How to Dress For Short-, Mid- & Long-Haul Flights

By Aaron Toumazou in Editor's Picks

Getting flight style right is a fine art. Go too smart when you’re up in the air for four hours or more and you’ll regret the decision the moment you find your seat; too cozy for anything short of two hours and you run the risk of looking lazy. With everything from the departure lounge to flight time and onward journey to consider, fewer occasions require such carefully thought out ’fits.

Fortunately, with fashion and function now fusing more than ever, there are many ways to get from A to B in style and comfort. Below, we’ve compiled some outfit inspiration for three different journey durations, factoring in everything from your comfort to temperature regulation (thinking in layers is key for when the overhead air con is playing up pre-departure).

Scroll on to peep all our flight-planned ’fits.

Less than 2 hours

For that hop-on-the-plane for a business meeting, back the same day kind of trip (or vibe), going full-on cozy is an unnecessary indulgence. Here, the key is to look presentable in a ’fit that’ll keep you cool and therefore unflustered when you step out of the jet in your destination.

That’s where smarter-looking technical fabrics-constructed pieces come into their own. The lightweight jacket by Junya Watanabe MAN eYe x Ark Air below is made from a technical cotton that’ll work for both the in-flight chill and the departure lounge stuffiness, while Polo Ralph Lauren’s classic fit trousers keep things steezy without being restrictive, and Kiko Kostadinov’s ASICS will keep you steady on your feet along the way.

ASCC Trench Coat

ADER Error SSENSE Exclusive

$365

Buy at ssense

Jacket

Junya Watanabe MAN eYe x Ark Air

$353

Buy at tres-bien

Bedford Trousers

Polo Ralph Lauren

$85

Buy at ssense

Gel-Delva 1

ASICS x Kiko Kostadinov

$205

Buy at sivasdescalzo

2-4 hours

Anything upward of two hours and some negligence to your own definition of smartness is understandable in our eyes, though we’d advise steering clear of full cozy submission just yet.

Your favorite sweater will be your comfort layer when the temperature drops half an hour into your journey time, and your legs will thank you for choosing steezy track pants such as Pleasures checked-print pair over cotton trousers or jeans. You’ll make no friends whipping out smelly feet out on the flight, but a premium pair of Air Force 1s will resist the need to go sneakerless.

Hallelujah Hoodie

NOAH

$150

Buy at ssense

Collusion Track Pant

Pleasures

$80

Buy at sneakersnstuff

Air Force 1 ´07 Premium

Nike

$140

Buy at caliroots

Long-haul

Rocking a cozy ’fit on any flight across continents is, in our eyes, a matter of human rights. That said, you never know what kind of fashion snob is lurking up in business class, so a tracksuit that looks good should be something of a priority too.

You may have caught our recent round-up of two-piece men’s tracksuits, but for long-haul flights, we’re particularly into the sporty but luxe Needles look. Let the trackie shine with some white essentials to offset the throwback vibes – we’re thinking plain white tee, cozy white socks, and a timeless Nike Blazer.