Look, absolutely no one is snapping paparazzi photos of me leaving the arrival terminal. It's not 1998, and I'm not a supermodel in Calvin Klein jeans who is rumored to be dating a British rocker. Aside from my own comfort levels and the fact that I try to look like I have my life together, the stakes for what to wear to the airport are incredibly low, but for me, travel outfits are like background music. Get it right and you don't even think about it. Get it wrong and it feels impossible to concentrate on anything else. Spending seven hours wishing you'd worn comfier pants is absolutely no one's idea of a good time.
Okay, back to those celebrity airport snaps. They're truly some of my favorite photos, and long may they serve as outfit inspiration for anyone who wants to keep it just a little bit cool when they're traveling. With a little of that casual '90s vibe in mind (minus the denim), here are my go-to airport outfits I wear on four of my most-taken flights, plus the "can't live without" things I always pack in my carry-on.
JFK to LAX
Departure City: New York
Arrival City: Los Angeles
Flight Duration: 6 hours, 5 minutes
For a daytime flight to the West Coast, I don't need to wear pajamas in disguise—just something that's comfy enough to sit in for six hours and that I can continue my day in when I land if I don't have a chance to change. Building a chill look around sporty trousers is perfect. It's very Rachel on Friends when she flies to London to crash Ross's wedding. These burgundy track pants are very on-trend, and they also come in a great navy blue.
MAD to PMI
Departure City: Madrid
Arrival City: Mallorca
Flight Duration: 1 hour, 25 minutes
I always want a carry-on tote that zips. Things spilling out in those security-screening bins or, worse, the overhead storage bin is really not ideal. I also want a bag to have a life beyond the airport, so the way this chic, vacation-coded Naghedi tote unexpectedly zips is perfection. I'll always have an emergency sweater in my bag, but a button-down shirt is sometimes enough of a layer for those short flights during the summer, like a quick hop from Madrid to Mallorca.
AKL to JFK
Departure City: Auckland
Arrival City: New York
Flight Duration: 16 hours, 15 minutes
There are now direct routes from New York to both Auckland and Sydney, which is a mammoth flight, but in my opinion, it's so much better than having to transfer. I make this trip a couple of times a year, and this is when I truly need pajamas in disguise, including a giant sweatshirt that's very '90s Julia Roberts coded. Cashmere tanks sound super-duper bougie, but they're such a great breathable layer for when the plane is somehow air-conditioned yet stuffy and hot. I'm also including two pairs of pants here because I love any excuse to change into or talk about my favorite Vuori sweatpants that are so soft I could cry.
JFK to CDG
Departure City: New York
Arrival City: Paris
Flight Duration: 7 hours, 25 minutes
It's such a cliché, but there are always a handful of people on my flights to Paris whose style truly makes me reconsider whether I have any right to work in fashion. I find I'll subconsciously lean into airport layers that are still cozy for the plane but a little more polished—like this ribbed cardigan with fancy buttons from H&M.
In My Carry-On
You might have noticed how that last carry-on bag breaks my own rule and doesn't zip closed, but my current love of a suede tote knows no bounds, and this one from Sézane really deserves to visit its motherland. The solution is to keep all your free-floating items in handy mesh pouches, and these are the ones I use whether my tote zips or not.
Never not swapping into socks and Birkenstocks once I'm on the plane.
Highly recommend a fresh pair of socks for when you land.
I always have a crossbody bag for strictly the essentials (passport, phone, pen, AirPods). Usually it's a fancier one that I don't want to risk having in my checked luggage just in case it gets lost. Once I'm on board, I pop it inside my tote so it doesn't get scuffed.
Sunglasses must be immediately accessible upon arrival.
For when my hair gets weird.
I always have a compact, seasonally appropriate change of clothes in my bag—this will absolutely save you if your luggage is delayed. Anything in a crinkle fabric is my favorite, as it won't be creased if you have somewhere to be and need to change in the airport bathroom.
On that note, if I'm heading somewhere with a pool, there will be an emergency swimsuit in there as well. If you arrive at the hotel to your room not being ready, there's nothing better than not having to dive into your giant suitcase to dig out what you need to get your vacation started.
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