How to travel light like a man with style
A man with style
Last week I sat down for coffee with Adam Moore. He’s a nice man, married, with a toddler son, living and working in Canberra. But what’s exceptional about him is that he is a fashion icon. And he has an Instagram following of nearly 12,000 people. Wow. I had to know more.
Adam Moore: fashion icon and top Aussie bloke wearing his favourite blue suit - with accessories.
Talking light travel with Adam
We chatted about clothes, toiletries - and light travel. You can listen to the full interview at Planepack Radio (or via the link below). Hear Adam talk about iconic Australian men’s style. Or if you prefer reading, download and read the full interview transcript.
What are Adam’s travel essentials?
I asked Adam what are his travel essentials - the basic building blocks of his travel wardrobe:
“I do have a packing list that I tend to go through, and I guess I'll start with the basics, which is obviously underwear and socks. Always have probably an extra one or two pairs of those, which I do take. I always normally travel with a pair of chinos and a pair of jeans, and I find having one of each of those are really versatile.”
But what about dressing up a little? What do you do to look a bit more formal?
“And then depending on the time of year and what I'm doing, I'll normally have some type of navy blue blazer with me, or a suit jacket that can double between, a more casual look but, you know, if I want to go out for drinks or dinner, I can throw that on and look nice. Or if it is a work trip, that can serve as a suit jacket, something a bit more formal, bit more business-like.”
Fashion influencer
Adam was born and raised in Wagga Wagga, central New South Wales. He always liked to dress well, but it was only after visiting London in 2015 that Adam recognised the value of quality clothes, fit and style. He observed men on the London tube, going about their everyday business, wearing fitted suits in timeless fabrics. This natural ease and style resonated with Adam: he recognised that you can be a top bloke and dress well.
Back home, he posted photos of his own favourite shoes or clothing items to Instagram. Followers responded positively. I’ve followed his feed for about two years as I enjoy an insight into his life: Adam’s photos mirror his easygoing manner, underpinned by his love of good quality Australian clothing.
Adam’s favourite whiskey in his leather weekend bag
Adam has added more items to his portfolio. He now works with fashion designers and providers of top class products, endorsing select items at Instagram. One of the aspects of the modern-day Adam I like is that men’s toiletries and skin care are now part of the packing list:
“I'm always really careful to pack toiletries as well. My wife's a really big believer in natural skincare, so I always carry some natural skincare products, some moisturiser, some night cream, some eye cream, just to really ... If you are travelling, especially if you're staying in hotels, you want your skin to feel good. You don't want to feel like it's dried out. So I always try to pack some skincare, just some moisturiser with some SPF 30 sunscreen in or SPF 15 sunscreen in it, just so you can look after yourself, and you don't come home and feel like you haven't ... yeah, you've got the dry skin, you know you can get ready for the week again.”
How to become a man with style (and travel light)
It’s interesting that Adam didn’t set out to be an influencer with a massive following. What he wanted to do was to look good, wear nice clothes and support iconic and interesting Australian businesses. He mentioned that he likes to research anything before launching into it - and that shows in his choice of clothes, He supports and buys garments in quality fabrics that have enduring style. When I asked him what would be his advice to a young man wanting to build up his own wardrobe, this is how Adam responded:
“I think my key piece of advice for everyone, and this is whether they're a young person, they don't have the budget to spend on clothes, or if they are ... they do have the money, for me, it's be confident in what you're wearing, and the key to that, for me, is fit.”
And travelling light? What’s Adam’s take on that?
“I think travelling light and travelling with carry-on only, I haven't gone outside of my comfort zone yet. It's probably something I need to look into a bit more, but it's definitely something I want to get into that space, and I want to do more trips, just carry-on only. Especially if it's more than a weekend away, I want to get into that, and I guess that's why I look at Planepack and follow the website to get those hints and ideas, but I think that will be my next adventure. When I do travel away for more than just a weekend, it'll be that carry-on only.”
Good on you, Adam! We look forward to even more Instagram posts where you explore men’s fashions and products with just your carry on.
About the author
I’m Slobodanka Graham, content entrepreneur, follower of fashion and extreme light traveller. This week I pay tribute to my late father who passed away 28 years ago.
Branko (1913-1990) was always a stylish dresser and I’m sure if asked, he would have been a light traveller too.
