Packing with Somsack Sikhounmuong, Creative Director of Alex Mill

NYC-based brand Alex Mill definitely gets uniform dressing right—perfect everyday cashmere, jeans to last a lifetime, crisp striped cotton shirts and tote bags that not only look good but are also incredibly practical for travel. So naturally, when we heard that their Creative Director, Somsack Sikhounmuong, was heading to Paris to shoot their fall collection, we got in touch to get the low-down on his packing list and how he maintains his own personal style on the road. 

What’s your go-to luggage and why?

I’m a huge fan of my Rimowa Trunk Plus. I was first introduced to it by my buddy Alex Drexler—I love how much it holds, but my fave part is that it opens from the top like a trunk and takes up very little space when doing it. A blessing and a half if you ask me, considering that 95% of the rooms I stay in Paris are just big enough for me and the bed. With the trunk, I also have my Alex Mill Weekend Tote as my carry on—it holds A LOT (I keep it pretty empty on the way there and pack it with all the things I buy on the way back), very sturdy and light. 

How do you approach the basics?

I work around this rough ratio: 5 tops/shirts to 4 tees to 3 pants/shorts to 2 jackets to 1 coat or suit and 1-2 crazy fun things (aka a cool printed shirt, a fun short or not too practical shoe.) Regarding underwear and socks, I try to match them to the number of days I’ll be on the trip unless it’s a beach vacation. If that’s the case, then I’ll bring about a pair for every three days I’m there, cause I’ll be in my bathing suit most of the time, and if I run out, it’s like, hey—NO STRESS!—and Plan C (commando) is always an option at the beach, right? And yes to a narrow color palette: khaki, black, heather grey and denim. Everything should just go together with the least amount of thought—just going back to the 1 fun thing—I think that’s important, because when traveling some of my most memorable pics taken are the ones in a fun shirt. It’s important to get that fun pic. And it’s the fun thing oftentimes that keeps the neutral outfits from being a bit of a snooze fest. But the key is to be as edited as possible—I really hate returning from a trip with unworn things. 

Are you a roller or a folder? 

Both—I fold 90% of my belongings, i.e. suit jackets, shirts and pants and then will fill the random hard-to-fill-spaces with a rolled garment—i.e., corner spaces with rolled tee shirts and light sweaters and the spaces in between stacks with shoes. 

Any other packing tricks or hacks? 

A lightweight heather grey sweater can be a magical piece to pack. Merino wool or cashmere—either my Alex Mill Jordan cashmere sweater when it’s cooler outside, or when it’s a bit warmer, my lighter-weight cashmere one from Atelier Bomba in Rome. I love it because it’s dressy and casual at the same time. Wear it under a suit jacket or over a tee with jeans like a sweatshirt or around your neck like a scarf when it’s cold on and off the plane. 

What’s your shoe strategy? 

I really try to not take too many pairs of shoes, 3 pairs MAX, and that includes the pair I’m wearing on the plane. Shoes take up space and can be heavy – I lean towards a white on white Stan Smiths or a grey New Balance 991 sneaker and a black dressy loafer from Sesa, and that’s it! 

How do you think about accessories? 

I don’t really think about accessories apart from the ones I wear in my day-to-day, which pretty much amounts to my Cartier Tank watch, my Maximum Henry black belt and my vintage Alex Mill baseball cap. 

Do you have a great travel hat?

This is less of a great travel hat but more of a travel HACK: when flying overnight, I oftentimes bring my fave hoodie (one with a deep hood)—I’ll pull the hood over my eyes while sleeping, and it serves the same purpose as an eye mask while keeping my head warm. 

What’s always in your dopp kit/toiletry bag/pharmacy kit?

I try to bring everything except body lotion, which I tend to buy there. That way I can really lather it on and not skimp and ration, since it’s a new bottle and I definitely don’t want to bring it back home, especially if I’m not checking luggage. A dopp kit trick I like is separating the contents of my dopp kit with multiple clear Ziploc bags—toothbrush, toothbrush and contacts in one bag, lotions in another, cologne(s)—the Aroma Oil from Costa Brazil—in another, and everything else (vitamins, nail clippers etc in another.) The bags keep everything contained and organized, and if anything leaks or spills, it’s contained. 

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

I always bring a smaller bag (a free giveaway tote, or shoe dust bag, or a small crossbody—Muji or The Row) in which I put things like my passport, notebook/ipad and water—essentially, all the things I want with me. This is so that when I finally get to my seat, I can just grab this little bag, put it on my seat, and put my carry-on up in the overheard cabin without holding up my plane mates by rummaging through my carry-on for the things I need for the flight. 

Any wisdom on traveling with electronics? 

When I used to read on flights, I would bring a little book light that I’d clip on my book to read at night. Turning on your overhead light during an overnight flight just seems so bright and intrusive to the rest of the plane and my seat mate who is trying to sleep. The clip-on light just seems a bit more contained and polite. 

Do you have a travel uniform? 

I like a looser chino—nothing heavy or stiff like a jean and definitely not a sweatpant (the way they look in the butt post flight is not my preferred way to introduce myself to my host city). The Alex Mill Pleated Chino is my go-to, a Hanes white tee shirt, an A.Presse hoodie, and/or a light sweater—LAYERS—and a lightweight jacket—usually my vintage army jacket with a lot of pockets or The Row Marcus jacket, a pair of warm cozy socks (this is kind of ew, but I like to take my shoes off on the plane), AND a pair of sneakers.