When business travel is your life it’s not easy to stay ahead of the game. Business Traveller picks out some fashionable yet functional accessories to give you an edge.
NEW AND LINGWOOD
If you find it difficult to find the perfect tie to match your suit, the New and Lingwood bespoke tie service could be the answer. The ties can be ordered cut to your precise requirements of length, width, lining, colour and pattern, and are constructed from a palate of over 60 different silks – you can even supply your own fabric. Cutting, sewing and finishing of the ties is all done by hand and each one features a slip-stitch, which helps it retain its shape when hung up in a wardrobe. Priced at £95. Call +44 (0)206 493 9621 or visit newandlingwood.com.
ETTINGER OF LONDON
Part of Ettinger’s new Purple Collection, this elegant wallet is made from black calf leather on the outside, and purple, grained soft hide leather inside, with space for notes and six credit cards. Also available in the same style is a coin purse, a wallet with three card slots and a coin pocket, a business card case, a four-hook key case and a travel pass holder. Prices start from £65, men’s wallet at £110. For stocklists call +44 (0)20 8877 1616; email [email protected].
BUFFALO
Fed up with poor signal quality, limited range, dropped connections and long download times? This gadget from Buffalo aims to solve the wifi problem. It plugs into a high-speed USB port and supports all the encryption standards you’d expect for business (WPA, WPA2 and 802.1X), as well as easy set-up to home networks using AirStation One-Touch Secure System (AOSS). Price £18, suppliers include Misco, Broadband Buyer, Insight and Dabs.com.
PATEK PHILIPPE
This new World Time watch from Patek Philippe’s standard collection was unveiled at the Baselworld watch and jewellery show in April. The complication displays all 24 time zones, indicating the hour at all major international stock markets including Frankfurt, London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Switching from one time zone to another is achieved by pressing the button at ten o’clock, and the crown is used to set the correct time in conjunction with the 24-hour ring, so a distinction can be made between am and pm. The face also features a cloisonné enamel dial with a stylised map of the world. Priced at £28,000. Visit patek.com.
KENSINGTON
Kensington’s new Contour Balance laptop bags for women are tough enough for the commute, smart enough for the office and stylish enough for going out after work. The Contour Balance Notebook Backpack fits most laptops up to a 14-inch widescreen and has a detachable shoulder strap, an external pocket for documents and a concealed side pocket, which will hold a bottle of water. Priced from £35 to £60. Visit kensington.com.
CHUNG SHI
No time to get toned for summer? Let your shoes do the work. Following in the footsteps of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT), these trainers have been designed to make the muscles in your legs work harder when you walk and improve your posture when you stand, with a 15-degree angled sole and a reflexology bar in the centre. Although they feel strange at first, you soon get used to them – Chung Shi recommends you wear them for 20-30 minutes a day, gradually building up to longer periods of time. The Comfort Shoe range is available in a variety of styles for men and women, and prices start at £129. For stockists call +44 (0)1675 430 115, ljmsports.co.uk.
