What to wear when traveling

Let’s talk airport style.

Over the weekend I took a quick trip to visit family and got to observe one of my two favorite personal style melting pots – the airport. (My other fave – Disneyland. A topic for another day.)

It always fascinates me what people choose to travel in. On this trip I saw a woman in a spaghetti strap, bike shorts WHITE onesie (she brave); a dude with massive combat boots, multiple chain wallets (hello aisle cart mishap) and leather fingerless gloves; and a woman with a faux Prada bag that made me do a triple take (I think it was trying to mimic this classic).

I loathe taking creeper photos, but I had to document this.

I feel like “airport style” is hotly contested.  We’ve all seen countless Reels on this topic, and rightly so. What do you wear when you’re in and out of airports for hours on end?

There are no right or wrong answers here (remember, safe space!) but I’ll tell you what works for me. In a separate post I’m going to break down an adjacent topic, athleisure as everyday wear. :S

Jeans

I ALWAYS travel in jeans. Bare legs and/or athleisure in transport are a no-go for me. Jeans have pockets, they can be dressed up or down in the event your luggage gets lost, and they’re durable. As much as I get wanting to travel in easy, breezy fabrics, I need structure. Freezing airplanes, inevitable spills and being rumpled are things I’m not willing to deal with. These are my go-to pair. They’re cropped – no way do I want my pants touching the floor – and they have a zipper fly which is so much more comfortable for sitting.

Fitted tee

I have 6 of these in different colors. They’re an excellent base for streamlined packing and the 100% cotton is comfortable and breathable. Every plane I’ve ever been on has had moments of freezing and burning up, and when I sweat in these, because yep, it happens, they wick/dry very fast.

Chore jacket

This is a newer purchase for me, but I’ve already worn it on three separate trips in the last 6 weeks. Inspired by THE Prada jacket that I obsess over day and night, I love the pockets. Phone on the right, hand sanitizer and chapstick on the left. Plus added pockets for earpods, lotion, etc. It looks so cool paired with a slip dress (seriously!) and fits right in with jeans. It’s also 100% cotton so I can wash it.

THE Prada jacket.

Sneakers

Yep, Sambas are everywhere, but honestly, they are so versatile they stay at the top of the list for me. A great Vans slip-on is another fave. I’m personally not into an athletic sneaker for travel – too limiting. Colorful sneakers are so fun, but for travel, I stick to neutral. Here are some of my faves - these, these and these.

What do you like to travel in?