What to Wear When Flying for 2 Days

Closet Content Analysis: Casual Airborne Clothing

Choices: Comfortable Casual or Business Casual

NICE     NO THANKS     NOTE-WORTHY 

The choice for lengthy flights or in transit periods over 24 hours, needs to be somewhere between comfortable casual and business casual.

NICE for Flying Functionality: My clothing choices for air travel on May 2nd and 3rd, 2013 was a white v-neck t-shirt, black linen drawstring pants, boots (just because they were easier to wear than pack), a black cardigan and two jackets, a leather jacket under a 3/4 length trench (again, easier to pile on top of each other, wear and carry rather than pack).

Photo taken by JoyD of her carry-on - a purple Lug bag

NO THANKS for FLYING FORBEARANCE: My carry-ons are two Lug bags, a smaller black one that is carrying my medication and diabetic supplies for 6 months and a larger purple one, with shoes, a handbag, a journal and Paris restaurant guide, and a change of clothing and underwear, along with basics in skincare and make-up. I always leave room at the top so that it is "squishable" in order to fit in the size frames for carry-ons in the airports. It is always a good idea to err on the side of smaller; although I did not do that at all this time. I usually don't have a problem but I always worry about it when I am traveling overseas. There are differences between airlines and even regional differences within the same airline. I may have to check in the purple Lug when we leave Air Canada and take the Air France connector.

NOTE-WORTHY: I have only one relatively small check-in piece (in a trio of medium, large and extra large, it would be a medium to large size). In it are my must have skinny pants and complimentary tops, with which I will probably return to Canada. Six of the eight pairs of shoes will be left in France. I'll return to Canada in my boots and bring back two pairs of my favourite heels. I will leave enough in France so that I can accommodate a few items after shopping in Paris.

NO THANKS for FOREVER FLYING: While in the Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport, I told a woman that she looked fabulous but I can't imagine wearing what she was wearing for long flights. This would be a definite NICE for short business jaunts but a NO THANKS for trips that require up to 48 hours in transit. She was wearing a waist-length pale green leather jacket with a pencil skirt that had mottled-not-quite-tweed horizontal variegated stripes in navy, beige and the same green as her jacket, and the look was completed with navy pumps. She was pulling a red patent "boxy" bag. She was of a particular age and she looked streamlined and gorgeous. She said that I had made her day because she had just looked in the mirror and was annoyed with her wrinkles, further exasperated by airplane dryness. I told her that dressing well distracted from the wrinkles; we laughed.

When I see people who obviously made an effort to look good, I can't help but tell them. Usually they are taken aback but most often they go on to tell me that I made his or her day. 

I may have to re-think what I am wearing for these long hauls.

One and one-half hours until boarding for the overnight trip to Paris, I probably have time to write another post.