10 conference season essentials

When WFH girls go to the convention center

Hi! It’s been busy-busy around here. Our dog sitter lives permanently at our house now. I got back from Las Vegas last night, where between the canal shops and the line for boarding group B, I bumped into five different friends who were in the city for various work events.

It feels like all my girlfriends are in the thick of heavy corporate travel / getting that Q4 pipeline. Is this you, too? I hadn’t been to a conference in awhile, and it took me a minute to figure out what to pack for this three-day trip. I thought I’d share my work trip essentials with you…

P.S. I paused paid subscriptions a few weeks ago because I’ve had to take a little break, but will return to a regular publishing rhythm soon!

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1. The jacket that is the outfit

This two-year-old BA&SH jacket has been one of my best workwear buys of all time. The texture and gold buttons add instant polish to any look. I’ll pair it with jeans, with white trousers, or with my satin pants below. It’s also kind of an instant dinner outfit when I can’t figure out what to wear. 10/10, very versatile. The black is timeless, but I’m kind of into this new navy colorway. A monochrome look with navy trousers would be so good.

2. Slightly oversized, throw-it-around blazer

I love an investment blazer that makes you feel like a million bucks, but I also love a chill blazer you don’t have to be too precious with. The amount of wear I’ve gotten out of this basic black blazer is wild. The $69 price point means I don’t feel bad about crushing it in an overhead bin or if it smells a little bit like an ashtray after I’ve trekked through the casino floor. Total workhorse topper. It is mostly polyester, so there’s that. But I’ve tried the Anine Bing and it didn’t sway me (not at that price point, anyway!). I also love this Frankie Shop option that my friend has.

3. Work heels I’d also wear to girls’ night

I’d been eyeing these patent slingback heels but didn’t feel like they were truly a need until this trip popped up and I was lacking work appropo closed-toe heels. I wore them for several hours to an event on Tuesday night and was pleasantly surprised by their comfort level. I love that these will be super wearable for girls’ dinners, date nights, and holiday parties, too.

They’re TTS for me and fit my wider foot. If you’re waiting for them to go on sale, know that they’re always excluded from promo codes. I’ve been trying!

4. Flats you can hit the expo floor in

I originally saw these ballet flats on

Sarah Palmer

and have gotten miles and miles out of them since I bought them last fall. Unlike most ballet flats that are designed to mimic, well, actual ballet slippers, these have a substantial cushion that make them very walkable. Are there more “on-trend” ballet flats out there? Probably yes. Do Le Monde Beryls have enough arch support to carry you through 20,000-step days, powered only by branded cappuccinos? Definitely no.

After an evening of standing around in our heels yesterday, my friend joked that she was about to walk back to her room barefoot. We are the same size, so I pulled my ballet flats out that I’d sandwiched into my bag in case of end-of-night blisters (I was still going strong in my Larroudes). She said they felt like literal clouds. What are friends for, if not saving you from the possibility of your CEO seeing you walk barefoot through the Venetian?

5. Lobby loungewear

My strategy for passing through the lobby is to throw on a baseball cap and look unrecognizably haggard so that no one approaches me. But sometimes I get real nervous about the unavoidable run-in with someone I know on a Starbucks run downstairs. Enter flare leggings, which feel slightly more pants-like than a skinny legging and take me momentarily from bridge troll to elegant horse. Throw on a blazer that covers your butt — good to go, at least for the five minutes you spend making small talk in line for spinach egg wraps.

This is my first Splits59 purchase and won’t be my last! The 30” inseam version are better if you’re 5’ 5” and under, or go with the 32” if you’re taller. I sized up to an M.

6. When the moment calls for hard pants

These days I primarily opt for soft pants for day-to-day, but in a professional setting, I’ll break out the… *shudder* hard pants. The Khaite Danielle jeans in a dark wash are the nicest profesh-looking denim I’ve found. I cannot personally stomach $500 for denim, but I do recommend them if you find a deal — I got them on major Moda sale because sometimes I’m a lucky bish. Another sleek alternative I’m liking right now are the Agolde Rens in black, which are less rigid and slightly more wide legged. The shorter length means I can wear them with both the aforementioned heels and flats.

I wear 26 in most Agolde, but ended up swapping the Rens for a 27 because it’s almost winter and I know things about myself. I would pass if you’re tallish — think they’d be too cropped.

7. Wrinkle-free, chic satin bottoms

I hate to be the bearer of this news, but these satin pants are everything. They’re probably my favorite thing that I brought to Vegas. They cost a pretty penny for pants that aren’t even silk, but they are really, really good.

If you’re 5-7 minutes late to everything and find yourself desperately trying to shower steam your clothing before any event like I do, then you know what a godsend a true wrinkle-free wardrobe item is. They’re dressy enough for a work dinner or date night, but relaxed enough you could wear over to a friend’s house. The elastic waistband also makes them the kind of pants you could go to Carbone in (zero percent chance you’ll ever spot me at an Italian restaurant looking like this). They only recently came back in the cream/bona color after I stalked them alongside

Maria Hyde

and

OFELIA

for a full year.

I’m usually a size 26 and got an S but wish I’d gotten an XS. With heels, they’re a great length for me at 5’ 5” but too long for flats — I plan to hem a bit to be able to wear with both. Vince has a first-time 15% off code.

8. The event MVP: a hands-free phone strap

Whether or not I’d originally intended for it to be my look, this rhodium ball-chain strap was attached to my body for 72 hours straight. The price for a simple phone strap makes me a little twitchy, but the quality is admittedly solid. I’ve looked at the Ossa founder’s LinkedIn once or twice wishing I’d thought of her product first. You do need to get the case separately. It’s also been equally useful at an SEC football game and an Above & Beyond show (I contain multitudes).

I stuck this little guy on the back of my phone to hold the two cards I needed and felt all gen Z living my best, wallet-free life. Our entire table got carded at brunch the other day and it’s probably because I looked very cool and gen Z, not because five of my Asian friends were in town.

9. Desert island moisturizer

As a 10-step Korean skincare addict in recovery, I’m now a total skincare minimalist. But if there’s one thing I’m packing to keep my skin hydrated in the desert after one too many startup happy hours, it’s Triple Lipid Restore. I haven’t found anything that’s more moisturizing and plumping for my combo skin, including Augustinus Bader. You can probably wait for a Black Friday deal for shopping your Skinceuticals.

10. Glow-faking foundation

This foundation is my decade-old holy grail for faking a smooth and glowy complexion in front of work people who don’t need to know what my real face looks like without Zoom facetune. Needless to say, I will be restocking during the Sephora sale this week.

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What are your must-pack conference essentials? Let us know your fave workwear recs and corporate girl accessories in the comments.