For a two-day business trip, start with one piece you like with both tops. Add a second if you know when you'll put it on and where you'll put the one you take off.
In a 2019 interview, Away co-founder Jen Rubio said she packed the jewelry she most wanted to wear and clothes that could take her straight from meetings to dinner. Try that with a piece you already reach for. If it gives both outfits the color or shape you want, you've made most of the decision.
What jewelry works for a meeting, a panel and dinner?
Say Tuesday starts with a client meeting in an open-collar shirt and a blazer. You like the Turquoise drops with the open collar, so wear them to the meeting. If you bring a short necklace too, sit down with your jacket and badge on and see whether the badge rests on the clasp or pendant.
For the afternoon panel, wear the planned combination to the mic check. If the necklace touches the clip or cable when you turn toward the moderator, take it off before you go on. Our public-speaking guide covers the rehearsal itself. After the panel, take off the badge and see how the earrings look with the blazer open. They may already be what you want for dinner.
On Wednesday, you have a call in a crewneck. Try the earrings with your headset before leaving home. If a pad catches a drop, put both earrings in the day pouch before the call. You can wear the necklace if it sits comfortably with the crewneck. The earrings and headphones guide shows where to look for contact.
Which details help you choose what to pack?
For the trip above, you could pack the drops and choose one necklace. Try the short toggle with the shirt you'll wear to the meeting, or see how the carved necklace looks with your dinner top and Wednesday's crewneck.
The Littoral #51 for a pair you can repeat
The Littoral #51 measures about 60 mm (2.4 in) in total. The Turquoise and freshwater Pearl beads run in a different order on each side, beneath small hinged hoops. Try both earrings with your jacket on. Look at the charms when you turn your head and see whether they brush either side of the collar.
The Tidepool #50 for an open collar
The Tidepool #50 is a fixed 38 cm (15 in). The Turquoise pendant is attached below the front toggle. Button the shirt as you'll wear it and see where both parts sit. If the toggle lands right at the edge of the collar, try your other top before you give the necklace a place in your bag.
The Inkweave #59 when you want the necklace to show
The Inkweave #59 is a fixed 55 cm (21.7 in), with a carved clay center bead about 28 mm across. Clear Quartz and leaf-shaped drops sit beside it. The braided back closes with a glass bead and loop. If you want that outline against a plain dinner top, try it with the actual neckline and check that you can work the back closure on your own.
How do you switch jewelry without going back to the hotel?
Try the dinner outfit with the daytime earrings first. If you want the carved necklace with the jacket off, pack it in the work bag that morning. When you change, put both earrings away and close their pouch before you take out the necklace. If you like the earrings just as they are, you can walk into dinner with them on.
How do you pack beaded jewelry in a carry-on?
Try this with a piece like The Inkweave. Put the clay bead and its leaf-shaped drops in their own space so the metal parts of a second piece can't rub against them. Keep the daytime pouch where you can reach it before a call or soundcheck. For overnight storage and the checkout check, see the crystal jewelry care guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much jewelry should I pack for a two-day business trip?
One pair of earrings and one necklace can cover both days. Lay them out next to the two tops and decide which piece you'll wear at each appointment. If one piece works for every outfit and fits around your equipment, that can be the whole set.
Can I bring a piece that has personal meaning?
Yes. If you like to touch a pendant before you speak, choose the one you already reach for and check where it sits with your mic. You can put it on again after the panel if you take it off for soundcheck.
About the author
Yifeng Tao is the founder and maker behind à la luck. She works with stone, beads and hand-worked cord, making edition-of-one jewelry and naming its materials plainly.