After visiting 26 countries outside of the U.S. and 38 states within the U.S., I’ve learned a bit about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to travel outfits. And I don’t mean EVERY article of clothing I pack in my suitcase. I mean the ones I wear on travel days—on the plane or in the car on a long road trip.
See my favorite luggage and travel essentials that make packing easier.
Of course, my criteria may be different than yours, so let’s start there.
Travel Outfit Preferences
For me, the best travel outfit needs to check two main boxes.
1. Comfort
In the comfort category, these are questions I tend to consider.
- Will I feel comfortable sitting in these clothes for hours?
- Do I want to wear something looser or more compressive?
- Will I be too cold if I wear this? Do I need layers?
- Could it get warm? Is the material moisture-wicking?
- Does this fabric feel itchy or annoying in any way?
Performance wear fabrics that offer versatility tend to be my go-tos.
2. Style
I will never be that person who looks like I’m wearing pajamas at the airport. Nope.
While I prefer a casual travel outfit, I also want to look presentable. I’m not trying to win a best-dressed at the airport award, but I do wanna look cute.
One of my go-to looks is a combination of wide leg athleisure pants, a basic ribbed tank, and a denim jacket or zip-up track jacket. Sometimes, to save room in my luggage, my extra layer is a blazer or bulky sweater. I’ll even consider stretchy jeans if the flight or car ride is on the short side.
But, more often than not, I stick to fashion-forward activewear and elevated basics that make me feel put together.
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Top Travel-Friendly Activewear Brands
Vuori
Vuori is a brand that fits my style but not my typical budget. Still, the Vuori items I own are high quality and worth the splurge, in my opinion. While I’d gladly take one of everything, the Villa and Halo collections are my favorites.
My Top Vuori Recommendations
Target All in Motion and JoyLab
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worn Target activewear brands on trips. From wide leg pants and comfy sports bras to built-in bra tanks and long sleeve tops, All in Motion is a must for affordable AND fashionable travel basics that you’ll reach for every time you travel.
I also have a few tried-and-true JoyLab tops that function well as athleisure and everyday wear.
My Top Target Recommendations
Abercrombie & Fitch YPB
Despite being an Abercrombie fan since high school, I was skeptical when A&F first released its YPB activewear line. Stay in your lane, I thought. But I was wrong. The YPB leggings are some of my favorites, and the compression is higher without being too restrictive. For travel days, that’s what I prefer.
But Abercrombie aced the YPB tops, too. I own several YPB track jackets, cardigans, polos, and other performance tees, and I wear the heck out of them. In fact, my most-worn travel day top is a (no longer available) YPB gray polo long sleeve cropped top. Not to worry, though. The YPB line is constantly releasing new styles, and I linked to a similar top below.
My Top Abercrombie YPB Recommendations
CRZ Yoga
I told you Vuori doesn’t always fit my budget. So you can bet I was giddy to find an identical Vuori Villa Shorts dupe on Amazon. I am not exaggerating. I can’t tell the difference, other than the logo. These shorts are the best lookalike I’ve come across yet, and they are perfect for car trips and other casual travel days.
I own these shorts in several colors, and they are an amazing look-for-less!
Ododos
I am newer to this brand on Amazon, which I discovered while looking for more Vuori dupes. And after reading lots of product reviews, I was sold.
The button-down athleisure cardigan I purchased has that same soft Vuori fabric and looks exactly like the Vuori Halo Cardigan 2.0. And that’s only one example. When you browse Ododos’ other products on Amazon, you’ll immediately notice similarities to various Vuori styles.
My Top Ododos Recommendations
Woolx
If you worry about sweat and body odor while traveling—like me—you need to give Woolx merino wool tops and leggings a try.
I know what you’re thinking. Wool?
And I get it. I was skeptical, too, but I wore a Woolx tee on an international trip with three flights and two layovers. Nearly 24 hours later, I had zero arm pit odor and did not have to reapply my deodorant once.
Then, I tried the cool weather leggings, and they somehow manage to keep me both warm and cool, depending on the temperature situation. I’m partial to the pocket style, too, because that side pocket fits my cell phone!
My Top Woolx Recommendations
See more of my favorite athleisure wear here.
