I’ve been unsuccessful in creating a capsule wardrobe in my regular life, but as a frequent flier I’ve got my airplane travel outfit down to a science. 

Of course, you should wear whatever you want for your airplane travel outift, whether it’s pajamas or a three-piece suit. I personally dress for comfort, a variety of conditions, and to feel reasonably pulled together.

The majority of the links below are not affiliate links—I genuinely wear and like these items—but I’ve called out any that are! I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on these links. 

My go-to airplane travel outfit

You’ll see me in the same outfit whether I’m flying to Australia in summer or New York City in winter; the season doesn’t change on the plane. I also tend to wear this no matter how long the flight.

Wide-legged pants

I don’t want my leg skin touching the seat so you’ll never catch me in shorts on a plane. If I’m wearing jeans, it means it’s a short flight and I was having trouble getting my carry-on to close. Maybe, maybe if I’m feeling tropical, I’ll wear this dress. But 98% of the time, it’s pants.

My airplane pant choice has evolved from leggings to joggers to wide-leg pants. For the last year, these Aerie pants have been my go-to flight pants. They’re comfortable, lightweight, and look tidy.

 I’m 5’9” and a size 10, and take these in a L tall—they are probably half an inch too long but I’d prefer too long to too short. Also! You should never, ever pay regular price at Aerie. They are in a perpetual state of sales.

I really wanted to be a Spanx AirEssentials wearer but their regular pants are awkwardly short and their long pants are way too long. Plus, $118 when not on sale? Get outta town.

A plain cropped t-shirt

I reach for a basic tee in white or grey when heading to the airport. I bought three from Old Navy for $6 apiece when I was going through a cropped t-shirt phase. They’re truthfully not my favorite—I wish they were a little softer—but I keep wearing them so they obviously do the job. 

The shirts I have are no longer on the site, but these vintage cropped tees are similar (and look softer). 

Cozy outer layer

I like a pullover hoodie for my outer layer on planes. I have this Vuori hoodie in blue (and did not pay full price for it). It’s soft but I don’t like the zip-up as much as I thought I would. For the last year I’ve been wearing this Marine Layer hoodie (size L). On its first outing I ate the mid-flight snack of a too-hot pizza pocket in the dark, and didn’t realize until we landed HOURS LATER that I’d dripped cheese and tomato sauce all over my sweatshirt. I smelled like old pizza all the way from LA to Atlanta. Devastating.

The stain did come out though, so the hoodie is still part of the uniform.

Supportive wireless bra 

A comfortable bra is CRITICAL, especially on long-haul flights. You will never catch me in an underwire! I was influenced by Emily In Your Phone to try a BOGO deal on EBY bras and I see why she’s a devotee. The wireless bralette is comfy and surprisingly supportive, though they do have the stupid pad inserts (WHY). I’m going to try the sheer version next, which does not. 

I had to size up; my regular bra size is 34DDD and the EBY size chart suggested a SDD. It was too tight so I exchanged it for a MDD, which was perfect. The exchange process was very easy!

Cotton underwear

I talked about bras so I feel like I should mention underwear. This one’s all you, wear your comfiest, most breathable pair of cotton undies. I also bring a small packing cube in my personal item with a spare pair of underwear and socks just in case. On the rare occasions we have lounge access when returning from Australia, I might take a shower in the lounge and it’s nice to have a fresh pair.  

Compression socks

I wear regular socks on the plane (again, personal preference) then switch to knee-high compression socks (affiliate link) for anything over four hours. I was shocked at how inflated my feet and toes started getting after long flights, but didn’t get serious about compression socks until I broke my ankle and had to fly soon after.

Step-in tennis shoes

Much like skin touching airplane seats, I do not want my toes exposed on an airplane. I can’t explain it, I just don’t. However, I will take my shoes off when I’m sitting, especially on a long flight. So I want something that slips on and off easily, plus won’t make me trip when I’m walking to my gate (look, not all of us are naturally graceful people). 

And yes, I hear how the above description makes me sound like a lady on an 80s infomercial.

That brings me to Kiziks, shoes you can step into (referral link—get $20 off & I’ll also get $20). I have the Milan pair in merlot, which no longer seem to exist. Truthfully, I go back and forth on how much I like the look of them—I wish they were a little sleeker and more water-resistant—but the comfort and convenience is undeniable. No more contorting myself to lace up my shoes in an airplane seat, and I’m able to walk in them for miles at our destination.  

Changing into your airplane travel outfit while in flight

My husband changes from regular shorts to comfy shorts on the plane, but I prefer to put on one outfit and ride it all the way home. Bundling myself and my clean clothes into that tiny, inexplicably wet plane bathroom would just make me feel more dirty. 

For long flights I try to get dressed at the last possible second. In my head that keeps my clothes as fresh as possible, but once you’ve been in an outfit for 10+ hours “freshness” is a lost cause. 

And that’s it! Having a go-to airplane travel outfit makes packing for a trip that much easier, because I never have to think about what I’m going to wear. 

Do you have an airplane travel outfit? Or a good rec for a soft t-shirt? Suggest away!