The One Item I Stopped Wearing When I Travel

I just came off a five-hour flight yesterday, so my travel wardrobe has undoubtedly been at top of mind in recent days. In all honesty, comfort has not always been my priority when traveling, and it still isn't. I oftentimes place greater importance on what I need to be wearing upon arrival than what makes the most sense for the actual journey there. But I have recently made progress in choosing airport outfits that are suitable for my destination but won't leave me cursing my unfortunate wardrobe decision for the duration of the flight. Which brings me to the worst thing to wear for travel.

After learning the hard way one too many times, I finally decided to make a concerted effort to reform my travel wardrobe. And the first thing I ditched was one of the things I wear the most in life: high-waisted 100% cotton jeans. The no-stretch style is a favorite of mine for its vintage appeal and flattering fit. But when you're sitting upright in a confined space for hours on end and can barely bend over in them to pull your suitcase off the baggage claim conveyor belt, let alone reach down to quickly remove your shoes when going through security, it's quite apparent that they're the worst denim style to wear on a flight.

But all of this isn't to say that I've stopped wearing jeans on flights entirely. In fact, nine times out of 10, you'll find me in them when I travel. But it's the type of jeans I now opt for that's changed. I'll even still wear high-waisted styles, but only if they have some stretch in them. Trust me—even just 1% or 2% makes all the difference in the world. So if you want to learn from my unfortunate mistake(s) and stick to jeans that are comfortable enough to travel in, keep scrolling to check out three of my go-to travel outfits and shop stretchy, comfortable jeans that won't do you wrong.

Pictured Above: Frame T-shirt; Zara jacket; Nike sneakers; Frame jeans

Pictured Above: Madewell jacket; Frame jeans; Stuart Weitzman slides; Coach T-shirt

Pictured Above: Comme des Garçons hoodie; Frame jeans; Gucci loafers; H&M hat

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This post was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.