I’ll give you one guess as to why these shirts are miraculous. They are non-iron. Thanks to forum member Taylor, who recommended I try the crease-resistent Miracle Shirts, I’m a loyal convert. Now that the weather is warming up my wardrobe won’t function without them, especially when I travel.

The Miracle Shirt comes in three different fits:

1. Tailored: The slimmest and most shaped fit.
2. Fitted: A fuller fit that’s still shaped.
3. Classic: The least shaped fit.

If none of these work, Brooks Brothers will make you a non-iron shirt that fits! That costs a little extra, but the project might be worth the investment.

Miracle Shirts are available in a range of colours and run from sizes 0 to 20 (petites are also available). You’ll get a discount if you purchase two at a time, which is exactly what I did ($149 for both). I bought the tailored fit in white and black and wear both colours with equal frequency (I’m wearing the white here). The stiff, non-iron fabric makes sleeve scrunching and popping a real pleasure – right up my alley.

Although I like to wear well made, crisp white and black button down shirts on their own, I do understand that they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Here’s a little reminder that shirts also make ideal layering items, allowing other outfit items to shine.

This is the first in a series of 4 posts brought to you by Nordstrom.com: Think Less Buttoned-Up—It’s a New 9 to 5.

When working with clients I find it useful to think about business travel in terms of two outfit formulas. The first of these takes you from the airport directly into a business meeting and therefore professional garb is a requirement. The second outfit takes you from the airport to a casual setting, like your hotel room.

Career Wear: Plane to Meeting

• Non crease top: The Kenneth Cole New York sleeveless blouse ($69) is ideal. Sleeveless tops layer exceptionally well and the pattern helps hide stains incurred during the day. Brook’s Brothers non-iron miracle shirts are another great option and a personal favourite.
• Comfortable bottom: Pencil skirts aren’t generally something you’d associate with comfort, but the Halogen seamed knit skirt ($68) looks professional and is very comfortable because it’s soft and stretchy. If you’re a trouser gal, try the Sloan fit black textured flare. It’s just as soft and stretchy – fits like a dream.
• Jacket: Ann Taylor’s Bergman tweed two pocket jacket ($144) is a great mixture of both classic and fashionable edge. It is single breasted, seasonless and looks just as good un-buttoned. Fab with dressy bottoms or a pair of faded jeans.
• Cardigan: This is an optional extra, but on the plane you can take off your formal jacket and pull on a cozy cardigan for the flight. The Halogen long sleeved boyfriend cardigan ($69) looks great with dressy bottoms and might even be sufficiently professional to wear during your business meeting. Personally, I would swap out the cardigan for my jacket as soon as the plane landed because nothing says you mean business quite like a tailored jacket.
• Pumps: Comfortable heeled shoes are a must. Choose something with a cushioning foot bed that’s easy to slip off and on for the security check. Although Sofft’s Ramona patent pump ($109.95) is too high for me, it’s received great reviews and is well worth a look.
• Large Tote: It’s practical to carry a tote when travelling, large enough for handbag essentials, a few notes and possibly a laptop.  The Halogen metallic leather tote ($98) is a dream. It’s simple, chic, lightweight and available in lots of colours. You can even carry a small handbag along with the tote it that suits you better.

Casual Wear: Plane To Hotel

• Oversized top: A big blouse, denim shirt, voluminous knit top or roomy pullover are great casual top travelling options. The Alternative melange burnout dolman sleeve tee ($42) is fabulous and looks amazing with a scarf.
• Scarf: I like to wear scarves on flights because the arctic air conditioning blasts freezing air and I’m always cold. My favourite types of scarves are pashimina size, patterned, and very soft, like the Halogen paisley dot challis scarf ($38). They drape well and add just the right amount of polish to a casual outfit.
• Cover up: It’s a good idea to bring along a jacket, cardigan or trench coat to combat the cold air on a flight. Topshop’s black classic belted trench coat ($160) is a versatile solution since it can be dressed up or down for your trip.
• Jeans: Comfortable jeans like Gaps’ Real Straights ($69.50) are ideal because they’re stretchy. Knit Ponte pants or legging jeans are nice alternatives.
• Ankle Boots: I like to wear closed shoes with socks when I travel because it’s cozy and comfortable. Ankle boots like Frye’s Short Taylor ankle boot ($338) are my go to travelling choice. I have these in Fawn and they are wardrobe workhorses.
• Large Handbag: Choose a large handbag like Fossil’s Modern Cargo leather shopper ($188) so that you can pack extra stuff. A gal needs all her goodies when she’s away from home.

During my fashion buying days, I travelled in business casual most of the time because I had meetings with manufacturers and management as soon as I got off the plane.  Now that I’m my own boss, I can travel in casual comfort and change into another outfit for business meetings.

I’m not in the habit of traveling light, but if you are then you might want to pick the career wear option even if you’re not going directly to meetings. That way you can minimize your traveling wardrobe and pack everything in your cabin luggage if your trip is only a few days long.

Are you are a regular business traveler? If so, what are your traveling outfit strategies?

As a writer and film critic, client Fernanda appears on local Mexican television a few times a week. Well done Mexican TV Media for putting Fernanda in front of the camera! She is beautiful, her manner compelling, and her charisma magnetic.

One of the things we worked on during our recent styling session was putting together outfits for her TV shows. She wanted her look to be different. In a way, she wanted to defy her environmental style norm.

Like me, Fernanda loves button down shirts and she also happens to like men’s ties. So in her first TV appearance after our styling session she wore a purple button down shirt and tie, along with skinny black trousers and wedged boots.

Fernanda said that when she walked into the recording studio, “people in the studio really liked the tie, and I felt very at ease wearing it”. Fernanda went further to say that: “I got some twitter comments from viewers saying that I looked especially good. They usually tweet me about the film I recommended, but this is the first time I got comments about my ‘look’. One of them said that purple was definitely my color. I’ve worn that purple shirt lots of times on TV, but it was obvious that this time the tie made it pop!”

I’m thrilled that Fernanda felt fab in her newly styled outfit AND that it received positive feedback. It just goes to show that if you’re determined and confident, defying your environmental style norm can work in your favour.

Click the image to see Fernanda in action.

There is a lot of overlap between Fernanda’s style and my own, so maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that in the process of her style journey, I discovered things about my own style that I have felt developing for a while, but couldn’t quite articulate. Now they make sense – so much so that I can write about them.

The high level summary is that more then ever before, I want to keep my outfits clean, simple, modern and bold. I have always been attracted to garments with strong simple lines; hence my love for military styling, mod dresses, sleek black turtlenecks, polka dots, button down shirts and androgynous outfits.

Here is what this means in a little more detail:

• I want to wear fewer intentionally visible layers. I have done the layered look and moved on. Make no mistake, I’m still actually layered to the hilt because I’m always cold and live in a chilly city. But I want the layers to be hidden as opposed to contributing to the overall look of the outfit. The effect is simpler and cleaner and this is my goal right now.
• Sometimes I like to look a little arty and I also enjoy interesting garment design detailing. But I am becoming less drawn to that way of dressing because it’s not quite clean and simple enough for this part of my style journey. I’ll keep my retro vibe because I’m still very much drawn to that. My love for pearls, Chanel, and 60’s and 80’s fashion runs too deep.
• On the whole, I want to sport fewer accessories in one outfit. I’ll keep making a strong statement with my hair, eyewear, watch and handbag, but the rest will take more of a back seat. I will still wear belts, necklaces, ties, scarves and the odd bracelet – but in a simpler way.
• I absolutely want to continue wearing mainstream trends and fringe trends when they tickle my fancy. That’s part of what makes fashion fun! But these trends have to be accompanied by classic pieces in order for them to feel like me. When I’m too trendy from head to toe, it doesn’t feel right. When I’m too classic from head to toe, it doesn’t feel right either. This was the most important penny that dropped when I was in Mexico.

The outfit below captures the current leg of my style journey well. A trendy belt, bold animal print shoes and an almost over the top pair of jeans are offset by a super classic, non-crease Brooks Brothers button down shirt and string of retro chunky pearls. My modern hair and specs in turn contrast with the classic integrity of the top half of this outfit. The bag adds an element of playful dramatic fun. I added my new black L.A.M.B jacket when it got cooler. It’s this type of outfit that feels most like me.

Style-wise, what felt right five years ago, or even last month, might not feel right today. That means our styles are evolving, which is a good thing in my book. Maybe you’ve recently had a style epiphany of your own and would like to share them in the comments section below.