and put it through that machine," said Richard B. Lanman, a medical lecturer from Los Altos, Calif., who travels at least three days a week. "I think there is generally an incentive to be more casual. I'm more inclined to dress down. There has been a continual degradation of any fashion sense in the past decade. You can't believe what you're seeing." Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the security administration, said there was no style of dress or item of clothing that led screeners to single out passengers for extra scrutiny.

Among the 50 or so passengers interviewed this month at airports in New York, Atlanta and Chicago, there was no consensus about whether any clothes attracted extra attention. But there was wide agreement that the simpler and more dressed-down, the more efficient the experience.

On its Web site, the security administration advises against wearing metallic jewelry, belt buckles and hidden body piercings and says passengers who set off the metal detector will be subject to hand-wanding or a pat-down that includes the torso. "Screeners do have some discretion and can refer a passenger to additional screening if they notice any irregularity to a passenger's contour, or if it appears there is an item protruding underneath their clothing," Ms. Davis said.

At Kennedy Airport in New York last week , passengers who would normally consider themselves fashionable were willing to commit a faux pas to get through security. John Robshaw, a textiles executive, wore a denim shirt tucked into denim jeans, but no belt. Sarah Flood, an oncology nurse, was in white short shorts, a green T-shirt and blue hoodie that matched her carry-on bag. "This is not my fashion day," she said, a newly purchased bohemian cotton skirt, the look of the season, packed in her checked luggage.

As they have become conditioned to the intrusiveness of modern security measures, undressing and redressing in front of revolving casts of strangers, travelers have developed new routines of composure, evolving their wardrobes to speed them along. And clothing makers have come up with innovations to meet their needs. Shoe companies like Florsheim, Clarks and Rockport sell "airport friendly" shoes without steel shanks. Underwear makers promote support bras made without an underwire, as even a small bit of metal can trigger a sensitive alarm.

"Americans have simplified the way they dress for travel," said Valerie Steele, the chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. "It's not a question of dressing better or worse. It's about dressing in a way that is more transparent."


At the USAir terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York, the sartorial adaptations to modern air travel played out with a sense of theater. After collecting their boarding passes, a handful of businessmen stepped over to a ficus tree and rested their briefcases on a concrete planter as they patted themselves down, checked their pants pockets for keys, coins, pagers and cell phones, which they transferred to bags or jackets, then removed the jackets and merged into the line waiting to pass through security.

Without being told, they took off their shoes and placed them into gray plastic bins. They neatly folded their jackets - the pockets now full of the metal objects of everyday necessity - on top of their bags.

"People travel a lot differently today than they did 20 or 30 years ago," said Joanne Smith, the president of Song Airlines, Delta's discount division. For professional women, wearing a jacket now means wearing something underneath that won't cause embarrassment when the jacket is removed. Those who will only wear high heels sometimes have to make other concessions.

"I usually wear dress heels, and I take them off to avoid further screening," Ms. Smith said. "I don't like to be barefoot, so I put a pair of socks in my bag or I always try to wear hose. I know. I'm a glamour don't. But I feel very old fashioned that way."

Bishop Cheen, a financial analyst, said he had to dress up for business, and after a meeting in Manhattan on an unseasonably hot and humid spring day, Mr. Cheen, 56, was wearing a slightly disheveled suit, which he paired with an overstuffed Jansport backpack to keep his hands free while fumbling with his boarding pass and ID for his trip home to Charlotte, N.C.

He had it down to a science: he pulled a plastic identification holder from the backpack and slipped his driver's license inside, displayed on a string of metal beads around his neck.

"If I wasn't traveling for business, I'd be in a T-shirt, and I wouldn't be wearing these shoes," he said, pointing to his lace-ups.

Men like Mr. Lanman, the medical lecturer, have another secret: wearing a dress shirt with a pocket to store their boarding passes and identification, although it didn't appear to be much of a secret on a recent Delta flight to Atlanta, where business class resembled a nerd convention, recalling the days of pocket protectors. "I'm in a constant feud with my wife over this," Mr. Lanman said. "She says it's not cool."

The most obvious difference in the way people dress since security measures were increased is the popularization of easily removable footwear like loafers, flip-flops and sandals. More than a quarter of the people traveling that afternoon at LaGuardia wore flip-flops. Having slipped out of their footwear to be screened, they looked like members of a religious pilgrimage.

On its Web site, the security administration pointedly says passengers are "not required" to remove their shoes before entering a walk-through metal detector. Screeners, the site says, might "encourage" them to do so if they are wearing boots, platform shoes or the many kinds of dress shoes that contain metal. But even the casual traveler seems to suspect duplicity in this policy. The widespread assumption is that refusing to remove one's shoes is a red flag to screeners.

Doug McNamee, who works for a pharmaceuticals company, bought a pair of loafers specifically designed for modern air travel last month. He said he was told the shoes had no metal in them. But the first trip he took, the shoes caused Mr. McNamee to become the subject of additional screening.

"It may have been an overzealous salesman who said these shoes did not have a steel shank," Mr. McNamee said. "Or maybe it was a sensitive scanner, but I would try anything to get through security faster. I get frustrated standing in line watching people in boots that lace halfway up their legs. I am desperate to get a high-speed lane for business travelers. I'll give my fingerprints, hair samples, saliva, anything."

As most passengers have gotten used to the new security administration procedures, security delays have decreased significantly across the nation in the past year, the agency says. At many airports the majority of wait times recorded by the security administration now approximate its targeted goal of under 10 minutes, meaning all that travelers like Mr. McNamee have to do is wait.

from the NYT - by ERIC WILSON

We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

How To Keep Your Tailored Clothes Clean

Different Types of Cleaning - How to Keep your Clothes cleanDry CleaningDry Cleaning is by definition, cleaning with solvents and little or no water. The combination of solvents and heat is hard on fabrics and may cause as much wear as actual wearing of the garment. Perchlorethylene, the cleaning fluid used by most dry cleaners, is the most effective cleaner so far for most all types of fabrics. However, "perc" as it is called in the dry-cleaning industry is classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the Clean Air Act. Perc is toxic. Dry cleaning customers should take their garments out of the plastic bags and air their garments after dry cleaning.
You, the consumer, can inform yourself when selecting a dry cleaner. Common sense will cover the basic questions such as the appearance of the dry cleaning store - - - Is it neat and clean or dirty and cluttered? Is the location convenient and are they open when you need to drop of or pick up your dry cleaning?

Technical considerations include solvent purity. Solvent must be distilled to remove greases, oils, waxes and dyes. Poor solvent purity or quality can result in an objectionable odor in the garment and a "graying" of white clothing.

Pressing after cleaning should also be considered. Most anyone can press wool pants but it takes a skilled professional presser to do a quality job on linen and silk items. If the dry cleaner cannot explain the difference in pressing linen and silk versus wool directly and authoritatively, it is doubtful that these garments will be handled with the care they require.
Linen can withstand higher heat when ironed, and should be pressed when damp. Silk requires a lower temperature iron and should be steam ironed, preferably with a press cloth. Wool should be pressed with steam and a moderate temperature.

Packaging of the cleaned garment is also important. A garment can be cleaned and pressed well but if it is jammed into a small bag, it can become a wrinkled mess. Jamming too many finished and bagged garments into the dry cleaners rack can also wrinkle finished garments.

Finally, develop a dialogue with your dry cleaner. Note the type of stains that you have on your garment and list it for the dry cleaner. Their pre-spotting will help eliminate stains that could otherwise be heat set after the garment is cleaned.

Be an informed and fair consumer. Not all spots can be removed especially if you, the consumer, have pressed the stain into the fabric. Many stains can be heat set. Garment care is the responsibility of both you and your dry cleaner.


Wet Cleaning

Wet Cleaning is described as a new process by some cleaning establishments.
They advertise that their process will replace dry cleaning and the environmentally dangerous solvents they use. However, until this process is perfected and proven to effectively replace dry cleaning, caution should be used by the consumer. Wet cleaning is accomplished by using water based chemicals. Some cleaning establishments actually claim to have this service but just hand wash the garment and then professionally press the garment.
This process works well with some fabrics which have manufacturers labels stating "hand wash". Garments with labels printed "dry clean only" may shrink, fade, or wrinkle so badly that pressing does not restore then original look of the fabric.

New "wet cleaning" stores are available in some areas. The "wet cleaning"
process involves computer controlled machines, soap, conditioners and finishers. This new process is supposed to replace dry cleaning. However, until the wet cleaning process has been thoroughly tested, care should be taken before taking your favorite "dry clean only" garments to the new establishments. Outer fabric, interfacings, linings, shoulder pads, and finishes all react differently when washed. Some fabrics shrink or change shape when washed. Some shoulder pads are designed for dry cleaning only and may fall apart when washed.



Professional Laundering

Professional laundering is offered by most dry cleaners. Washable garments are professionally washed and pressed. Men's and women's shirts are often bleached and starched according to the manufacturers label. Some of the laundering is done with very hot water which may shrink the interfacing or stiffening used in collars and cuffs. Less expensive garments may use interfacing that either shrinks or comes loose with very hot water. These garments cannot be fixed.


Starching shirts and other cotton or cotton/polyester garments is common.
The basic function of starch is to stiffen the garment. Incidental use is to prevent stains from penetrating the fiber. However, starch leaves minute crystals in the fiber and can often wear the garment out faster than a garment that has not been starched. The choice is then appearance versus longer life for your garment.


Home Laundering

Home Laundering is not only easier to control but can add life to your garments. Choosing a detergent for home laundering is a daunting task!

Detergents are chemical compounds that contain wetting agents and emulsifiers. Technically detergents are called "Synthetic Detergents" as they are not made from fats and lye from which soap is made. Generally the labels on the detergent inform you, the consumer, and make the choice easier.

General purpose laundry detergents work well on most washable fabrics. Some detergents take more product for each wash as fillers are used by the detergent manufacture. Recently, detergent companies have started to reduce the amount of fillers in their products, thus the amount of detergent required per load of laundry is less. Read the label to determine various additives. Added bleach may gradually remove the dyes or color unless the garment is colorfast to bleach. Most all detergents have "surfactants" this is nothing new. Whiteners can be either bleach or bluing agents. More expensive is not always better.

Soap is not the same as detergents. All detergents are soaps but not all soaps are detergents. Confused? Soap was first used in 600 BC Soap was first made by boiling goat fat, water, and ash high in potassium carbonate.
Although soap has been improved over the years, it still leaves a deposit we call "soap scum" in the shower and bath. This scum is difficult to remove from fabrics if soap is used in the laundry.

Chlorine bleaches can safely be used on cotton, cotton/polyester and some man made fabrics. Consult the garment care label or properties of individual fibers listed in this booklet.

Hand washing detergents can be used for home laundry when cleaning fine fabrics. These products are often effective when using cold water. However, not all hand washing detergents are milder than regular laundry products although they are often more expensive. Properties to look for when using hand washing detergents include use in cold water, quick dissolving in cold water, and complete rinsing of the detergent after the wash.

To test hand washing detergents or any detergent, dissolve recommended amount of detergent in a quart of cold water. Allow the detergent and water to sit for 24 hours. Note the residue, if any, in the bottom of the quart jar. This residue may be difficult to rinse out of your garment.

Shampoos can also be used for hand washing garments. Use a good shampoo, not one containing "creme rinse". If your shampoo cleans your hair and leaves it shiny with no residues, it usually cleans your garment too.

Fabric softeners, both liquid and dryer sheets, add products to your fabrics. Some of the softeners are wax based which leaves a coating on the fibers creating a feel of softer but reducing the absorbency of the fiber.
Some softeners have a perfume that is allergy related for many people. If you have ever used a fabric softener dryer sheet with your polyester garments, you may have seen "grease" spots appear on your garment. This is actually a wax and can be removed by re-washing.


Some Tips and Tricks for stain removal
If you have stains on your suits, other than having them cleaned by professional dry cleaners, here are a few 'quick fixes' you can try:



Lipstick - Use hot water to rub off the oil base, then use soap to wash off

Alcohol - Breathe tobacco smoke on it to prevent rings from forming, then wash off with hot water or rubbing alcohol

Blood - Rub off with hydrogen peroxide

Ball Pen - Use petrol to rub off stain, then wash off with soap

Chewing Gum - Do not attempt to peel it off as it will stick deeper into fabric fibre. Put ice on it to solidify the gum. then peel it off when it gets hard.

Drinks - Use diluted vinegar to wash it off

Soy Sauce - Rub off with ginger juice

Shoe Polish - Rub off with petrol

Coffee - Rub off with hot water, then wash off with soap

Mercurochrome - Wash off with diluted vinegar

Rust - Rub off with lemon

Perfume Stain - Rub off gently with rubbing alcohol


We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

How To Keep Your Tailored Clothes Clean

Different Types of Cleaning - How to Keep your Clothes cleanDry CleaningDry Cleaning is by definition, cleaning with solvents and little or no water. The combination of solvents and heat is hard on fabrics and may cause as much wear as actual wearing of the garment. Perchlorethylene, the cleaning fluid used by most dry cleaners, is the most effective cleaner so far for most all types of fabrics. However, "perc" as it is called in the dry-cleaning industry is classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the Clean Air Act. Perc is toxic. Dry cleaning customers should take their garments out of the plastic bags and air their garments after dry cleaning.
You, the consumer, can inform yourself when selecting a dry cleaner. Common sense will cover the basic questions such as the appearance of the dry cleaning store - - - Is it neat and clean or dirty and cluttered? Is the location convenient and are they open when you need to drop of or pick up your dry cleaning?

Technical considerations include solvent purity. Solvent must be distilled to remove greases, oils, waxes and dyes. Poor solvent purity or quality can result in an objectionable odor in the garment and a "graying" of white clothing.

Pressing after cleaning should also be considered. Most anyone can press wool pants but it takes a skilled professional presser to do a quality job on linen and silk items. If the dry cleaner cannot explain the difference in pressing linen and silk versus wool directly and authoritatively, it is doubtful that these garments will be handled with the care they require.
Linen can withstand higher heat when ironed, and should be pressed when damp. Silk requires a lower temperature iron and should be steam ironed, preferably with a press cloth. Wool should be pressed with steam and a moderate temperature.

Packaging of the cleaned garment is also important. A garment can be cleaned and pressed well but if it is jammed into a small bag, it can become a wrinkled mess. Jamming too many finished and bagged garments into the dry cleaners rack can also wrinkle finished garments.

Finally, develop a dialogue with your dry cleaner. Note the type of stains that you have on your garment and list it for the dry cleaner. Their pre-spotting will help eliminate stains that could otherwise be heat set after the garment is cleaned.

Be an informed and fair consumer. Not all spots can be removed especially if you, the consumer, have pressed the stain into the fabric. Many stains can be heat set. Garment care is the responsibility of both you and your dry cleaner.


Wet Cleaning

Wet Cleaning is described as a new process by some cleaning establishments.
They advertise that their process will replace dry cleaning and the environmentally dangerous solvents they use. However, until this process is perfected and proven to effectively replace dry cleaning, caution should be used by the consumer. Wet cleaning is accomplished by using water based chemicals. Some cleaning establishments actually claim to have this service but just hand wash the garment and then professionally press the garment.
This process works well with some fabrics which have manufacturers labels stating "hand wash". Garments with labels printed "dry clean only" may shrink, fade, or wrinkle so badly that pressing does not restore then original look of the fabric.

New "wet cleaning" stores are available in some areas. The "wet cleaning"
process involves computer controlled machines, soap, conditioners and finishers. This new process is supposed to replace dry cleaning. However, until the wet cleaning process has been thoroughly tested, care should be taken before taking your favorite "dry clean only" garments to the new establishments. Outer fabric, interfacings, linings, shoulder pads, and finishes all react differently when washed. Some fabrics shrink or change shape when washed. Some shoulder pads are designed for dry cleaning only and may fall apart when washed.



Professional Laundering

Professional laundering is offered by most dry cleaners. Washable garments are professionally washed and pressed. Men's and women's shirts are often bleached and starched according to the manufacturers label. Some of the laundering is done with very hot water which may shrink the interfacing or stiffening used in collars and cuffs. Less expensive garments may use interfacing that either shrinks or comes loose with very hot water. These garments cannot be fixed.


Starching shirts and other cotton or cotton/polyester garments is common.
The basic function of starch is to stiffen the garment. Incidental use is to prevent stains from penetrating the fiber. However, starch leaves minute crystals in the fiber and can often wear the garment out faster than a garment that has not been starched. The choice is then appearance versus longer life for your garment.


Home Laundering

Home Laundering is not only easier to control but can add life to your garments. Choosing a detergent for home laundering is a daunting task!

Detergents are chemical compounds that contain wetting agents and emulsifiers. Technically detergents are called "Synthetic Detergents" as they are not made from fats and lye from which soap is made. Generally the labels on the detergent inform you, the consumer, and make the choice easier.

General purpose laundry detergents work well on most washable fabrics. Some detergents take more product for each wash as fillers are used by the detergent manufacture. Recently, detergent companies have started to reduce the amount of fillers in their products, thus the amount of detergent required per load of laundry is less. Read the label to determine various additives. Added bleach may gradually remove the dyes or color unless the garment is colorfast to bleach. Most all detergents have "surfactants" this is nothing new. Whiteners can be either bleach or bluing agents. More expensive is not always better.

Soap is not the same as detergents. All detergents are soaps but not all soaps are detergents. Confused? Soap was first used in 600 BC Soap was first made by boiling goat fat, water, and ash high in potassium carbonate.
Although soap has been improved over the years, it still leaves a deposit we call "soap scum" in the shower and bath. This scum is difficult to remove from fabrics if soap is used in the laundry.

Chlorine bleaches can safely be used on cotton, cotton/polyester and some man made fabrics. Consult the garment care label or properties of individual fibers listed in this booklet.

Hand washing detergents can be used for home laundry when cleaning fine fabrics. These products are often effective when using cold water. However, not all hand washing detergents are milder than regular laundry products although they are often more expensive. Properties to look for when using hand washing detergents include use in cold water, quick dissolving in cold water, and complete rinsing of the detergent after the wash.

To test hand washing detergents or any detergent, dissolve recommended amount of detergent in a quart of cold water. Allow the detergent and water to sit for 24 hours. Note the residue, if any, in the bottom of the quart jar. This residue may be difficult to rinse out of your garment.

Shampoos can also be used for hand washing garments. Use a good shampoo, not one containing "creme rinse". If your shampoo cleans your hair and leaves it shiny with no residues, it usually cleans your garment too.

Fabric softeners, both liquid and dryer sheets, add products to your fabrics. Some of the softeners are wax based which leaves a coating on the fibers creating a feel of softer but reducing the absorbency of the fiber.
Some softeners have a perfume that is allergy related for many people. If you have ever used a fabric softener dryer sheet with your polyester garments, you may have seen "grease" spots appear on your garment. This is actually a wax and can be removed by re-washing.


Some Tips and Tricks for stain removal
If you have stains on your suits, other than having them cleaned by professional dry cleaners, here are a few 'quick fixes' you can try:



Lipstick - Use hot water to rub off the oil base, then use soap to wash off

Alcohol - Breathe tobacco smoke on it to prevent rings from forming, then wash off with hot water or rubbing alcohol

Blood - Rub off with hydrogen peroxide

Ball Pen - Use petrol to rub off stain, then wash off with soap

Chewing Gum - Do not attempt to peel it off as it will stick deeper into fabric fibre. Put ice on it to solidify the gum. then peel it off when it gets hard.

Drinks - Use diluted vinegar to wash it off

Soy Sauce - Rub off with ginger juice

Shoe Polish - Rub off with petrol

Coffee - Rub off with hot water, then wash off with soap

Mercurochrome - Wash off with diluted vinegar

Rust - Rub off with lemon

Perfume Stain - Rub off gently with rubbing alcohol


We remain with Best Regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Mistakes

Is it really that important to your career, romance, or influence over others?

It’s a scientific fact that people who don’t know you make up their minds about you on a subliminal/prehistoric basis in 30 seconds or less. This evaluation of you by others takes place so quickly and is so entrenched in the human brain that it is not usually conscious thought. Behavioral scientists tell us that we notice the following about another human being and in this order: Skin color, Sex, Age, Bearing (height, body language, etc.), Appearance, Direct Eye Contact, and Speech. The first three we can do nothing about, but we can take advantage of this knowledge to enhance and control how to present the best image of ourselves. Since 80% of what others see is our clothes lets look at some basic faux pas:
1. Never wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie. Short sleeve shirts are perceived as lower class apparel. Fine as part of a uniform or if you aspire to be a fast-food manager, not if you want to project a professional image.
2. Shoes are one of the most evaluated elements of men's wardrobes. Your shoes should be clean, shined, in good repair and appropriate for the occasion. If you are wearing a suit, wear lace-up shoes. Don’t wear the same shoe on consecutive days and keep shoetrees in your shoes when you’re not wearing them.
3. Trousers should be long enough to cover your socks, and socks should cover your shins even when you cross you legs. Pants are long enough if they have a slight break in the front. Pleats and cuffs are traditional and functional. Pleats let you sit down comfortably and cuffs add weight to the bottoms allowing for proper drape.
4. Never wear both a belt and braces (suspenders). You'll appear insecure.
5. Socks should match your trousers.
6. Belts should match your shoes.
7. Ties should reach your belt line. This is neither arbitrary nor negotiable. Too short of a tie makes you look like a rube.
8. Properly knotted ties have a “dimple” under the knot. Clips and tacks are out of date.

9. Suit and Sports jackets are symbols of authority. However the bottom buttons of men's jackets are not designed to be buttoned, since King Edward VII gained weight, and started a fashion trend. Single Breasted suits can have one, two, three or more buttons. Two and three button jackets are classic, one or more than three get you into the fashion forward arena, which is more suitable for social events than business. With two button jackets only the top button is fastened. With three button jackets, you can close the middle, or middle and top button. Some suits are made so that the lapels roll to the middle button. On those suits you leave the top button unfastened. Some East Coast hipsters fasten only the top of three buttons! Four or more button jackets may be designed to fasten all the buttons, even the bottom. If the bottom button of a four button can be closed without a noticeable pulling of the fabric, it’s ok to close or leave it open.
Double Breasted suits are the more formal of the two styles and can have four to six buttons with one or two “to button”. They are often identified by a two-number designation such as 4/2, 4/1 or 6/2 (also “four to two”). Translated, the first number gives the total number of front buttons and the second is the number of functioning buttonholes. It doesn’t always mean that all the buttons have to be fastened. Often only the middle or upper button is secured on a 4/2 or 6/2, but the Duke of Kent started buttoning only his lower button creating a longer diagonal line across his chest giving the wearer a thinner, more dynamic look.
Why do men never button the bottom button of your suit, sports jacket, vest or Cardigan sweater?
King Edward VII, “Bertie”, son of Victoria (1841 – 1910, King 1901 - 1910) was so heavy that he could not get the bottom button fastened on his vest or to be more historically kind, maybe he just forgot. His subjects taking it as a fashion statement followed his lead and today most men’s suits, sports jackets or vests are not designed to button the bottom button. The tradition of not buttoning the bottom button may have also come from the early waistcoats, which were very long. It may have been out of necessity of being able to walk that the bottom buttons were left undone.
10. Suit and Sports jackets should fit properly which includes showing 1/4" to 1/2” of “linen” or shirtsleeve at the jacket sleeve.


We remain with regards,
E-tailor at www.mycustomtailor.com

Packing Your Clothes

This article is about technology but it’s also about innovation: How do we do things and can we do them better? This technology is simple enough-a bag-but it’s more about new ways of using the bag. It’s called packing. Or more specifically, modular packing. I don’t travel as much as I used to but I do travel. I’ve learned a few tricks Over the years. And what has struck me is how, on the surface, not much has changed in thousands of years. Early business travelers would grab their stuff-a spare bearskin, a backup club, a few flints and throw it into some sort of primeval pouch, hitch it over their shoulder and hurry after migrating mammoth prey, who were already pulling out of the terminal gate.(OK, I didn’t do much research for this bit.) Nowadays, things aren’t much different. We leave everything to the last minute, throw it into a bag, sit on it while getting the spouse to call a cub. Sure, our wheeled carry-on may look more sophisticated, but the technology is basically the same as that used by our hirsute forebears: A container, all our stuff, a mad rush and a mess. So how can we do it differently? To me the big innovation in packing is the module. The thinking is simple: Why collect all the individual things we are going to take with us on our trip and then lump it together? Most of us, if the flight is not actually about to depart, make little piles of our underpants, socks, shirts, etc on our bed before cramming them into the suitcase, hoping they fit, squeezing a sock-ball here, a handkerchief there. At the other end, we throw the case on the bed, rummage around inside, with shirts, vests, scarves and boots flying everywhere in a around inside, action replay. It’s horrible, and if we then have to move room, hotel, or continent again on the trip chances are not a single item of clothing looks anything like when we bought it.

Packing Awareness
So technology’s answer to this problem is: Stay at home. Let someone else do the trip. No actually, its modular packing, sometimes called packing cubes. It’s simple enough: Instead of throwing everything into one bag, you put them into smaller sub-bags, which then go into the big bag. So the big bag, instead of being a pile of sundry items in varying degrees of crumplitude, is a neat collection of different size sub-bags, or modules. This may not sound like much of an innovation, and some of you may do this already, but an extensive research revealed a very low level of modular packing awareness. Even many campers don’t seem to do this kind of thing to the extent I imagined, unless I happen to have some really hopeless camping friends. Modules simplify things immensely. But it’s not just about the modules, it’s about how they’re designed and how you use them. The modules have a zip-around top, usually webbed so you can see what’s inside. They come in different sizes and shapes. UK-based Life venture < www.lifeventure.co.uk> offer what they call “pack able mesh cubes” ( I can’t see me calling them that halfway up a mountain either), while California-based Eagle Creek sell the Pack-It Cube (slightly better name) and have recently introduced a new range with padded sides, so they keep their shape better and don’t squash the contents too much. Then it’s up to how you use them. The best way to pack kinds of clothes is to roll them, rather than fold them. Roll up a T-shirt and you’ll find it’s much less creased when you pull it out. Rolling also makes them easier to pack in a cube. Underpants, socks and smaller items can be folded over before being rolled into little balls. Eagle Creek does a series of special shirt and Pants containers, where, if you follow their folding instructions to the letter, you end up with clothing that survives a long trip in surprisingly good condition. For geeks, Eagle Creek does a series of special shirt and pants containers, where, if you follow their folding instructions to the letter, you end up with clothing that survives a long trip in surprisingly good condition. For geeks, Creek makes some nice padded bags that are great for stuffing all the digital detritus you may bring with you but don’t want to put in your laptop bag.


Respectful Security
One of the great things about packing cubes is that you can then unpack without really unpacking. Pull out the cubes from the big case, throw them in a drawer and you’re unpacked. Or, if you’re short of space, leave them in the case. If you need to get something out while you’re on the road, in the hotel lobby or on the airport runway, you won’t have to pull everything out. Also, I’ve noticed that airport security see your baggage and tend to be more respectful, since unmatched panties and bras don’t spring out immediately when the case is opened and land on their head. An innovation I’ve developed myself (I call it the VariCube) is to avoid the logical choice of putting all your undershirts in one cube, your socks in another. That’s fine for a short trip. But if you’re going to be moving from place to place, it makes better sense to divide the trip into segments, clothes-wise. Each sub-bag, then, contains enough clothes for each part of the trip, so you only need to open one cube at a time. Modular packing is a great innovation and I’ve tried to convert everyone I know. Including you, now that you’ve read this. There are side-effects, however. One is appalling smugness. Another is that I’m so mobile I tend to change hotels, or hotel rooms, at the drop of a hat. If I don’t like the view, the carpet or the way they folded the toilet paper, I’m out of there, knowing I can throw my cubes into a case in a second. It’s empowering, but can be somewhat irritating for any anyone traveling with me. Unless they’re fellow packing cuboids themselves, in which case they’re probably already checked out and waiting in the cub, the engine running.


We remain with regards,
E-tailors at www.mycustomtailor.com