Elevate Your Airport Look With These Cute but Comfy Travel Outfit Ideas

Kara Blakeslee Avatar

The best airport travel outfits start with comfy basics and include smart layers. This foolproof formula will get you to your destination feeling stylish and stress free. From leggings to rompers, we’ve got the best airport travel outfit ideas for your next trip.

If you’re like me, you feel both a mixture of excitement and stress when deciding what to wear to the airport. It’s an important travel outfit that easily can be left to the last minute to plan. To set the scene, you finally finished packing and just as you bring the zipper around each corner a thought stops you—

“What am I wearing to the airport?”

Don’t panic! I’ll let you in on a little secret – there’s a simple formula to planning a great airport outfit. The trick is to start with your base and incorporate versatile layers.

If you have an upcoming trip and aren’t sure what to wear to the airport, this is for you. Plus, since we’re focusing on buildable layers, these outfit ideas can be easily mixed and matched.

My airport travel outfit ideas will get you to your gate feeling comfortable, confident and ready for takeoff.

Comfy, Easy Fabrics Make the Best Airport Travel Outfits

This should not come as a shock as the first tip to keep in mind when planning an airport outfit. It’s safe to say loungewear is a crowd favorite for all things travel. It’s comfy, loose and something you can wear on the plane and throughout your trip.

If you’re about to embark on a long flight, the last thing you want to wear is tight, constricting fabrics. Whether you’re looking for leggings, joggers or biker shorts, the goal is to look for stretchy, lightweight fabrics that have a ‘next to nothing’ feel.

For your t-shirts and long sleeves, you can’t go wrong with cotton. It’s soft and doesn’t wrinkle easily.

Here are my favorite athleisure base layers:

Versatile Layers

Layering can be tricky, especially with limited room in your carry on. You want to have options without being bogged down by bulky items.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when layering your airport travel outfits.

Let’s say you decide to wear something simple like sweatpants, a t-shirt and a hoodie. Your third layer should be something lightweight and not overly fitted. Oversized denim jackets or sweater blazers are great layering pieces. They’re classic staples that easily elevate any comfy airport outfit.

Also, consider investing in a lightweight trench coat for your next trip. They’re timeless and can be styled a variety of ways. The ultimate trendy girl look is a bodysuit, sweatpants and trench coat. Pair with sneakers or slides and you are flying in style.

Lately, I’ve been gravitating toward a sporty, chic airport look. To achieve this, these are my favorite pieces to layer.

Simple Shoes

Have you ever held up the line at security due to unruly shoelaces? If not, you’re one of the lucky ones. If picking out shoes for the airport sends you into panic mode—keep reading.

My biggest tip for footwear is to stick with slip-on shoes like sneakers, loafers or sandals. If you must wear boots, aim for ankle boots that you can easily slide off. For long haul flights, stick a pair of sandals in your tote that you can switch into on the plane.

Rompers & Dresses

We don’t give enough credit to the simplicity, ease and comfort of a romper. If you find yourself feeling uninspired by black leggings, a romper might be for you.

A romper is a fantastic base layer and should be part of everyone’s travel clothes. It’s basically a stylish adult onesie, so it’s no surprise it makes the list of cute airport outfits.

Also, a great alternative to a romper is a lightweight summer dress. This is great for traveling to warmer destinations and shorter flights.