What to Wear on a Long Flight: A Comfortable Outfit, Head to Toe
For a long flight, wear soft, stretchy clothes with no tight waistband, easy slip-on shoes, and one layer you can take off. You'll sit for many hours in a narrow seat, walk through security with your shoes off, and step off the plane into a different climate. The best outfit handles all three without a second thought.
Start with the waistband
This is the part that bothers people most after a few hours. Stiff jeans and belts that feel fine when you're standing dig in when you sit for eight hours.
- Joggers, track pants or soft chinos with stretch are the easy choice. A drawstring or elastic waist lets you loosen it as the flight goes on.
- Skip the belt. It's one less thing at security and one less thing pressing on your stomach.
- Dark colours hide coffee spills and the grubby armrest.
If you need to look smart on arrival, stretchy dark chinos pass for office trousers and still feel like joggers.
Pick a soft top that breathes
Wear a cotton or merino T-shirt or long-sleeve top next to your skin. Both stay comfortable for a long time. Avoid scratchy wool or stiff collars against your neck; you'll be leaning your head on them for hours.
Then add one layer you can take on and off, like a zip hoodie or light sweater. Cabins change temperature a lot on a long flight. Our guide on how to stay warm on a plane covers layering for cold cabins in detail.
Choose pockets that zip
A long flight means a boarding pass, phone, passport and earbuds in and out of your pockets for hours. Zip or button pockets keep them from sliding into the seat cushion. A hoodie with a zip chest pocket or trousers with one zip pocket is enough.
Shoes: slip-ons with a little room
- Slip-on shoes come off and on fast at security and when you want to rest your feet.
- Go a little loose. Many people find their shoes feel tighter after hours of sitting. Laces you can loosen, or a slip-on with some give, helps.
- Pack warm socks for when your shoes come off. Some travellers like snug flight socks; see the best compression socks for flying if you want a pair.
Keep it simple for security
Pockets empty into a tray, so the less metal the better. No belt, no big buckles, no chunky jewellery, and a watch you can slip off fast. A jacket with lots of zips and snaps can be slow to clear, so keep that kind of jacket in your bag until you're through.
Bring a blanket instead of a bulky coat
A heavy coat is too hot in the terminal and too big for under the seat. If you only need it at your destination, pack it or wear it to the gate and stow it overhead. For the flight itself, a travel blanket does the job better: it covers you from shoulders to feet and you can tuck it around you while you sleep. See the best travel blankets for airplanes for ones that pack small.
Dress for where you land
Check the weather at your destination before you choose. Landing somewhere cold at 6 a.m. means a warm layer in your personal item, not in the checked bag. Landing somewhere hot means a T-shirt underneath your layers, so you can peel down in the taxi line.
Pack a small change kit
On a really long flight, a fresh start before landing helps a lot. In your personal item, pack:
- A spare T-shirt and underwear
- A toothbrush and small toothpaste (in your liquids bag)
- Face wipes and lip balm, since cabin air is dry
- Glasses, if you wear contact lenses; many people swap to glasses for a long flight because of the dry air
The outfit, in one list
- Stretchy joggers or soft chinos, no belt
- Cotton or merino top
- A zip hoodie or light sweater
- Slip-on shoes with a little room
- Warm socks for when the shoes come off
- A travel blanket instead of a heavy coat
- A small change kit in your personal item
The bottom line: soft, loose and easy to take off
Dress for sitting, not for the photo at the gate. A soft waistband, a breathable top, one easy layer and slip-on shoes make a long flight a lot easier, and a travel blanket covers the rest.