If you’ve ever endured a long, tiresome flight, bus trip or train trip during your travels, you’ll understand how crucial it is to be comfortable. Delays, unexpected layovers, crazy climates, lengthy amounts of time before washing…it all accumulates to create a potentially miserable experience.
Don’t make it worse by wearing tight, itchy, scratchy clothes which make you feel hot, sweaty, restricted and generally frustrated.
Here’s our list of the best clothes to wear during traveling for ultimate comfort and versatility…
Stretchy waistbands and soft pants
Your favorite jeans may be comfortable, but not after hours and hours of traveling, lounging in airports and walking between accommodation and transport.
Choose pants which have stretchy waistbands, soft fabrics, and plenty of movement. Remember that with traveling often comes bloating and discomfort (plane food, airport junk food, alcohol, disrupted eating schedules). For this reason, you want a pant which accommodates discomfort and puffiness around the middle.
If you pair some stretchy lounge or yoga pants with a flattering sweater or t-shirt and some tidy shoes, you’ll look casual and relaxed yet not totally sloppy.
We love these yoga pants with a wide waistband and flared leg. They’re perfect for curling up on a bus, stretching your legs in an airport or simply wandering the sights on a lazy day. They’re also super affordable so you could take 2 pairs with you.
These lounge pants are further up the price scale but they’re made from 100% cashmere for the softest, most comfortable touch. Perfect for a long day of travel ahead of you.
Sweater dresses
Sweater dresses are great for travel because they can be worn alone or with stockings depending on the climate at the time. They look cool, but they’re completely cozy and casual too.
Look for a style which is slightly fitted but loose enough for total comfort and easy movement. We love this zip-up style as it can be worn as a dress or as a long-line sweater over casual pants and a top. And in a pinch you can use it as a blanket when you’re stuck in an airport or on a chilly train!
Light layers
Clothes which can be layered are the traveler’s best friend. Choose clothes which can be worn alone during hot days, or layered with a long-sleeved tee when the temperature drops.
One-piece clothes are great for this purpose as you can customize them to your needs. For example, this 100% cotton overall can be worn over a tank during hot, Summer days, or layered over a fitted thermal sweater for chillier times. It’s stylish and cool, but practical, loose and comfortable too.
Cosy sweaters
One absolutely crucial clothing item to take traveling is a cozy sweater you can pull on and snuggle into.
A quality fabric such as cashmere will shroud you in softness and warmth, providing much-needed comfort during long days.
This cashmere sweater is ideal as it drapes loosely over the body (bloating friendly!), it goes with everything, and it’s made from high-quality 100% cashmere. As the model shows, it actually looks pretty sophisticated so you could get away with wearing it out to a nice dinner as well as mooching around in it at the hotel or on the train.
Breezy linen
When traveling in warmer climates, linen is a great fabric choice. It’s soft, breathable and looks great when crinkled (no need to stress about finding an iron!).
We adore this soft, pre-washed linen shirt in a relaxed fit with button-down front. A shirt like this can be worn closed, or open over a tank top to protect the arms and shoulders from the sun. It’s also a great option for traveling in countries where the culture requires skin to be covered.
Linen is easy to hand wash and becomes softer with each wear.
Scarves
Scarves are a great travel accessory because they’re so versatile. When you don’t need to wear it you can simply tie it to your pack without having to take up room inside your luggage.
You can bundle it up and use as a head support on a bus, or wrap it around your shoulders during chilly walks.
Scarves can be a great way to add a little color and personal style to your travel look too. We love this affordable cashmere scarf with beautiful color choices (‘Cherry Burgundy’ is gorgeous!).
Comfy shoes you can walk in
Shoes are so important when traveling. If you’re walking a lot you need shoes which are soft yet supportive. Blisters and chafed, sore feet are the bane of the traveler’s life (speaking from experience!).
For lots of plane travel you need shoes which accommodate swelling feet and keep you warm in that cool, drying aeroplane air. A mixture of style and practicality is the golden rule.
We love these walking shoes as they simply slip onto the foot, expand and contract with swelling feet, and come in a wide range of cool colors. They’re incredibly affordable and will give your feet enough support when strolling and traveling.
Summary
When packing clothing for your travels, ask yourself:
- Will I definitely wear this?
- Is it comfortable?
- Do I feel good in it?
- Does it have a forgiving fit?
- Is it easy to wash and maintain?
- Can it be layered?
- Is it breathable?
- Can it go from casual to more sophisticated i.e. day to night?
- Is it durable? (i.e. won’t pill or stain easily)
- Can it be stored easily in my luggage?
- Can it be worn in a variety of climates?
- Will I feel comfortable in this if I’m stuck in a layover or long commute?
- Is it culturally appropriate for my destination?
- Does it reflect my style? (you’re still you when traveling!)
If you follow this guideline and pack a range of soft, comfy, versatile and layerable clothes you’ll be traveling in comfort and style. Now go and have your adventure!
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