long flight starting tonight... advice please?

hi guys, i'm hoping you can help me out yet again! something urgent has come up at home that has me flying out tonight after booking the trip two days ago. it's a horrible situation, so perhaps you could help me with one thing? i'm severely distracted at the moment and can't think so could you stylish ladies help me think of an outfit to wear? the facts:

- i will be flying from wintry chicago to tropical, equatorial home, so i'm thinking layers
- i will be in planes and airports for a whopping 21 hours, with two layovers - first in LA for 3 hours, then another hour in taiwan. the journey on planes starts from chicago to LA, and the longest i'll be on a plane is 13 hours
- i'm traveling light; i still have clothes at home and i'm not likely to be thinking about fashion much while i'm there anyway, so i'm literally just grabbing my laptop backpack and putting some undies, some toiletries and a towel for freshening up, and a change of clothes (at least a new tshirt or something).

it sounds more daunting than it is - i make this trip about once a year, so i'm used to it! the only thing about this time is that a) my mind is full of other things and i can't focus, and b) it's really cold here and really hot there. what should i wear? i mostly make this trip in jeans - i'd like to wear boots to get there as it's so cold, but that's not practical or comfortable for such a long haul. converse maybe? i'd like to be able not to bring my puffer or any bulky coat... maybe i should layer knits? agh... HELP!

17 years ago

Inge

(website)

Moderator

I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time Hanna!

About clothing: if you're only going to be in cold weather until you are on the first plane, maybe you could get away with Converse (can you fit two pairs of socks in there? maybe one pair with some cashmere/merino wool in them for warmth?).
I would definitely go with a pair of comfortable jeans and some layers on top (again, if you have cashmere or merino wool tops or sweaters, that really helps without adding bulk).
How about a cami, a short-sleeved top and a turtleneck sweater? (you can take off the sweater when it starts getting warmer). Add a large pashmina or other scarf (can double as a blanket on the plane/in the airport) and you should be fine.

Have a safe trip, you'll be in our thoughts.

shiny

Veteran

Sorry to hear this Hanna! Hope everything turns out okay.

Is it possible to have a taxi take you from doorstep to airport? Because that would be the obvious solution for me. If you only have to walk a few steps from your house into a warm taxi, and then from taxi into the airport, you could skip the coat and boots and dress for your destination. Esp since it sounds like your first layover is LA, which is sure to be warm. And if you aren't struggling with big luggage, then you can dash in and out quickly.

But do bring a pashmina - even if you are flying to a warm destination, they may crank up the AC on board.

Otherwise, hmm, if it were me, and I had this long of a flight, I would probably opt for a knit dress or skirt outfit (with ballet flats) instead of jeans. Even my most comfy jeans would not be comfy after this many hours, but maybe that's just me. I swell a lot on airplanes!

You could start out with tights and strip them off when you got too warm. A sleeveless knit dress with volume in the skirt (so you can pull your legs up underneath if you wanted - since my legs are short I find I sit cross-legged a lot in the airplane; reduces the strain on my lower back).

Another advantage of a skirt instead of jeans is you don't have to worry about your hems getting dragged along nasty bathroom floors. (Yuck, esp if like me you wash your jeans in cold water and never put them in the dryer).

With long-sleeve cotton cardigan and pashmina. Strip off layers as needed. Bring along thick cozy socks to protect your feet during flight (my feet swell so much, I can't wear any shoes during the flight; I always bring hospital socks that have grippies on the bottom).

Ultimately I would aim to dress for air conditioning, since I have sat through one too many flights freezing my butt off sitting directly under the darn AC vent (grrrr) and the airport in LA - where you have a 3 hour layover - will likely be AC'd to death. Is the Taiwan airport AC'd?

If it's not, bring along a change of lighterweight clothes and you could always swap out in LA or Taiwan as you fly into warmer destinations.

Bring moisturizer to combat dryness (you can even rub some in your hair if your hair starts to fly-away), and something to pull your hair back. And a couple of good books to read!

hanna

Active Member

thanks for the input inge and shiny!

i think i will opt for converse and build my outfit from the shoes up. i love your suggestion of ballet flats and a dress/leggings combo shiny, but i don't do well walking fast through airports in ballet flats - i always feel like a need a good sturdy (but cute!) fashion sneaker. i was worried about the cold, but luckily the BF surprised me by taking a half day so he could send me to the airport - so i have just a few steps to take in the cold! thank goodness. one less thing to worry about

shana

Hanna, I've done similar trips before flying from the Northeast to Southern India in the winter. I think Shiny has given you excellent suggestions and they reflect just about everything I do for this type of trip. Since my aunt usually drops us off & picks us up, we leave our coats, scarves etc in her car and she is nice enough to remember to bring them back when she picks us up! I wore a pair of jeans (lots of stretch so they were comfy), a knit short sleeved shirt & a warm cardigan for the plane and wore comfy loafers (I'm not a converse type of gal) for all the walking. I had a pashmina and warm socks to keep my warm during the flight. I had a small carryon in which I packed a lightweight traditional outfit and a pair of sandals which I threw on shortly before landing in India. I second Shiny's suggestions about lotion - my skin always gets so dry! I also bring one of those travel pillows and an eye mask so that I can get some shut eye during the long flight.

Ellen

Love the layers idea. And an outfit 'built on Converse' was exactly what I wore on a long travel day recently. I am actually very comfy in jeans, so that's what I generally go with... and lots of layers. Don't forget that pashmina to use as a blanket!

For me, the most important things are the little things that guarantee comfort on the plane. Lip balm, face and hand lotion, tylenol, light makeup accessories to feel like I've freshened up before landing. And lots of money for coffee!

Good luck! I'm sorry to hear things are not going well and I hope that the trip can help with the situation.

Sarah

I wore jeans with boots over them on a long flight over Christmas, and I was surprised how SORE my knees were at the end of the day. I think this look is fine for a short flight, but 6 hours in the air was tough. I definitely second, third, fourth the advice to wear a knit dress, tights, and comfy shoes.
I hope the best for you.

Ariadne

Hanna, maybe you can do a dress and leggings with Cons and a pashmina and a cardi if you have a dress that you like with Cons. I'm a fan of that look.

I'm sorry you have to go home under unhappy circumstances. I hope the trip goes smoothly for you, and that if nothing else you can enjoy the little glimpse of warm weather in the middle of winter. Keep us posted.

cyan45

hanna, sorry to hear of your distress i echo everyone's suggestions; a jersey dress (if you have one), would be great, as it won't wrinkle much and is lightweight when you hit your destination. if you have room, maybe a pair of sandals, if the humidity is high? just a detail though...

if you haven't thought of it already, maybe some kind of music thing? (ipod or something)...your favorite music might help to comfort/distract you, if you don't like the music that international flights provide.

maybe a scarf headband or something to keep you hair out of the way, yet still put together after you long flight! just a thought...i traveled to china last summer (my first trip), and was quite frazzled

my thoughts are with you, have a safe trip...

tarzy

I actually bookmarked this previous post because I want to copy this when I next travel:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....?replies=2

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Oh no, Hanna. Chin up and take care. We wish you all the best and hope that all turns out okay.

The lasses have offered superb advice. The only thing I’d like to reiterate is to dress in layers and bring items that wash easily. You’ll want a clean set of clothes daily in humid weather and that means more washing if you want to travel light. Hang in there.

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