What do you wear when you travel?

This question occurred to me whilst waiting for a delayed flight in the international arrivals hall the other day. There was such an array of different outfits on display, it was a bit of a challenge trying to work out where they had arrived from.  

Bearing in mind it was 7.30am and around zero degrees celsius outside it made me chuckle to myself to see a guy dressed for the beach in board shorts, tee shirt and flip flops. Clearly he had come from somewhere hot but it gets cold on those aircraft! I only hope he was going to change into more appropriate clothes in the washrooms or someone was picking him up! Or maybe he just didn't feel the cold!

Whatever the reason, I thought I'd put some travel tips together from my personal 'rule' book .. but there are no real rules and what you do is up to you - it's really about personal preference.

I like to be comfortable and still look relatively stylish - no need for standards to slip just because you're going to be confined to a seat for a few hours. (And you never know when that upgrade will come!)

These are things I avoid - tight clothing and high heels - you can always change before you land if you want to do the glam thing, and God forbid if something goes wrong and you have to go down a slide, you'll have to leave behind those heels! If I'm flying somewhere hot from a cold climate, I usually take sandals or flip flops in my carry on and wear stretch trousers/leggings and layers (e.g. tee shirt, sweatshirt, jacket all in natural fibres) which can be peeled off and stashed away. Remember too that going through security these days means that shoes may have to be taken off so simple slip-on shoes are a good bet, and be aware that it can get quite cold in the cabin too.

Take as little as you have to on board. A carry-on case will sit in the overhead locker but your hand bag/briefcase goes under the seat. If it's a large one it will limit your leg room and foot space so bear that in mind. I notice that people tend to take far too much on board. I take my kindle, ipad and noise cancelling headphones out of my carry-on bag and then stash them in the seat pocket during the flight. I always have a pashmina scarf with me which doubles up as blanket and folds away nicely when you don't need it. I have a memory foam neck pillow as well which I only bring out when I intend to try and sleep. I find it better than the ones filled with polystyrene beads as it can be molded and folded to suit. An eye mask is a good bet too to block out light if it bothers you.

In my hand bag I have my favorite Kiehl's lip balm, hand sanitiser, hand cream, toothpicks and mints and a few make up items to freshen up with prior to landing. (Remember to keep liquids and gels under 100ml)

Fill in your landing card when you get a moment on the flight. I always see people struggling to write whilst waiting in the line at immigration. Nothing wrong with that, but take the stress out of your experience by being prepared. 


Another thing to avoid is perfume as this can be irritating to other passengers. More than once I have had an allergic reaction to someone spraying an overpowering scent into the air. And not everyone will like your taste either!

One of the best ever travel wallets I have come across is the Bellroy wallet. It keeps everything you need including your passport to hand. It really is amazing how much you can put in it. It's the best investment I've made! 

I hope some of these tips have helped .. I'm looking forward to my next holiday and long haul flight in just 2 weeks time and I can't wait! 

Happy travels!

http://www.wikihow.com/Look-Good-when-Traveling