Updated: February 10th, 2020
For travelers, asking themselves “what should I wear to the airport,” it may simply mean dressing in sweats and a t-shirt. While nothing wrong with that, if you’re looking for more stylish advice, I can make some suggestions so your travel wear is simple and modern.
Below are some ideas to help get you started and is designed for both men and women. If you click ‘What to Wear in,’ here or at the top, it will take you to different cities around the world as well as my ‘What to Wear‘ in blog.
What Should I Wear to the Airport?
For me, a travel t-shirt should be easy to wear and clean and this goes for both men and women. I never wear my most prized shirts while I’m traveling and I always have a back up in my carry-on.
Airports are usually cold, as well as planes. It’s hard to fall asleep if it feels like a tundra everywhere you go. Bring a solid jacket that is easy to pack and will keep you warm throughout your travel. I like to stick with darker colors for jackets as it can hide stains, etc.
I’ve been suggesting scarves for years and most will think that scarves are just for women. Not so. They are all different types of scarves from cotton to linen to cashmere and all have their own value. A scarf can be a great wrap when you need it, and great material to rest your head on or mop up sweat.
You know I use to be against sweats and yoga pants but to be honest there is a reason why people wear them. And now more than ever they are stylish. I’ll give that it is very comfy and sometimes necessary to wear something on long flights. I recently wore Uniqlo sweats on a long flight from Los Angeles to Sydney instead of jeans and it was a great decision.
Obviously, jeans are okay and there are some really comfy jeans to wear. But as a gay man, I typically wear tight jeans and it’s not always comfortable after long hours on the flight. I sometimes wear them and sometimes I don’t. I typically go for a darker pair of jeans as it hides your travel dirt and stains.
Pants like chinos also work and can be more comfortable for long types of travel, especially sitting on planes for a long time.
Personal Faves
I do think hard about what should I wear to the airport and consider things like comfort and style. These are the items that I bring for the majority of my time at airports to help me relax or keep me occupied. These are obviously just suggestions but it may help on your travels!
I like shoes that are easy to wear through security and easy to slip on if I have to take them off. I love shoes like wool runners and other breathable types of shoes. You’re in them all day so you need to make sure it will be easy to wear.
I will wear jeans but now I always see the benefit of good chinos. Not only are they stylish I find they are usually more comfortable than jeans.
I’m a scarf person and I typically have one stuffed in my carry-on. They are versatile and can be a lifesaver, especially when I’m cold.
My husband and I never really check bags anymore unless we have to. We have these amazing bags from Tortuga that we love although there are plenty of other companies that also sell great organizing backpacks.
It’s a great idea to have comfortable socks while at airports. You don’t want you feet to smell but you also don’t want to have uncomfortable socks that constantly ride down your ankle.
I will carry things like a camera, GoPro, and my own phone to document my travel and take photos.
Check my ‘what to wear in’ page if you want travel style for certain cities. I try to update these every so often and add new cities.
