look 1:  JACKET: c/o St. John Knits  |  JEANS: Victoria Beckham  |  TANK: Club Monaco  |  SHOES: SJP Collection  |  SUNGLASSES: Miu Miu c/o Ditto  |  TOTE BAG: c/o Gigi new York  |  EARRINGS: c/o Melinda Maria  |  NECKLACE: Gorjana  |   LIP: Nars (Bansar)

Look 2: JACKET: c/o St. John Knits  |  JEANS: Paige denim  |  TURTLENECK: Ann Taylor  |  SHOES: Steven  |  BAG: c/o Gigi new York  |  EARRINGS: c/o Melinda Maria  |  SUNGLASSES: Miu Miu c/o Ditto  |  LIP: Nars (Bansar)

I’ve gotten lots of questions from readers about travel/packing tips, and after the (literal) MILES I’ve put on my St. John Knits pieces, I have to give you the inside scoop on these babies:  I travel a lot, so after years of trial and error, I’ve gotten pretty calculated about packing.  Of course, the exact contents of my suitcase always rotate depending on occasion, time of year, and the purpose of the trip, but the one brand that is absolutely always without fail in my suitcase is St. John Knits.  Honestly, I completely rely on their pieces while traveling because as knitwear, their suits and jackets don’t wrinkle like other pieces.  They can be folded up to fit in even the most crowded suitcase, and upon arrival—voilà!  They’re wrinkle-free, effortlessly chic and ready to wear.

Today I’ve styled two of my favorite long topper jackets casually with jeans (perfect for casual Friday at the office), but the appeal of these timeless classics is that they can be so easily dressed up or down.  last week while traveling home to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving I wore the long black jacket with ponte pants and over-the-knee boots on the plane.  In my carry-on, I packed this dress which I paired with the same jacket for a a lot more formal dinner out with my family last weekend.  You’d be hard pressed to find something with that breadth of legit versatility.

As I’ve pointed out previously here on the blog, I’ve been enamored with St. John Knits considering that I was a little girl.  I still wear regularly the first St. John topper jacket (similar to the black one above!) that I received for Christmas years ago (best. gift. EVER.).  It looks as fresh today as it did on day one because absolutely no luxury brand surpasses St. John in quality.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to notice how lots of clothing comes and goes in my closet—whether it’s because of passing trends or fading quality—but my St. John Knits investment pieces have remained and proven to be worth every penny year after year.

Produced in collaboration with St. John Knits.