As a Travel Channel host, Samantha Brown is on the road about 230 days a year.
While she generally dresses casually for travel, she also makes a point of looking stylish. "First impressions work in travel as they would in the boardroom," she says. "If you walk into an airport and you look sloppy, you're certainly not going to get upgraded into business or first class."
Before going on a trip, Ms. Brown makes sure to do research on the norms of her destination.
"I like to dress the part and be as immersive as I can," she says. While at home she might wear shorts and sleeveless tops for warm weather, in tropical Asian locales she wears long pants and lightweight cotton blouses with long sleeves.
"When you travel, you're always depending on the kindness of strangers," she says. "If you look like a respectable person, people will want to help you more."
When she travels, Ms. Brown typically brings one large suitcase.
Her basics include two pairs of jeans (one lighter-colored and one in a more "sophisticated" darker color), black slacks, at least one silk blouse "that's sort of dressy," three T-shirts, a lightweight cashmere sweater, a cropped jacket, three tank tops, two fitted, button-down collared shirts, one flared black skirt in a stretchy jersey fabric and one "very versatile sun dress that I can pair with sandals or heels," she says.
"With all my clothes, I'm looking for something with a little elasticity, like Lycra or Spandex—you want something that will not lose its shape," she says.
When packing, Ms. Brown usually lays out all her clothing on her bed.
"It's like an audition for a chorus line," she notes, saying that she'll pack only items of clothing that can be paired with at least two other pieces.
Ms. Brown expects the same versatility from her shoes: She brings just a pair of running shoes, "very comfortable but nice" walking sandals, a pair of heels and a pair of loafers, which she wears on the plane.
To spruce up her outfits, Ms. Brown brings three scarves, which she calls her "favorite accessory—they take up no room and they completely change an outfit."
She usually brings one in a solid color, another that's striped and a third made of silk and more decorative and formal.
Ms. Brown also brings a few pieces of jewelry—a thin necklace with a pendant, a multi-chained necklace and a set of bangles.
She brings only gold jewelry so the pieces can be worn together in different combinations.
While many travelers often see vacations as a time to live in flip-flops and shorts, Ms. Brown says there is a very practical reason for avoiding that look.
"You don't want to stand out" as a tourist, she says. "You could be a target for theft and muggings."
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