What NOT to Wear to the Airport in 2025 (or on the plane!)

After over 300 flights, I've perfected the exact travel outfit formula that gets you through security smoothly and then keeps you comfortable on a long flight. Today I'm sharing the exact outfit that I'll be wearing on an upcoming flight to Europe as well as some other great options for both men and women. Before I dive into exactly what I'm wearing, it's good to know that there are three core principles to any travel outfit. Layers, Comfort, Function. Layers are key since planes are very hot and very cold at predictable phases of the flight and layers are going to give you the option to adapt. Comfort is essential both in how comfortable you feel in your clothing and how comfortable your clothes actually feel on your body. You need to be confident enough to navigate a crowded airport but also physically comfortable enough to sit for hours on the plane. And function means that it has the right pockets, is in a stain hiding color, and it has other useful features that you might want. Keep these three things in mind when putting together your outfit which starts at the foundational level, your base layer. Your base layer needs to work alone since you'll be removing outer layers at the security checkpoint and possibly during boarding when the plane cabin temperature can be uncomfortably hot. This base layer could be a tank top, a camisole, or a t-shirt. Just make sure that it's something you'd be comfortable wearing on a packed full flight or while standing at a busy security screening checkpoint. For my upcoming summer flight to Switzerland, I'm wearing this unbound merino high neck slim t-shirt in moonlight blue. In the winter, I'd also layer a tank top underneath it for extra warmth but because I'm traveling in the summer, this t-shirt works perfectly. Merino wool is my go-to because it's odor resistant, wrinkle resistant, and also super comfortable. But it's definitely not cheap so some other great fabric options would be polyester or cotton. I always choose a high neck or a crew neck style so I don't ever feel exposed if I'm bending over to remove my shoes at the security checkpoint or doing something like finding an awkward sleeping position on the plane. While I love wearing light colors in my day to day, I will always opt for dark colors when it comes to a travel outfit due to the inevitable spills and stains that do come along with a flight. For a flight, my partner will also wear a merino wool t-shirt either by itself or with a simple undershirt underneath if it's going to be a particularly long flight or if we're traveling in the winter. So the same rules are going to apply for both men and women. Layers, comfort, and function. Next, you'll add a sweater which is going to be your primary temperature control tool. It's always a good idea to pick a zip-up jacket over a pullover jacket. Trust me on this one, when I say that it is so much easier when you get too warm to unzip a jacket than it is to wrestle with something that you are pulling over your head on a crowded flight. For colors, I'll try to stick to dark neutrals like navy, charcoal, or black since they won't reflect back at you on the seatback entertainment screens on the plane the same way that if you're wearing a light color it would reflect back at you and make it difficult to see whatever the heck is on the screen. For my Switzerland trip, I'm wearing this navy blue merino wool zip-up. It's dark enough to hide any spills, soft enough for all-day comfort, and it packs down small if I do need to pack it away if I get too worn. My partner follows the same principles. He's got a merino wool zip-up in navy and just like with your base layer, polyester and cotton are also going to be great budget-friendly fabric choices if you're not interested in purchasing any merino wool. My other go-to would be the Chloe Glow Hoodie by ScottyVest. This has a ton of internal and external pockets which are super helpful on a flight since you can secure your valuables with zippers and there's special pockets that are designated for your passport, phone, wallet, and other things that you might be traveling with. The key is that your base layer and your sweater need to work together as a system. You should feel comfortable wearing just your base layer, comfortable wearing both layers together, and then also be able to easily transition between the two as conditions change. Let us know down in the video comments where you will be flying next. My next flight is to Switzerland and then I know that I'm going to a destination wedding in France but the rest of the trip is still a surprise for me. My partner is planning it so I guess we will both have to wait and see. My outer layer is almost always going to be a rain shell regardless of the season that I'm traveling in. For this trip, I'm wearing this Columbia rain jacket shell because it's incredibly lightweight and packs down easily to fit within my personal item bag. In the middle of a long flight, it typically gets really cold and this type of shell on top of your base layer and on top of your sweater serves so many functions from instant privacy when you want to zone out from other passengers on the flight as well as just extra warmth around your head and your neck if it does get cold. A lightweight loose shell jacket like this also ends up being the perfect hiding place for a cross-body bag which we will touch on later. When choosing a jacket, it's important to look for one with both interior and exterior pockets especially if the layers below it do not have any zippered pockets. For the color, I like to stick to dark neutrals for all the same reasons that I've already mentioned with the base layer and the sweater. Now that we have your upper body sorted with layers that are going to work together, it's time to focus on your bottom half. It feels a little strange to say that but we will keep it PG. Ollie is only four. Let's start from the ground and this is where function meets health. For any flight over two hours, I will always wear compression socks. They help prevent swelling, reduce fatigue and most importantly, they reduce your risk of blood clots during long periods of sitting. On top of the compression socks, since they are usually quite thin, I layer merino wool socks. Merino wool socks will help keep your feet warm when the cabin does get cold and they're going to naturally resist odors even on long travel days. These socks have been a great investment but they aren't cheap so honestly, any comfortable pair of warm socks over your compression socks is going to do. And even if you don't go for merino wool socks or compression socks, just please wear socks. Going to the airport in sandals is a bad idea since you will be walking barefoot through the security checkpoint after you're asked to take your shoes off and then potentially barefoot on the plane if you do take your shoes off which is actually against airline policies depending on who you are flying with. Your very bottom base layer, also known as your underwear, should also be soft and comfortable. I will let you choose your own adventure with this one but I do have two tips that I swear by. One is that you should change your underwear to a fresh pair right before leaving for the airport as opposed to just wearing whatever the heck you slept in. Two is to consider wearing a panty liner especially if you have a long travel day or multiple connecting flights. Without having to fully change your clothes, you can dispose of it midway through your trip and it's going to help you feel a little bit more fresh. Next is an optional layer that many people don't think about which would be leggings for women or long johns for men underneath your main pair of pants. Planes get cold. If you're someone who gets cold easily, especially in your legs, I'd recommend this even for a summer flight if it's over four hours. I fly from Canada to Asia at least once every year and that ends up taking about two 12-hour flights and even though it is so hot in Thailand, when I land the flight getting you there when it's a long flight is so cold. Planes get so cold so do layer up if you have a long flight. For your main pants that are the outer layer of your bottoms, there are three non-negotiables. Loose waistband, zippered pockets and cuffed bottoms. The loose waistband is crucial for comfort. You'll likely be sitting for hours, possibly eating airplane food or airplane meals that are loaded with sodium and the last thing you're going to want on a flight is a tight waistband cutting into you. Zippered pockets are essential for function as regular pockets can't secure your belongings when you're constantly sitting, standing and moving through the airport. Zippered pockets are going to keep everything safe and in their place especially when you're loading bins at security or trying to get comfortable on the plane. Cuffed bottoms can help prevent any safety issues since wide leg or flowing pants can get caught in escalators, snagged on conveyor belts at security or just drag across the gross airport and airplane floors. Fitted ankles are going to help keep you safe and also help keep your clothes clean. For my Switzerland trip, both my partner and I are wearing the same style of dark colored joggers with all three features, elastic waist, zippered pockets and fitted ankles. Your shoes might be the most important part of your entire travel outfit because they need to handle more challenges than any other piece of clothing that you're wearing. They need to work for long walking distances through the airport, standing in security lines, being taken on and off multiple times and also keep your feet comfortable while you're sitting on the plane for hours. It's also a good idea to pick a pair of shoes that can do double duty on your vacation as well. So for flights, I'll normally wear my Brooks Ghost 15 but for this flight to Europe where I'm traveling with just a carry-on, I will end up wearing the Adidas court shoes since I can wear them during the trip in Europe with different things like dresses and they don't look out of place. And no, white is not going to be the ideal color for plane outfit optimization but I love these and I'm sticking with them. Honestly, any comfortable pair of walking or running shoes that are not too difficult to take off but also stay on your feet and are snug enough that they're not falling off are going to do. Now that we've covered the essentials from head to toe, let's talk about the accessories and the tools that can make or break your travel day outfit. For hair accessories, swap out any metal clips or claw clips for soft scrunchies. Metal clips are uncomfortable against airplane headrests and claw clips can actually be painful when you're trying to lean back and relax. I personally keep my hair in a long loose ponytail or a low braid when it's long enough since a braid maintains better than a messy ponytail. If I have a long flight or I'm traveling during colder months, I'm also going to wear a toque style hat on the plane. This can also double as an eye mask if you pull it down. This one might come as a surprise but a non-negotiable for me for any flight is going to be sunscreen and sunglasses. You're exposed to significant UV rays through those large airport windows and plane windows at higher altitudes during the flight. This exposure increases your risk of sun damage and skin cancer especially if you happen to be as pale white as I am. Thanks mom. I also bring sunglasses because window shades need to be open for landing and going from the dim cabin lights to a full blast of sun on landing can be painful on your eyes and then if you normally wear contacts consider switching to glasses for long or overnight flights. The dry cabin air is going to make contacts incredibly uncomfortable and if you are planning to sleep glasses are going to be much more practical. Plus you don't have to worry about losing a contact or dealing with contact solution in your liquids bag when you go through airport security. One accessory that I love to add to my airplane outfit would be a cross-body sling bag or a fanny pack. If you can be discreet with it under your jacket shell outer layer it's fantastic for keeping essentials close to you during the flight and while you're traveling at your destination. Just don't wear it over your jacket or you're going to risk having it count as your personal item bag allowance and you might get into trouble as you try to board the flight if you also have a backpack and a carry-on suitcase. Usually there is a two-item limit on economy flights that include a carry-on so you could have your sling and a suitcase or your sling and a backpack or your backpack and a suitcase but you typically can't have all three. I have this one from Nomad Lane and I love it because it's small enough to tuck under a jacket but big enough to hold my phone, passport, wallet and a few other essentials which is perfect for a day trip. It's also great if you want to get up and use the washroom on a flight without taking your entire personal item bag. Let's talk about what not to wear because avoiding these mistakes is just as important as getting the right pieces. First, absolutely avoid jumpsuits and rompers. They might look cute and effortless but they're going to make using the bathroom absolutely impossible. No one likes to be sitting half naked in an airport or an airplane bathroom stall because they decided to wear a one-piece and it's kind of like a whole challenge if you want to use the bathroom. Avoid regular jeans and if you must wear jeans I personally opt for stretchy jeans like the Traditional jeans on the other hand are restrictive, uncomfortable and the waistband is likely going to cut into you after hours of sitting on the flight. Anything that is white or any light color especially for pants is just asking for trouble or embarrassment. You will spill something, coffee, food, something else or you'll sit on something that someone else spilled and ladies let's talk about what's happening underneath your clothes. No tight compression workout bras, tight regular bras or those with underwire that become torture devices at 35,000 feet. Just wear something that you're comfortable in or even a light sports bra that doesn't compress too much. These are all safe choices for getting through airport security and also being comfortable on the flight. Avoid any controversial or political clothing that could cause unwanted attention and eliminate anything that you have not worn for an extended period of time and actually tested. The ultimate goal with your travel outfit is to eliminate any uncertainty. There is already enough of that when you fly. I travel a lot and I have invested in some pretty pricey pieces from merino world to quality bags which have been 100% worth it for me but you do not need them. Not at all. These are things that I've accumulated over the years and they are absolutely not necessary. It's completely okay if you don't have the budget or if you simply do not want to spend so much money on travel gear if travel is not a regular part of your life. You can pull together a great travel outfit by using the principles in this video of layering, comfort and function with things that you already have at home. Let me show you how all of this comes together in the complete travel outfit that's going to get me comfortably from here to Switzerland. You can use this as a guide to see every layer that you'll need and then you can use pieces that you already have at home to create your own perfect travel outfit. Here's the complete system. Compression socks with merino wool socks on top, a low compression sports bra, my unbound merino high neck t-shirt in moonlight blue as my base layer, the navy merino wool zip-up sweater and the columbia rain jacket shell on top. This will also be paired with a fresh pair of underwear and possibly even a panty liner. I'll probably end up skipping the leggings underneath my pants for this trip and go straight for the joggers with the elastic waistband and zippered pockets as well as either my brooks ghost 15 running shoes or my adidas court shoes. And while there might be some variation in the exact pieces that you use, it's going to be essentially the same outfit for both men and women. My partner's outfit is going to follow the exact same layers of compression socks, merino wool socks, merino wool base layer, zip-up sweater, rain shell, joggers with elastic waist and secure pockets, as well as a versatile pair of walking or running shoes. It's essentially the exact same system for both men and women. The most important thing is choosing layers of clothing that you don't have to think too much about, that you feel comfortable in, and that you've worn before for long periods of time and thoroughly tested. I'll put a video on the screen now as well as link it for you in the description where I go through my top tips for any long flight from secret hacks to tried and tested comfort strategies that you will definitely want to know about before your next flight in economy. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to join Oli and I back here for more travel tips and hacks each week and I will see you in that next video soon. Bye!