What To Wear At The Airport

For as long as I can remember, I have always liked going to the airport. To be in the one place that could literally launch you around the globe is an exciting feeling. Before I graduated high school, my usual destinations were mostly confined to the continental West Coast…places like Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Anchorage (aka places I could actually afford to go to.) Some exceptions included Honolulu, Washington D.C., and Wichita. I was based in Seattle during my K-12 years at the time, and I would travel to visit family about 2 to 3 times per year.

 

Every time I would approach the airport departures section, I would read off the list of airlines and fantasize about going somewhere even more exciting. Air Tahiti, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa. Oh, the places I could go! I imagined at the time that the places these airlines could take me would be impossible for me to ever reach, costing thousands of dollars which would take me years to save up with my high-school minimum wage job at Taco Time, or my frequent babysitting shifts. Well, it was nice to dream right? Years later, I have thankfully discovered the secrets of finding a great deal on flights and accommodations (which I will cover at a later time.) As I got older and started going to destinations further and further away, my expertise in dressing for the airport has gotten stronger.

 

Here are some things to remember when choosing how to dress for your flight:

 

• Comfort is key! You may be on a 2.5 hour flight from Ontario to Seattle or an 8 hour flight from Portland to Tokyo. You want to feel relaxed, right? If you have never been on a flight, think of it this way. How would you dress to go see a Harry Potter or a Lord of the Rings movie? (At an older movie theater where the seats and foot rests don’t recline all the way back, to be more specific.) Common sense will tell you that because the movies are long, you’ll be sitting for a while. Tight jeans and skimpy clothes just won’t do so wear something you can easily slouch in.

 

• Dress like someone left the window open, a window that is impossible to close for several hours. The airport itself is usually at a moderately acceptable temperature, but things change once you get on that plane. In my experience, there is always a draft, and it always seems to find me! Either the person next to me insists on putting the air conditioner on full blast, or the lingering stream of freezing air that seeps out the plane window somehow finds it way towards my bare skin. Now, this is partially my fault because I love me a good window seat. So a good rule of thumb is to cover up from head to toe. You don’t need to wear a parka, but at least cover up exposed skin. For you, this could mean a cardigan, a jacket with a hood, a turtleneck (thick or thin), and long pants. And always, ALWAYS, wear socks. You need to wear socks not only for the plane ride, but also when you are going through security as you will generally always have to remove your shoes. Do you really want to walk with your bare feet on carpet that (probably) a million different people have walked on? I think not.

 

• Make security as painless as possible. Unless you have a private jet, this is a process we all have to go through. If you are unfamiliar with this, after you get your printed plane ticket at the front desk, you will be ushered through airport security. This means a long line, with impatient travelers worried they are going to miss their flight, while a loud TSA agent repeatedly shouts instructions at you. Instructions like: “REMOVE YOUR SHOES!” “TAKE OFF ALL BELTS AND METAL JEWELRY!” “REMOVE ALL LAPTOPS AND ELECTRONICS FROM YOUR BAG!” “DUMP ALL LIQUIDS!” I will cover what to pack in your carry-on in a later post, but to make things easier on everyone, do not wear pants that require a belt. Opt for leggings or sweatpants instead if you normally wear a belt. And keep the jewelry in your carry-on, or skip it altogether. I always aim to wear an outfit where there are only two things I need to remove from my body; my shoes and my jacket. Speaking of shoes, wear shoes that you can easily slip on and off. I would ditch the gladiator sandals and the heels.

 

• Dress to comfortably-impress. You could read my above advice and translate that into wearing onesie pajamas, a Snuggie, and comfy bunny-eared slippers. And I’m sure you will be very comfy! There’s nothing wrong with that. But it good to dress a little more professional than that. After all, you never know who you may meet or run into while traveling. Especially if you’re single! 😜In addition to that, when wearing all those layers your destination may have a warm climate, which will immediately make you uncomfortable as soon as you walk out of that plane. When you land, you might have plans to go out to eat/drink, head to a meeting, or something completely spontaneous. When it doubt, opt for a mixture of the colors black and gray, with a layer to take on/off if needed. Gray is always my favorite color to wear, traveling or not. Wearing a neutral palate will work almost anywhere in the world, and you’re less likely to feel like you stand out in a negative way. As you spend time in your destination, you will get a true sense of the style trends as you people-watch and explore your surroundings during your trip.

 

Remember, when traveling keep it as painless as possible. Keep in mind your comfort but don’t throw all the rules of fashion out the window.

 

Happy Traveling!

 

Helpful Links: www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening