6 comfortable and wrinkle-free essentials women who travel for work need in their closet

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Traveling for work takes an already stressful, tiring ritual and then ups the ante. On top of boarding passes, security lines, miss-can-you-finish-what's-in-the-water-bottle, and low phone battery come the ironic tasks of trying to keep wrinkle-prone clothes wrinkle-free in a suitcase and navigating the airport in heels and a pencil skirt.

I know, as all women do, that it's possible. Of course you can throw the shirts and dresses into the hotel bathroom with the shower turned on scalding for the steam. Of course you can pack a mini iron for emergencies. Of course you can master how to sit and stand in a way that is most comfortable in clothes that are hell-bent on making you feel the opposite.

But wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to? Since the stuffy days of all wool have come new, much more breathable synthetics that are actually — dare I say it— way better at the draping you're looking for in quality workwear, anyway.

What makes workwear travel-friendly? It's comfortable, doesn't wrinkle or lose elasticity, is low-maintenance and machine-washable, and looks fantastic on. Every piece of clothing below fits that bill.

The heels and purses have an updated design with activity and multi-tasking in mind, and the clothing is tailored, comfortable, machine washable, and won't lose shape. Everything is polished.

Traveling is already a hassle, and traveling for work can be even more of a pain. If you can, do yourself a favor and invest in things you might actually love to wear, that also happen to look just as professional right out of your suitcase as they would if you'd just picked them up from the dry cleaner. When you think about it, you've just got so many better things to spend your energy on.

Below are 6 extremely travel-friendly closet warriors:

Heels

Everlane

If you haven't already heard someone singing the praises of the Day Heel, I'll cut to the chase: These heels inspired a 28,000 waitlist and drummed up a lot of well-deserved attention and fanfare. Why? Because they're both stylish and really, really comfortable.

We've got a full review here, but essentially the heel was inspired by ballet shoes and has an upgraded elastic back so you don't need to wait to consider them "broken in" until you've either shed blood wearing them or gotten blisters on each heel. They also have a cushioned footbed, which feels like a little pillow.

They're versatile, will stand the test of time, and are fairly priced. More than one woman on our team owns a couple pairs, especially since the colors are well-executed and varied.

The Day Heel, Everlane, $145

Find our full review here.

Pants

Aella

These are my personal favorite work pants, as they look tailored, flatter most shapes, don't lose their shape even after continued use, and are unbelievably comfortable to wear. It's also a huge plus, especially for travelers, that they won't crease and can be thrown into the washing machine on cold.

They're made with some of the best fabric I've ever come across for workwear, which is luxuriously stretchy and water-repellent — just in case you spill something on yourself somewhere in the mix of bumpy cab rides and complimentary plane drinks. Bonus: They're made to resist fading, so black will stay black (and you won't end up with mismatched, black-black, black-grey, and "other"-black workpieces).

High Waist Ankle Skinny, Aella, $198

Find our full review here.

Shirts

Ministry of Supply

This is the newest branch of performance workwear by the company that created men's suits that are comfortable, flexible, and breathable enough for half marathon running. They're rounding out their women's workwear and recently approached the problem of how great silk looks and feels and how inconvenient it is to take care of.

Enter "Easier Than Silk" shirts. They're made out of a synthetic of polyester and spandex, are extremely breathable, wrinkle-resistant, and drape beautifully. The fit is tailored without being tight, and the pricing is very competitive. They're also machine-washable (and I can attest to the fact that so far they really do look just as good after a regular washing cycle).

They'll look just about as good straight out of the suitcase or off the plane as they would from hanging up in your closet, and the total comfort and breathability of the material will be something you'll be consciously glad for during your travel.