You know the drill: on the plane, off the plane, too-warm airports, too-cold climates. A time zone-hopping international jaunt during the colder months of the calendar can challenge even the best tailored overcoats—and a puffy jacket just isn’t practical for a road warrior.

You need something more versatile. That something is a motorcycle jacket.

Now I can already hear your protests: a motorcycle jacket? Far too casual for a business traveler! But let’s get real—you aren’t actually wearing a three-piece suit on that flight from New York to Singapore, are you?

The beauty of a motorcycle jacket is that it’s rugged in the right ways yet structured enough to throw over a dress shirt. A waxed canvas number—such as a men’s Belstaff Trialmaster or Barbour International Duke or a women’s Roadmaster or Beadnell—will resist with equal mastery the icy rains of northern Europe and the blustery snow of mid-winter Manhattan. When it’s Chicago-style cold, throw on a sweater and zip it up to the top; when it’s Los Angeles-level balmy, leave it hanging open and dress lightly underneath.

The Duke has been with me on myriad business trips and hasn’t flinched. If only I could say the same for the fellow underneath.

We’ve included affiliate links in this article. Click here to learn what those are.