Are you looking for the perfect Winter airport outfit? In this guide we round up our favorite Winter outfits for airports inspiration to help you decide on a comfy and practical airport outfit.
Important Note: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you!
What is an Airport Outfit?
An airport outfit, or sometimes called an airplane is the outfit you wear for traveling through the airport and on the plane until you reach your destination.
Considerations for your Winter Airport Outfit
When you are looking to put together your winter airport outfit, no matter where you are traveling long haul or just doing a short haul, or internal US flight it is important have maximum comfort. This has to be the number one consideration for any travel outfit. So here are the things to keep in mind.
Wear loose and comfortable clothes
Whenever I am looking for perfect cute airport outfits the first thing I want is something that is both loose and comfortable.
You are going to be sat down for several hours in a confined seat, especially if you are flying long haul. Therefore it is really important that your clothes aren’t overly tight and your waistband is not too restrictive.
For this reason we recommend not wearing your tight skinny jeans for the plane and instead packing them if you want them at your destination.
So instead of wearing your tight and figure hugging clothing we instead recommend wearing loose items instead.
Choose your fabrics carefully
After looseness, the next thing I look for in an airport outfit for Winter is the fabric choice. This can be especially important when you are traveling in Winter and are worried about cold weather.
Natural fabrics i.e. cotton are a great option and my personal favorite for airport outfits as these are more breathable. And don’t tend to make you sweaty or cold.
Whereas manmade and synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester trap heat and can actually make you sweaty even in Winter.
I also love a fabric that has some natural stretch for extra comfort.
That is why for Winter airplane outfits my favorite natural fabric is merino wool as this is both cooling but also insulating. And as an added bonus it also doesn’t absorb smells like other fabrics. None of my travel wardrobes are complete without merino wool.
Wear Layers
Layers are an important part of my airport outfit no matter the time of year I am traveling. However they are especially so for Winter.
Layers are a great way of providing extra insulation if the temperature in the cabin gets cold, but can also be removed and put on easily if the temperatures fluctuate.
Dress Codes at Destination
Although there is no dress code for on airplanes, unless you are traveling on a specific airline in business or first that has some dress code requirements you can wear what you like.
However it is worth thinking about dress codes and weather at your destination. For instance if you are traveling to the Middle East there are dress codes in relation to modesty.
Therefore if your destination is in a place with a dress code, or even if you are just transiting through a country where there are modesty dress code requirements you need to take this into consideration for your travel outfit.
For more information on what to wear in airports in the Middle East check out these posts:
- What to wear in Doha Airport
- What to wear in Dubai Airport
- What to wear in Male Airport.
Outfits For Winter to Hot Weather Destinations
A popular vacation for Winter is finding some Winter sun. But if can be tricky to pick the perfect winter airport outfit for traveling to hot weather destinations.
If this applies to you we recommend dressing in extra layers for the airplane that can be taken off at your destination to make a more warm destination suitable outfit.
Right Shoes for Flights
Comfortable shoes are important for any type of travel outfit but especially a flight outfit. In airports, you may have to do a lot of walking through the terminals, and hopefully not be but you may need to run to catch a connection. Therefore comfy shoes are super important.
On top of that your feet can swell at altitude on the airplane so you will want to have a shoe that is not too restrictive if this happens to you.
Therefore I recommend picking a shoe that has laces that can be loosened if your feet swell or slip ons to make it easier to take your shoes going through security.
We advise avoiding any open toe shoe for airplanes, that is because your feet can get cold on the plane and they don’t work well with compression socks.
If you are short on space in your luggage we recommend wearing your heaviest shoe. This is likely to be an ankle boot for winter travel. We like to pick brown or black boots as these are a great versatile piece.
However if you can pack these I think the most comfortable shoe for any airplane outfit is a pair of sneakers.
Remember Compression Socks
Compression socks are absolutely a travel essential for airplanes. Compression socks are very important as they help increase circulation and can help, with a proper airplane exercise regime, can help prevent DVTs.
Therefore when we are selecting our airplane outfit, we make sure that compression socks fit under our trousers and with our shoes comfortably as they have such great health benefits for flying.
Click here to shop compression socks.
Don’t Forget your Coat
Although you are unlikely to wear on your actual flight, remember to keep one with you. That is because when you disembark the plane and you are traveling somewhere cold you will want your long coat when you get off. And it is easy to wear a coat versus packing a coat for travel.
The thickness of winter coats and style i.e. a puffer jacket or bomber jacket vs a parka vs a smart classic winter coat, will really depend on where you are heading your itinerary.
Think about the rest of your packing
Whenever I am traveling in Winter, I am a big fan of multiple layers made of thin but insulating fabrics i.e. merino wool as opposed to big thick chunky sweaters.
That is because the thicker your sweater / jumper, the harder it is to layer a coat or jacket on top. Therefore it can be an uncomfortable layering option.
However if you are trying to pack light and not overpack it is worth thinking about wearing your heavier items to save on space in your case and potentially achieve hand luggage only / carry on only packing.
For more information on how to pack light for Winter check out these posts:
- sudoku packing method
- 54321 packing method
- Winter Capsule Wardrobe for Travel
- Minimalist Travel capsule wardrobe
- Plus size airport outfit idea
Our favorite Winter airport outfit ideas
So now you what to consider for your winter airport outfit ideas we will give you some specific outfit inspiration. We have split the outfits into styles, dress codes and destinations for easier for navigation but you can select any of these to fit your personal airport style.
Casual Winter Airport Outfit idea
Personally I like to stick to a casual outfit for traveling in Winter. The fabrics tend to be stretchier and looser and overall more comfortable. However even when I out together and casual airport outfit I like to look stylish no matter whether I am traveling in economy, business or first.
My go to casual outfits for planes are:
Jeans and Jacket Look
A Jacket and jeans look is not only stylish but is also super versatile for at your destination, with each piece being able to be used in different looks.
I like to wear looser jeans over skinny jeans as these are comfier for long flights. But if you prefer a skinnier silhouette then jeggings may be a great choice for you.
I either wear these with a plain black tops or white t shirt or a merino wool sweater. And on top either a thick coat if you are going to or leaving from a very cold place, or a leather jacket for a milder winter destination.
Note: for tees I personally prefer black and dark colored tees as they don’t show stains as badly as white tees.
And I would pair this outfit with sneakers or ankle winter boots.
Leggings / Travel Pant Look
If jeans aren’t you thing, then leggings are a great substitute for these. We also love love the Athleta Brooklyn ankle pant for travel. We tend to select black leggings and black travel pants as these are the most versatile at the destination too.
Again I would layer these with a t shirt and sweater and a coat of appropriate thickness.
Athleisure Look
There is definitely an athleisure trend for airport fashion. Athleisure is a great pick as the fabrics are stretchy and are comfy to wear when sat down for long periods.
Yoga pants are another great pick for travel as these stretchy pants are comfy in confined spaces and uncomfortable positions.
Matching Sweater Set Look
Matching sweater sets are becoming an increasingly popular airplane outfit choice. It usually comprises of cozy joggers and oversized sweater / hoodie.
These tend to be more stylish than sports hoodie and jogger sets and therefore add a casual elegance to your airport look.
Click here to shop matching sweater sets for airplane travel.
Smart winter travel outfit
If you are going on business travel, are traveling in business class or simply just want to look smart on the airplane, then you are going to need a smart winter travel outfit.
Some of our favorite smart winter travel outfits include:
Shacket Outfit / Coatigan Outfit
We love a shacket or coatigan (a jacket crossed with a cardigan or coat crossed with a cardigan). Our personal favorite are neutral colors, with camel color being our absolute favorite paired with black trousers or jeans and a plain tee.
Another great option if you are looking for slightly thicker is a class teddy bear coat.
Clik here to shop shackets for travel.
What to wear on a plane when travelling to a hot country
Layered Outfit
For me a layered outfit is perfect when you travel from a cold destination to a hot destination. Thsi way you have plenty of layers for your starting point, but you can easily remove then and be comfortable at your destination.
We suggest something like black pants or black leggings with a tank top and oversized denim jacket. This way all the pieces can be used to make up other outfits but together make a warm travel outfit.
Note: I personally would avoid rigid denim as this is not comfortable for long haul flights .
Click here to shop oversize denim jackets for travel.
2 piece travel sets
I love 2 piece travel sets. These matching travel outfits are easy to accessorize, and are made of comfy stretchy fabrics. They are also really easy to layer.
I also think these are a great answer to the question what do you wear on an overnight flight in the winter? Given the stretchy nature of these outfits, they are great to double up as loungewear at your destination and are even comfy to sleep in on an overnight flight in Winter.
Click here to shop 2 piece travel sets.
What NOT to wear on an airplane in Winter
Although we have gone into detail about what you should wear in winter at airports, we also thought it would be worthwhile mentioning what NOT to wear on an airplane in Winter.
Our Winter what not to wear list includes:
- Restrictive items and tight fitting clothes – these just aren’t comfortable for long flights in cramped conditions.
- Clothes with lots of zips or metal accents – We recommend avoiding clothes with lots of metal accents and adornings such as zips. That is because they will make it take longer for you to get through airport security.
- Difficult to remove shoes – for the same as the above we recommend avoiding difficult to remove shoes with lots of unusual fastenings etc.
- open toe shoes – you can get cold feet on planes easily so avoid open toe shoes so your feet don’t get too cold and you can easily put compression socks on with them too.
We hope this guide has helped you put together your favorite airport outfit for winter but if you have any further questions let us know in the comments below. Also we would love to see your favorite winter airport outfits so do tag us in your posts on instagram and facebook.