Chief of Protocol  dishes out advice  on traveling in style

By Judy Kurtz - 05/14/12 06:33 PM ET

Ambassador Capricia Marshall is offering up some advice on how to stay fresh-faced and looking good while jetting around the world.

The affable Chief of Protocol — known for her serious sense of style —was one of several honorees at last week’s Running Start Women to Watch Awards at the National Press Club. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization works to educate young women about politics and inspire them to run for elected office.

Before bestowing the “Trailblazer Award” on Marshall, former White House press secretary Dee Dee  Myers joked of her designer label-wearing friend, “Ask anyone who knows her and I really believe the first word to describe her is ‘generous.’ She would give you, really give you, the shirt off her back, even if you have no use for that size 2 Oscar de la Renta.”

But the high-flying fashionista, who just returned from a trip to China with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, discloses that there are a few secrets to keeping up her reputation for a glowing appearance while on the road — and none of them have to do with the clothes in her closet.

Right off the bat, Marshall says water is her BFF in the air: “Lots of water. Water, water, water. People say that, but it’s true. You really got to drink a lot of water for your skin to stay nourished and not to get all sort of dry and crackly.”

While she’s been known to sport Manolo Blahniks in public (which led to an embarrassing tumble captured on YouTube at a 2010 White House state dinner), Marshall admits her footwear in the skies is far less formal.

“This is going to be silly, but I’m going to say it. I wear compression socks because when you get off the plane, you know how your feet are swollen and your legs get swollen? Never with compression socks. It helps with circulation,” she says.

Marshall also recommends refraining from overindulging and maintaining a balanced diet.

But her final suggestion might throw weary world travelers for a loop: “Big, big, big tip: The second I land, if I can … I work out immediately. It really helps with jet lag.”

Although sweating up a storm in a faraway land after an endless flight might not appeal to everyone, Marshall claims hitting the gym is the way to go: “As soon as I land, I put on my workout clothes, and I go at it.”