Looking for the perfect travel outfit for a long haul plane trip? Just as important as what to wear is what not to wear.
This post is all about the 7 items you absolutely must not wear on a plane travel day!
We’ll discuss these items you should not wear, and what to wear instead:
- Open Toed Shoes
- Boots
- Jumpers and Rompers
- Flowy pants
- Body Suits & Onesies
- Belts
- Tight Leggings
Open Toed Shoes
You might think that sandals, Birkenstocks, and other open toed shoes seem like a good summer travel outfit idea.
But the problem is that you run the risk of getting your toes trampled by people, suitcases, and carts. And If you’re anything like me, you will stub your toe a hundred times in the airport and airplane (I swear, I could stub my toe on thin air!) So, go for close toed shoes instead.
While we’re on the topic, if you’re heading to Europe, you’re going to need a pair of excellent sneakers with good arch support anyway. Wear THOSE on your plane ride instead of your sandals to save room in your luggage!
That’s a win-win travel hack & travel outfit idea for Europe.
Here are my current favorite travel sneakers for Europe. I’ve worn them to death, and would repurchase if they ever finally poop out on me (but they haven’t, yet).
Boots
This item should be a good idea … like I said above, wearing them would protect your feet on the plane and you save room in your luggage. However, boots are a big DON’T.
Even if you have Clear or TSA PreCheck, you will STILL be asked to take your shoes off if you’re wearing heavy boots or even booties with a chunky heel.
That’s because most boots have zippers, buttons, snaps, or some metal in the heel which throw off the detectors. Save yourself the hassle, and don’t make boots part of your travel outfit.
Also, boots typically don’t have a lot of stretch in the actual foot area. This is a big problem for long haul flights because your feet will almost always swell. This is partly due to saltiness of plane food, but also simply because of your hours spent in a sitting position.
You will be much comfier in a shoe that has adjustable laces to accommodate a bit of swelling on the plane. Again, I can’t recommend this pair highly enough.
Jumpers & Rompers
Outfits like these look cute, and often are very cozy. However, you will likely need to use the bathroom multiple times on a long haul flight, and this is simply not a practical plane travel outfit.
First of all, you won’t want to get naked every time you need the bathroom.
Secondly, when you take that outfit down to use the restroom, it is very likely to drag on the airplane bathroom floor. And that’s … not a clean place.
If you love the matching, cozy look of a jumper or romper, but want something more practical, look into this matching set or this cozy set instead!
Flowy Pants:
Pants like these are great in theory … cute, cozy, plenty of room for sitting comfortably on a plane.
Unfortunately though, when you use the restroom at the airport or on the plane, the pant legs will drag on the bathroom floor.
I just want to be clear, bathroom floors are nasty in general, but especially on long haul flights when the crew simply can’t be expected to clean those floors regularly.
If you want pants that are super comfy, but snatch at the ankle and stay clean, look for something like this!
Body Suits & Onesies
As of writing this blog, onesie workout outfits are all the rage. They make you look great, but again, you’ll have to get virtually naked just to use the bathroom.
So, they are not a wise travel outfit idea for plane travel. I also want to include an often overlooked issue … items like bodysuits will give you a major wedgie on a plane, and that is not what you want.
Don’t make long haul flights even more uncomfortable than necessary, just wear separates!
Belts
Actually, you could extend this category to include items of clothing with chains and hardware in general.
Again, even if you have TSA PreCheck, you will be asked to remove these items. It complicates your experience going through security, and why make long haul travel harder than it needs to be?
If you have any pants or jeans that require a belt, just pack those and wear something with an elastic waist or a drawstring instead.
Tight Leggings
You know how uncomfortable leggings can be when you’re bloated or full.
Both of those scenarios are likely to happen at some point during your long haul travel day. Also, they can make the swelling of your feet worse by restricting normal blood flow.
If that cool athleisure look is what you’re going for, try these really cute joggers instead!
This post was all about the 7 items you absolutely must not wear as part of your plane travel outfit.
As you’re planning your next long haul flight, make sure to check out our 7 Must-Know Jet Lag Tips!
