I recently spent three days in Rochester, NY for work. Yes, again. See my last trip post from the dead of winter here. I feel like every time I travel to Rochester the weather is horrible … this trip was no different. Not only was it still cold, but it was ALL rain ALL the time! I seriously wouldn’t have survived this trip without my lined rain coat. It includes a flannel lining that can be inserted (thank goodness) or removed (not on this trip). When the temperature is in the forties and rain is pouring down, trust me, you want the liner. #IHeartFlannel
For my outfits on this trip, it was traditional suit attire for the work days but I tried to mix in some comfort for the travel days. I only took one suit jacket and so I needed versatility in the items I took. I was able to create three different looks using the same suit jacket (yes, I know, I do this every trip). #PackingWin
Day 1
For the first day I was traveling in the morning with internal meetings in the afternoon. Knowing that I was heading to arctic like temperatures (no, not exaggerating) I opted for a light sweater, my suit jacket and dark wash jeans to keep in comfortable. I also took my skirt suit in case I needed to change into something more formal. The bow sweater is lightweight so it easily layers under a jacket. It is also cute enough to stand on its own. Warning … the bow seemed to provide a valid excuse for every male I encountered to check out the goods (or in my case – lack thereof). #BoysWillBeBoys
I managed to skate through the afternoon without having to don the skirt and since I was already casual, I stayed that way for dinner. Dinner was at Luck Bar. This is the place to go if you are craving the biggest, juiciest hamburger you could imagine. I wasn’t. But I was pleasantly surprised by the other menu offerings. Curried lentils, fennel sausage and a kale salad all fit the bill. It was like a tapas style dinner and it was perfectly sized and scrumptious. And if you are curious about the hamburger … I saw more than a dozen carried by me and they live up to the hype. I will return to taste test on my next visit to Rochester when I am craving red meat (and the sun is shining). #bestburgersinRochester
Day 2
For the second day, I had customer meetings so it was formal suit attire. I wore my Hugo Boss suit (jacket and pants) with a silk blouse. While packing in advance, I had included the matching sheath dress but the cold temps made that piece seem highly impractical – I wanted as much coverage as possible. My day was one big long customer meeting but I did manage to sneak away for lunch – it was quick but yummy. Core Life Eatery is a build your own kind of place that has bone broth soups amoung other things. Perfect for a cold rainy day. They also had about 10 different homemade juices. Of course, I tried about four of them before settling on the spicy lemonade – the beet lemonade was a close second. #suckerforspicy
Dinner was at the Cub Room. This is an industrial style tavern with a killer wine list and food to go with. I looked at the menu in advance and selected a few items that really interested me – when I arrived, however, the menu was different and ALL the items I had pre-selected had been removed. I survived though. Homemade pasta makes everything better. #goatcheesehelps
Day 3
The last day I was traveling home but not before a full morning ofcustomer meetings. I wore my suit jacket with another silk blouse but I added some personality and comfort by wearing gold cropped pants. They were perfect pants for the rain because my hems weren’t soaked walking from the parking lot to the office. I had time for a late lunch before dashing to the airport for my flight and it was at McCann’s Local Meats. This is a fabulous deli. The selection of meats was crazy – I was seriously contemplating how I could carry home some sausage (its happened before)! My TUMI bag just is not that big. I opted for BBQ instead and considered it a huge win that I didn’t end up wearing any sauce on my white blouse. #winningateating
My Outfits
J.Crew Bow Sweater (on sale) | Paige Skyline Skinny (on sale) | Hugo Boss Suit Jacket and Pants | Silk Blouse (similar) and Ann Taylor Crop Kick Pants (on sale)
My Raincoat
I cannot say enough good things about this rain coat but the flannel liner would be at the top of the list. The fact I can wear a suit jacket without having to size up is also a bonus (it is a little snug with the liner in). The hood would also top the list. #hairsaver
Calvin Klein Double Breasted Trench
Overall, the trip was a good one but I am seriously not traveling back to Rochester unless the temperature is at least 60 degrees (fingers crossed for my June trip). #donewithcold