The Bag, the Blazer, and the 4 A.M. Flight

What do you wear when your workday starts with a 4 a.m. flight and ends somewhere between Capitol Hill, professional meetings, a lot of walking, and one very important bag? This week, Marge, Liz, and Maloree are joined by Ellie—a Dia customer, Liz’s longtime friend, and a senior rabbi in Austin, Texas—for a real SOS about workwear, travel, confidence, and what it means to feel like yourself in professional spaces. Ellie’s style emergency: three days in Washington, D.C. for meetings and lobbying members of Congress, with a wardrobe that needs to look polished, feel comfortable, travel well, and survive long days on marble floors. The conversation goes beyond packing strategy into the bigger question of professional identity: how our style evolves as our careers grow, why comfort can be a form of confidence, and how something as simple as a blazer, a bold lip, or the right pair of shoes can help you feel ready for the room you’re walking into. Plus: the eternal work bag debate. Backpack? Tote? Secret third option? Discuss. Submit your own SOS at dia.com/SOS