What to Wear on a Long Flight
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Loose, layered, natural fibres, and shoes you can get back on at the end. A cabin is dry, cold at altitude and warm on the ground, and you will be in one position for hours, so anything fitted at the waist or ankle becomes the whole flight.
The useful frame is that you are dressing for four different temperatures in one outfit, not for the airport.
Start with a loose base layer
Cotton or another natural fibre against the skin. Cabin air runs very dry, and a fabric that absorbs moisture rather than holding it on the surface is the difference between arriving fresh and arriving clammy.
Loose matters as much as the fibre. Waistbands that grip become uncomfortable somewhere over the third hour, and swelling in the feet and ankles on long flights is normal and worth dressing around. A wide leg cotton pant and a soft camisole is close to ideal, which is why so many people quietly travel in sleepwear. Our cotton sets are cut for exactly that combination, though any loose natural fibre works.
Layer in three pieces
- Base. Camisole or soft t-shirt, loose.
- Mid. A cardigan or crew you can push up or take off without standing.
- Outer. Something oversized that doubles as a blanket. Cabin blankets are thin and not always there.
Three lets you handle the boarding heat, the cruise chill and the arrival humidity without opening the overhead locker.
Feet and shoes
- Slip-ons, a size of comfort up. Feet swell. Laces you tied in the morning will not do up again.
- Proper socks in your bag. Change into them once you are settled and put shoes back on to walk about.
- Never barefoot. Not to the toilet, not anywhere.
What to avoid
- Anything with a rigid waistband. Denim especially.
- Full polyester. It holds warmth and moisture against the skin, and a dry cabin makes that worse rather than better.
- New shoes. A long flight is the worst possible place to break them in.
- Complicated layers. If it needs a mirror to put back on, it stays off.
- Heavy jewellery. It comes off at security and gets lost in a seat pocket.
In the carry on
One clean set of the same base layer. Changing in the last hour before landing does more for how you feel than anything else you can pack, and it costs almost no space if it is a cotton camisole and pants.
Add lip balm, hand cream and a proper water bottle to fill after security. Cabin air is drier than most deserts and all three get used.
Common questions
What should a woman wear on a long flight?
Loose layers in natural fibres, with slip-on shoes. A soft camisole, a wide leg cotton pant, a cardigan you can remove sitting down, and something oversized on top that works as a blanket. Avoid rigid waistbands and full polyester, both of which get uncomfortable across a long flight.
Can you wear pajamas on a plane?
Yes, and a great many people effectively do. A cotton camisole and wide leg pants read as loungewear rather than sleepwear, especially in plain colours, and they are cut for exactly the loose, breathable comfort a long flight calls for.
What fabric is best for flying?
Cotton, linen or another natural fibre next to the skin. Cabin air is very dry, and natural fibres absorb moisture rather than leaving it on the surface. Polyester traps warmth and moisture close, which is uncomfortable over many hours.
Should I bring a change of clothes for a long flight?
One clean base layer is worth the space. Changing in the last hour before landing makes a bigger difference to how you feel on arrival than almost anything else, and a cotton camisole and pants pack down to very little.
What shoes should you wear on a long flight?
Slip-ons with a little extra room, because feet swell at altitude. Bring socks to change into once seated, and put shoes back on to walk around the cabin rather than going barefoot.
More: loungewear versus pajamas, cotton versus polyester for sleepwear, and cotton pajamas for hot sleepers.