Packing with Bruce Pask

Bruce Pask is a menswear pro. As the Senior Editorial Director for Neiman Marcus, he’s an authority on navigating the world in style. Lucky for us, he’s sharing his wrinkle-free packing hacks and the utilitarian items that always travel with him. —C.S.

What’s your go-to luggage?

On flights, I always carry a backpack that is usually filled to capacity. My go-to is a black canvas and leather Herschel x B. Shop collaboration piece that we created for my curated shop in Bergdorf Goodman. Very durable and utilitarian with great detailing. It holds my laptop as well as an iPad downloaded with movies and TV series for my own in-flight entertainment. I also bring Bose noise-canceling headphones—I don’t travel without them—as well as a healthy supply of The New Yorker back issues that I need to catch up on. I have a gray Away small rollaboard as my carryon luggage. I bought the smaller size in order to ensure that it fits aboard smaller planes used on some inter-Europe flights. My checked luggage is an old gray Globetrotter trunk with tan leather straps. I really love it and always get interesting comments from airline staff who find it rather nostalgic. I recently purchased Apple AirTags for all of my bags and I love them. It‘s comforting to know where your bags are at all times. I try to manage not checking in on their location too much, but it is fascinating to follow their progress. I am a dedicated Delta flier and must say that prior to my acquiring these amazing devices, the Delta app does a great job at alerting you when your bags have been loaded onto your flight. It always eases my mind when I see that alert pop up on my phone screen. 

How do you approach the basics?

I dress in a sort of uniform, mixing and matching different components to achieve a number of looks that all have a shared aesthetic with mild variation. It just suits my mood and need for utility; it’s easier. Knowing that each of these elements works with the others means that I don’t spend time planning outfits in advance. I will, though, add new or more standout pieces that interest me, usually a new jacket, and will make sure that I have a few options to work with it. 

Are you a roller or a folder?

I am a folder. I do like to use some sort of bag for shirts so they wrinkle a bit less when packed in a checked bag. I’ll use whatever is around and easy: leftover lightweight totes, reusable fabric bags from grocers, etc. 

Any other packing tricks or hacks? 

Some helpful habits I have developed over the years: I iron my shirts before packing and then put them in a shirt bag all together so they just need a little steaming when I arrive. It’s much easier to touch up a shirt than to start from scratch after arrival. And irons and boards are not as common in hotel rooms in Europe as they are here in the US. Since I travel so much in Italy for work, I bought an inexpensive small Italian travel iron that I just keep in my luggage because I have found that even with adaptors, US travel irons often just short or malfunction due to the voltage difference. I pack belts rolled up inside shoes and shoes go in shoe bags to keep the adjacent clothing clean. A slender black Thom Browne necktie literally lives in my carry-on bag, so I have it for every trip: you never know when you may receive an unexpected invitation to a rather dressy occasion or venue while away. I’m always ready. I also have a bathing suit that also just lives in my carryon bag. It takes up negligible space and you never know where you’ll end up and unexpectedly want it. You can be traveling in the dark months of frigid winter and swimming in the furthest thing from your mind until you discover your hotel has a glorious pool or sauna that you want to take advantage of to combat jet lag or to relax after a long day. 

What’s your shoe strategy?

Since I do subscribe to the idea of uniform dressing I keep my packed footwear to a minimum, bringing a few Common Projects Achilles low sneakers in a couple of leathers and suedes, a dressier shoe, and a more statement-making sneaker. I’ve taken lately to wearing my Kith x Birkenstock Bostons on flights for ease while going through TSA Xrays and for comfort on the plane.

What’s always in your Dopp kit/toiletry bag?

My toiletry bag is quite basic, filled with the usual essentials. I always have a few assorted mini Marvis toothpastes that I love and buy them abroad because they’re much cheaper. I have my go-to skincare products, a Dr. Barbara Sturm facial serum and moisturizer for morning and night. Nail clippers always. I bring a fully charged set of clippers in order to trim my beard while away. These also do not take well to foreign voltage despite the use of an adaptor. I do enjoy wearing a light fragrance, so I keep a travel-size Byredo scent in a small cylindrical leather holder they make, currently housing Super Cedar.

On a plane, what essentials does your carry-on bag always contain?

I will always put my favorite items like my vintage Helmut Lang jean jacket, my first Craig Green worker jacket, and various other sport and chore jackets in my carryon…they never get packed in checked baggage because to me they are irreplaceable. That is my strategy for the carry on. I fill it with the things that I would not want to lose if a bag went missing. I know there is a common strategy surrounding packing for your arrival day and having a full look ready to go in case of a delayed bag, but I still stick with my must-haves always being with me. Undergarments, socks and tees are always easily purchased if needed due to a delayed bag. During the fall/winter, I also always carry an overcoat even if it is not needed upon departure because it’s much easier to put in the overhead compartment than to find valuable space in my checked luggage.

Any wisdom on traveling with electronics?

I never leave for a trip without my Bose noise-canceling headphones. I use them in flight for my entertainment as well as for my noise app when sleeping on board. I bring two charging cords and plugs along with adaptors in addition to my laptop charger so I can always have everything fully charged.

What are your plane clothes?

I always wear the same pair of dark navy wider fit and slightly cropped khakis from a B. x Closed collaboration I did for the shop, paired with a denim or flannel shirt untucked and worn with a chore jacket of some sort and my Kith x Birkenstocks mentioned above for easy on, easy off. I feel pulled together but still comfortable and relaxed. If I have to go straight to a meeting upon landing, I feel appropriately dressed enough without needing to access a carryon to change.