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Ive Perfected the In-Flight Travel Uniform—Heres How to Build Comfortable Airport Outfits

As a professional travel writer, I cover a lot of ground. This year, I’m hopping on several flights per month ranging from long-hauls to Vietnam, Cape Town, and Hawaii, to slightly shorter jaunts to Paris, Rome, and Greenland—a whopping 77,000+ miles so far and counting. One thing that’s hugely important on any trip? Staying comfortable in transit.

With all that time in the air, I’ve perfected my travel uniform, aka the comfortable airport outfit I always wear for long travel days, no matter where I’m headed. My trusty formula almost never veers from the relaxed clothing staples below, from supportive shoes to the perfect tee and a sleek bomber jacket. Read on for my tried-and-true picks that always keep me looking and feeling my best on every journey.


The cozy airport staples I swear by:


Comfortable shoes

Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles

Supportive, comfortable shoes 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 a security line. A podiatrist recently recommended I try a pair of shoes from Allbirds because of how lightweight and cushioned they are. I particularly love Allbirds’ Wool Runner Mizzles because they’re water-resistant, making them perfect for any terrain or weather I encounter when I land. I also love my stylish Vejas if I need a versatile white sneaker, as well as 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.

Similar styles I love:

Kiziks Irvine Slip-on sneaker

Lululemon Cityverse sneaker

Banana Republic Vegan Leather sneakers

Put-together pants

Aday Turn It Up Pants

A basic pair of black pants provides a neutral base for my comfortable airport outfits 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. A similar look is Banana Republic’s stretchy Ponte pant you can dress up or down, as well as Everlane’s Easy pant. And while I previously swore off wearing sweatpants or athleisure to airports (call me old fashioned!) some particularly well-designed, 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:

Baleaf Lightweight women’s joggers

Cozy Earth CityScape sweatpants

Daily Practice by Anthropologie Base Jump Parachute Pants

Banana Republic Crop Flare Everywhere Ponte Pant

Spanx AirEssentials wide leg pants

The perfect tee

Madewell Supima Rib Tee

Probably the most used, versatile item in my wardrobe is a plain white tee. I love the flattering fit of this one from Madewell; it goes with everything in my suitcase—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.

Similar styles I love:

Everlane Organic Cotton Box-Cut Tee

Banana Republic Timeless T-Shirt

Banana Republic ribbed scoop-neck tank

Artfish women’s Scoop-neck sleeveless shirt

Banana Republic linen-cotton t-shirt

Banana Republic silky cotton button-down shirt

J.Crew Wren Slim Western Chambray shirt

Sleek bomber jacket

Marine Layer men’s Rossland Dry Wax Bomber

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. I love that 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. 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.

Similar styles I love:

Lululemon Lightweight Hem-cinch Bomber Jacket

Alo Yoga Mixed Media Reinvention Jacket

Zeagoo women’s 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 hardside version, but a Softside Bigger Carry-On just dropped if 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:

Béis The Carry-On Roller

Samsonite Freeform carry-on spinner

Compression socks

Comrad Knee-High Compression Socks

After a 13-plus-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City to London left one of my legs swollen and uncomfortable this 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.

Similar styles I love:

Bombas Everyday Compression socks

Charmking compression socks