One of my Top Three posts last year was Packing a Carry On for International Travel {it’s also one of my most pinned posts on Pinterest!}. I’ve received many follow-up questions asking me what I wear on long international flights, so I thought I’d share.
As a child, my sister and I often flew as Unaccompanied Minors to visit my grandparents for Spring Break. We always wore cute new outfits on the plane because back in the Dark Ages people dressed up to fly. Even as an Old Fart, I have trouble letting go of that mentality and just can’t bring myself to wear sweats even when flying for fourteen hours at a time.
But I promise I’m comfortable.
Here’s a typical outfit I wear on the trip back and forth between Japan and America ~
I like to wear a pant with some stretch to it. The J.Crew Minnie is a great choice because it comes in both twill and light-weight wool, so depending on the time of year, I’ve got a pair that works. They also don’t wrinkle, even after snoozing for a few hours in an airplane seat!
It’s important on airplanes to always dress in layers as I often find myself chilly or overly warm. For that reason, I wear a tee and cardigan year round. I like Three Dots tees as they are thicker than a lot of t-shirts. This is important if you spill something and need to wipe yourself off ~ it’s a little easier to scrub a spot out on a more substantial fabric {trust me, I know this from experience!}. I usually wear longer cardigans or sweaters on planes as they give me the option to wrap myself up. I seriously have a dozen different ones as they are a wardrobe staple ~ this one is from Nordstrom.
Ballet flats like Tieks that fold up are a great choice when traveling. I travel with a pair of foldable slippers in their own pouch since airline slippers rarely fit me. When I get onboard, I take off my outdoor shoes, put them in the pouch and back in my carry on and put the slippers on for the flight.
Since I travel with all my good jewelry for a trip in my carry on, I can simply throw on a few bangle bracelets and a necklace and feel put together upon arrival. Not a bad thing since flying from Asia to America often means arriving in time for a meal or two and thus having to actually see people!
As for The Cuties, here’s their traveling ‘uniform’ ~
Like me, I have them dress in layers. Over the years, we’ve found they’re most comfortable in tees, cardigans, elastic-waisted circle skirts and leggings. The leggings are a good option for two reasons: one they help with modesty while sleeping in a skirt on the plane and two; if we are traveling from a colder climate to a warmer climate, they can just slip the leggings off upon arrival. They usually wear Converse sneakers when traveling since they’re doing a decent amount of walking through airports.
My only other advice is if you’re the Mom ~ dark colors are your friend.
Because Murphy’s Law says that if your kid spills or gets sick on a plane, YOU will take the hit.
Felt So Cute 