‘Warm, compact, breathable’: what fashion workers wear for long-haul travel
For the last 18 months I’ve worn the same outfit whenever I’ve travelled. A pair of black cotton trousers with an elasticated waist, an oversized black T-shirt made from fine merino wool and a high-necked, thick cotton jumper with a half zip at the collar.
But when I went to pack for a month-long research trip, the sight of the outfit made me feel quite nauseous. It conjured memories of feeling sticky while trying to sleep on planes and hauling my heavy suitcase on to trains while hot and exhausted. It was time to change it up. I swapped it for an oversized pair of pleat-front pants (still made from cotton), a well-worn, long-sleeve cotton T-shirt and a vintage men’s alpaca blazer.
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It got me thinking about the art of dressing for travel. After speaking to several fashion industry professionals about their long-haul attire, the consensus seems to be: loose silhouettes and layers made from natural fibres to help your body’s temperature regulate. Bonus points for pieces that are easy to use as a blanket or fold up into a pillow and for comfy shoes you can slip on and off.
‘Rummaging through your luggage isn’t very chic’
“I once flew from a summery 36C Athens into a comically cold and blustery 9C London,” says the Sydney stylist Thomas Townsend. “Rummaging through your luggage outside the airport as you wait for your car isn’t very chic – take it from me.”
Since then he’s started checking his destination temperature and picking footwear for when he lands too. If it’s a casual arrival he’ll wear a pair of Birkenstock clogs but, if he has a commute to his hotel or is heading straight to a meeting, he opts for leather loafers.
Planning aside, he thinks “people should have fun with their looks at the airport”. His preferred plane outfit is a pair of relaxed, grey cotton shorts with a matching boxy hoodie. “I wear this look with an oversized double-breasted woven blazer, a cap and a pair of black Wayfarer-style sunglasses,” he says. The oversized blazer comes in handy as a blanket during cold flights and can be scrunched into a makeshift pillow if needed.
‘I try to wear silk’
Jewellery designer Morgan Lang’s go-to plane outfit consists of a silk or cotton tee and a silk variation on sweatpants with an elastic waist and elastic ankles so they don’t drag when she uses the bathroom.
“I always try to wear silk when I travel,” she says. Silk has soothing properties against the skin and helps moderate temperature, making it a good option for time spent in dry environments.
Inside her shoes (the largest pair she’s bringing, to save on suitcase space) she wears thin socks. In case it’s a particularly cold flight, she brings a thicker pair that she can pull on over the top.
She finishes the look with a warmer layer like a cotton sweatshirt or a wool jumper. “Because you never really know the temperature of the plane, it’s all about layers,” she says.
Ever the forward planner, Lang always packs her hand luggage mindfully. “I’m always thinking, what if my bag didn’t arrive?” To avoid being stranded with nothing to wear, she travels with at least one look that’s suitable for meetings, and her workout clothes. “After a long flight my favourite thing to do is go for a run, explore the city and get my body moving again,” she says.
‘Never a jacket, never a belt’
When the Sydney-based photographer Ryan Cullen flies, he prioritises ease. “Never a jacket, never a belt, never an item that needs to be taken off and put through security,” he says.
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He opts for jeans, a crew-neck lightweight sweater in navy or black and soft-soled leather moccasins. “They’re essentially a leather sock,” he says of the shoes, “which is why I wear them religiously on flights. They’re so comfortable, even for the longest hauls.”
He takes arriving fresh at his destination seriously, “despite running the risk of being perceived as a little unhinged”. To achieve this, once he’s onboard he puts on a Humidiflyer mask (a personal humidifier designed for air travel that prevents you from breathing the dry plane air) and covers his entire face with a scarf. “Between this magic duo and the natural fibres I wear, I find my body maintains the perfect temperature”, he says.
‘If I bring too many things, something will get left’
Chloe Naughton likes to keep things simple when dressing for a flight. “Less is always more for me,” she says.
The Melbourne-based producer wears a “tried-and-tested uniform” of straight-leg, high-waisted cotton jeans with sneakers, a fine merino wool jumper and a scarf or throw. The woollen pieces are perfect for flights because they are “warm, compact, breathable and easily fit into changing temperatures,” she says.
Depending on the weather at her destination she will adjust her base layer: a singlet if she’s heading into heat or humidity, or a wool skivvy if the destination is cold.
After the heartbreak of leaving a coat on a flight a few years ago, she packs outerwear in her checked luggage. “When I head to London for Christmas this year, I’ll retrieve my winter coat once I’ve landed,” she says. “If I bring too many things with me, something will get left behind.”
