What do people wear while traveling? - YouLookFab Forum

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What do people wear while traveling?

Jacky

Veteran

I fly a lot (about twice a month) and usually on flights that are 5+ hours of sitting in small seats at a time. I've been trying for a while to find a comfortable travel outfit - usually after that long, the waist on whatever bottoms I'm wearing start digging into my waist and hurt/itch and that my bra straps start bothering me. A bunch of people have recommended that I wear workout clothes/yoga pants, but I'd really rather not do that. So what do you guys usually wear when you expect to be sitting on a plane for a long time?

Dressing

45 replies

Latest reply was from Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Diana

Veteran

A dress (jersey or sweater, depending on how cold it is) and sized up leggings - I have a pair of old gap modal ones that are almost silky and not very tight in the waist.

ETA: And haha, people think I'm dressed up because I'm wearing a dress. Also, if it's warm at your destination, you can take off the leggings in the airport bathroom. Or switch to tights/hose for a more pulled together look.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

My go -to in winter is a sleeveless jersey or knit dress layered jumper-style over tights and a tee or with a sweater over top, sometimes with a scarf as well (all this for added warmth). As cozy as PJs but more presentable. I'll often bring an extra pair of socks and take off my shoes. Of course I usually have a coat as well but not on board the plane.

catgirl

Veteran

Tunic and jeggings. Nothing pinchy. Non-wire bra. Carry fleece socks and a shawl or poncho.

Beth

Veteran

I almost always wear some kind of jersey dress. One in an empire style is a bonus since there's no waist to dig in. Add a wrap of some sort (or a cardigan), and you're set. It's as comfortable as wearing pajamas. I wore this combination recently on an overnight flight to Paris and was very comfortable and felt fab, too.

Jacky

Veteran

My waist is a bit higher than average, so I find that tights/leggings that fit the rest of my body really well tend to pinch around the top. Going a size up sounds like it might work really well though.

rachylou

Veteran

What Una said!

E

Veteran

I wear: dark slim stretchy trousers with a side zip vs fly + sleeveless woven taken with a pleated front that lets me be braless without anyone else being able to tell + cosy cashmere/wool cardigan + pashmina style scarf. Oh and comfy wool socks! I can wear this for hours (and did last fall when a snowstorm left me stranded at JFK for 28 hours on top of the 4 hours I'd already been travelling) without discomfort, still feel neat and pulled together, and adjust for all of the ridiculous temperature variations on a plane!

Parsley

Veteran

It's interesting that so many people wear dresses! At least on overnight flights I tend to sprawl or tuck my legs under me, so I've thought dresses wouldn't work, but I guess leggings would keep me decent.

I wear stretchy slim pants, a silk tee- Eileen Fisher ones are my staple, a warm cardigan or knit blazer, a big scarf, and warm socks. I can adjust the layers for any temperature, I'm very comfortable, and look reasonably presentable.

Greyscale

Veteran

Hi Jacky!!!

Jacky is my in-real-life fashion co-conspirator. She has great style.

Anonymous

I usually wear a comfy knit dress, a cardigan, and leggings if it's cold. Then again, that's pretty much my default for every situation.

The one time I wore skinny jeans on a longish flight recently, the button had ripped halfway out by the time we landed. THAT was awkward.

MRL

Veteran

I wear dark wash skinny jeans or skinny knit black pants and boots. I layer tops, usually a tee and cardigan combination to allow for different temps.Stick to solid colors, usually dark. I find that this combination can go almost every where and pieces combine with everything so there is less to pack

Anonymous

I'm with MRL. On overseas flights I change into yoga pants after take-off and back into jeans or whatever my travel outfit is before landing. I hate trying to sleep in good pants and I want to avoid spills etc on pants that I want to wear on the rest of the trip. My husband and I always travel light so sparing clothes from mishaps en route is critical.

Jacky

Veteran

Hi Greyscale! I'm super excited about joining this community of fashion-lovers

For people who love knit dresses and comfortable knit pants - where do you usually shop for them? I've been looking around for some for a while since I've realized I have this issue, and I've been having a really hard time find some that fit well on me.

minimalist

Veteran

Back in my frequent flyer days, I always wore suits; my employer vigorously suggested being client-contact-appropriate from the beginning of any work trip. There was personal benefit, though: when checking in for crowded flights, I was often upgraded to business/Raffles class without having to pay miles. Well-fitting, fully lined trousers are every bit as comfortable as yoga pants are, and when they result in seating with more space, especially on overnight flights, then you're really talking comfort.

If bra straps and underwires are digging in, it could be worth trying truly excellent quality undergarments; I'm partial to lines from vandevelde.eu for comfort, durability and fair manufacture.

Parsley's advice about layering is golden.

In my current life-phase, I've only flown a few times, and it's felt awkward not to be suit-less. I recently tried on a Tahari pantsuit in case of funeral, and your post is reminding me it would be utilitarian for flying. Maybe some variation on a suit would work for my present lifestyle.

A suit might be overkill for your needs, but it's an often overlooked option.

Greyscale

Veteran

I just saw some trendy sweatpant-ish pants at zara in the trf section. If you style them with a nicer top and cruel shoes, they wouldn't look like workout gear.

Or if you want something that you can wear as nice pants for work, look for ponte pants at banana or somewhere. But edgy sweatpants seem more you.

Greyscale

Veteran

Hah, that was iPhone voice recognition fail. Cool shoes. Not cruel. Not sure what a cruel shoe would be but probably not something you want to wear on a plane!!

Parsley

Veteran

Amy K., It's likely that you were upgraded on the basis of being a frequent flyer rather than because of the suit, but you never know.

minimalist

Veteran

Parsley, it didn't happen to colleagues with higher status than I had, so that kind of kills both the attire argument and the frequent-flyer explanation.

Still, I don't think it would have happened if I'd been in sweats.

Parsley

Veteran

Haha! DH and I have had some random upgrades for no apparent reason- on airlines that we were flying for the very first time, and we attributed it to either being nice, being distinguished looking, or maybe just being lucky! Whatever the reason, we'll take it anytime!

Marley

Veteran

I tend to over-pack - and because of that, I end up being charged the extra fee because my check-in luggage weighs in over the limit. So - what I usually try to do when I'm flying (regardless of how long the flight is going to be) is wear my heaviest clothing items - which usually means a thick pair of denim jeans and clompy boots. Comfort is a distant second on my priority list over not having to pay that darn extra fee.
(One time my check-in luggage was over just by a pound, so I opened up the suitcase and grabbed a pair of denim jeans and took them out, check-in luggage was underweight and I didn't have to pay the extra fee! Oh - and what did I do with those jeans that I had pulled out of the suitcase? I "wore" them around my neck as a scarf, of course!)

froggiebecky

Veteran

I'm with Pam. When I'm doing long-haul flights (24+ hours in the air) or red-eyes, I pack yoga pants or leggings, a soft tunic, compression socks, and a scarf or fleece/cardigan/something wooly. And a change of underwear. I change into this in the airport bathroom shortly before boarding. Not on the plane--I want a little more room to maneuver. I change back into whatever I wore to the airport (and use that change of underthings) as soon as I land--before I hit customs.

I've worn hiking boots the past several flights. Not fab, but I've usually been going to the field and needing to lift/carry something pretty quickly upon landing. Otherwise, "ability to run through a terminal at speed" is what I look for in travel shoes.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I second a stretchy dress over leggings. Try wide waistband leggings, they are really comfortable. Mine are Hue brand. I also like my baggy slouchy trousers for travel. They do not dig into my body, have a lot of ease and do not wrinkle as well. I always wear them when I fly for business and have to go straight from the plane to meet the client.

minimalist

Veteran

Oh, what froggiebecky said: compression socks! Just do it. FWIW, try to balance "ability to run through a terminal at speed" with removability for security.

And noise-canceling earphones. I never had a problem sleeping/working on long flights, so didn't think of trying them. Then bf gave me a pair as I was packing for a relatively short trip. What a difference. (Maybe it's just my age, though.)

Sveta, what brand trousers are those?

Carla

Veteran

My go to travel outfit is a pair of stretchy slim pants, a mariner T, and Chelsea boots. A leather jacket, trench, and pashmina. I often bring a pair of fingerless knit gloves. I run cold, and when my hands are warm, it helps me snooze out on the flight.

The boots are easy to slip off for customs, and the stretchy stuff (sans belt) seems to get me through alarm and inspection free.

If I'm going to a warm climate, I tuck a pair of sandals in my carry on. Before arrival, I roll up my pants, and trade out socks and boots for the sandals. Coats get rolled and stowed in the carry on

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

This summer flying to Europe we ended up in international first class because business class tickets weren't available as freq. flyer miles, and man was it swank - they actually handed out PJs when you got on board and several of the travelers changed right away, and wore them most of the flight. I think if you're going to do a multi-segment (more than two) flight or anything international or super-long, something to change into and back out of is key.

There's a layout for traveling in the current InStyle that features stretch woven pants, a fluid blouse, and a cardigan-esque jacket over, with flat shoes, that looked like a decent option for less long flights, and still looks pulled together.

I usually wear knit dresses and some kind of sweater/jacket, but the down side of that is that then I have to wear either tights, which can be binding on the waist, or leggings, which means I need to carry extra socks so my feet don't get cold on the plane (I always wear slip-off shoes for security). Before 9/11 I used to wear tunics, leggings and boots which was a really comfy and pulled-together vibe, I thought.

DonnaF

Veteran

For long road or air trips, I wear footwear that is loose (in case the feet swell) and easy to slip on and off. The pant legs will be narrow enough so they won't touch the floor in restrooms. Sorry about TMI. I like to wear layers w/o too much fuss, and have pockets somewhere. And dark/patterns that don't show spills. I have a long, smallish waist, so waistbands almost never dig in so I am grateful I don't have to worry about that!

RunswithDolphins

My game is to avoid setting off the metal detector. I know it's not the end of the world but it's my own personal hangup. I wear a skirt or pants with the lightest nylon zipper and no wire bra. Then I layer up with a t or tank top, sweater topper and really comfortable slip-on shoes. If I'm going south I pack a bathing suit, coverup and sandals , sun hat and sunglasses n my carry-on. When I get to my destination I take off the sweater put on the sandals and hat and I'm ready to go. Then when we get to the resort if the room isn't ready we change into out swimsuits and we're on the beach asap. We have it down to a fine art.

dustt

Veteran

I have a pair of fluid dark grey wide legged crop pants that I can wear on the plane anytime of year - no wrinkling - no waist band issues - and they can be worn with booties or sandals - just vary the top as appropriate for the weather and I'm good to go!! Add a large pashmina to serve as a blankie if necessary and pack a pair of loose socks even if it's summer - those planes can get cold!!

Laurinda

Veteran

I've worn a navy blazer (knit so comfy) but felt I looked too much like airline staff. I try to take a solid black shawl so I can minimize reflections in the window if I have a window seat and can take photos.

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