After more than a decade as a travel writer, I’ve got my perfect airport outfit down to a science. I call it my travel uniform—that comfortable yet put-together look I can count on during long-haul flights, unexpected delays, or tight connections.
The winning formula goes something like this: functional black pants, a white tee, a light bomber jacket, and a pair of white sneakers. My comfortable combo has never failed me on long hauls—and I’ve had a lot of them to test the theory. Last year alone, I traveled more than 77,000 miles on the job, including a 13-hour long-haul flight to Vietnam and an 11-hour stretch to Hawaii without ever veering into sweatpants territory. If you want to dress for long travel days like the pros, read on for the foolproof airport outfit that keeps me comfortable from takeoff to touchdown and beyond.
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Comfortable shoes
Supportive, comfortable sneakers are the essential building blocks to my travel uniform. I rotate between a few different styles, but no matter the pair, they’re always sneakers I can rush around the airport in and wear socks with in case I need to take my shoes off in the security line. A podiatrist recently recommended I try a pair of shoes from Allbirds because of how lightweight and cushioned they are. In addition to my water-resistant Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles, which I wear to rainy destinations like Ireland, I love the Allbirds Canvas Piper because the classic look goes with everything, from athleisure to sundresses.
I also love my stylish Vejas if I need a versatile white sneaker, New Balance 327 sneakers if I need a cushioned walking shoe, and Kiziks, since they offer all the support of a sneaker but don’t need to be laced up—ideal for slipping on and off in the airport security line.
Allbirds
Canvas Piper sneaker
Similar styles I love:
Kizik
Irvine Slip-on sneaker
Put-together pants
A basic pair of black pants provides a neutral base for my comfortable airport outfit that goes with just about anything I wear and doesn’t show stains or wrinkles after long travel days. My go-to travel pants are the Aday Turn It Up pants for a few reasons: They’re as comfortable as pajamas but are tailored, so they still look elevated enough to wear out to dinner upon arrival; plus, they don’t wrinkle, which is a huge bonus after sitting on the plane for hours.
And while I previously swore off wearing sweatpants or athleisure to airports (call me old fashioned!) some particularly sleek joggers have swayed me and are now in my rotation for long-haul flights—especially Cozy Earth CityScape sweatpants and the buttery-soft Vuori Performance jogger, both of which look great with a bomber jacket.
Similar styles I love:
Cozy Earth
CityScape sweatpants
Baleaf
Lightweight women’s joggers
Spanx
AirEssentials wide leg pant
The perfect tee
Probably the most used, versatile item in my wardrobe is a plain white tee. I love the flattering cut of this form-fitting one from Abercrombie; it goes with everything in my capsule wardrobe—under a blazer, bomber, or on its own with jeans, joggers, or skirts, and it can easily be dressed up or down. Bonus: It also pulls double duty as a base layer for open-front cardigans and button-downs. Another particularly good tee I’ve tried is the Aday Made It T-shirt, which is wrinkle-free, stretchy, and provides UV protection. For an effortless, boxy look, Everlane is the way to go.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Essential baby T-shirt
Similar styles I love:
Artfish
Scoop-neck sleeveless shirt
Sleek bomber jacket
I love wearing men’s jackets for travel—they’re just more comfortable and perfectly oversized. Case in point, I “borrowed” this one from my husband and have no intention of giving it back. It’s roomy yet flattering and light, but still keeps me warm under the blasting AC of the plane; plus, it has a water-repellent coating and packs up relatively compact in a carry-on. The bomber style looks more elevated than your average hoodie while still being swishy and comfortable for long hauls. If you’re more of a traditionalist, you can’t go wrong with a classic women’s style like the oversized Lululemon bomber jacket or the sporty, water-repellent Athleta Jetset Bomber.
Marine Layer
Rossland Dry Wax Bomber
Similar styles I love:
Lululemon
Hem-Cinch bomber jacket
Alo Yoga
Afterglow varsity jacket
Zeagoo
Classic Bomber Jacket
Trusty luggage
I can’t remember a flight in the last five years on which I didn’t have my Away Bigger Carry-On and Everywhere Tote. I’m a carry-on only traveler, which means I never check my bag if I can help it, and with these two bags, it’s easy. The Bigger Carry-On lets me pack up to two weeks worth of clothes, is easy to roll through the airport, and is the largest possible size allowed in most airplane overhead bins (and in the case it doesn’t fit on smaller regional planes, they can gate check it free of charge). I have the original hard-shell version, but a Softside Bigger Carry-On is also available that’s your thing. Plus, the Everywhere Tote is the best trusty personal item to pair with it, considering it holds everything I need, including my 13-inch laptop. I also love that it has a handy strap that slips right over the handle to secure it to the carry-on, plus a zipper that keeps all my items contained when it’s placed under the airplane seat.
Similar styles I love:
MZ Wallace
Medium Metro Tote Deluxe
The Foldie
The Foldie Travel bag
Compression socks
After a 13-plus-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City to London left one of my legs swollen and uncomfortable last year, I vowed to always wear compression socks on long flights. With 5-20 mmHg of compression, Comrad’s socks are great for improving circulation and cutting down on the pain and swelling that can occur on long flights, and they’ve worked like a charm so far. After flying during pregnancy last year, I found that compression socks became even more important to my airport outfit for both comfort and safety, so I added the moisture-wicking Swiftwick compression socks to my wardrobe. The compression was just right—tighter and more effective than some others I’ve tried but thin enough to be comfortable.
Comrad
Knee-High Compression Socks
Similar styles I love:
Bombas
Everyday Compression socks
Charmking
Compression socks
Swiftwick
Aspire crew socks
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.