What makes a good piece of travel clothing?
Technical fashion upgrades can improve your life even when you aren't on the go
What makes an article of clothing good for travel?
Are you familiar with the concept of "travel clothes"? No, I'm not talking about the Frank Costanza Cabana collection that you'd wear while playing shuffleboard on a cruise.
I'm talking about the idea of clothes that have super powers to make your life easier when you're on the go. There is obviously some marketing speak involved here. What makes a regular pair of pants or t-shirt unable to travel long distances? Nothing of course. But I've always been intrigued by the idea of certain pieces in my wardrobe being more tailored (pun intended) for travel.
This topic is top of mind for me as I prepare for an upcoming cross-country trip to attend a wedding and we enter the summer travel season in the U.S. And I've always been amazed at how much technology can be inserted into a seemingly mundane pair of pants or a blazer.
As I'm always looking for ways that technology can improve our lives, let's take a moment to highlight some of the advancements in wardrobe tech that are especially useful if you're spending an extended amount of time in a car, on a train, boat, or plane.
What makes clothing good for travel?
Any old clothes can be worn on a plane right? Gone are the days of people dressing up in their Sunday bests when entering an aircraft or the hull of a passenger ship. These days, you're more likely to see a wide range of outfits during your travels. Let's put fashion aside for a moment and look at three things that make an outfit more inclined to travel.
Comfort
If you're spending twelve hours on an airplane, you want to be comfortable right? This may seem obvious, but many adults can't (or shouldn't) just show up at the airport in their pajamas. Having a style that feels as good as it looks is key.
But what kind of fabrics lend themselves to comfort? The obvious choice is something with stretch. Garments that contain materials like elastane that move with the wearer's body are ideal.
You also want fabrics that help regulate body temperature to keep you comfortable. You'll see many shirts that are labeled for travel will contain merino wool. This type of wool is extremely soft to the touch but also adds some climate control to your outfit. It will insulate in cooler temperatures but still allow heat to escape when it's warm.
The other added bonus of merino wool travel clothes is that they resist odors quite well. A merino t-shirt can be worn on a long day of travel and still feel comfortable and odor-free when you arrive at your destination. That's something you can't say about cotton.
Ease of Care
When you're on the go, you don't want to be burdened by clothes that need a lot of attention or maintenance. For example, you don't really want to worry about taking an item to a dry cleaner when you're in a new place. You also don't want to deal with clothes that need a lot of washing, ironing, or special handling to look good.
Wrinkle-free items are especially helpful so they can be packed in any tight space without developing wrinkles. An ideal pair of travel pants or shirt can just be removed from your luggage and worn without a lot of fuss.
Synthetic pants made of nylon or polyester can be great when traveling as well. While there could be some environmental drawbacks to these fabrics, they are easy to clean and tend to dry particularly fast. And many of them can easily be spot cleaned rather than put through a full laundry cycle.
Some pieces of clothing may even have some topical treatments to lessen the opportunity for stains or water absorbance. Pants and jackets that are treated with a DWR (durable water resistance) are obviously great in the rain, but that added treatment can also help keep stains from adhering to the fabric.
Practicality
So you want your travel clothes to look good, feel good, and require little care. But there are other things that can make your garments even more practical when you're on the road. There are some pieces that are just more practical and versatile to earn a precious spot in your carry-on bags.
I'm a huge fan of well thought-out pockets. No, I don't think you need to wear pants that have a million pockets that just scream "tourist!". But having at least one pocket that securely closes with a zipper or button is crucial in my opinion. Standard 5-pocket jeans or chinos can work, but I'm always nervous about things slipping out of the pockets when getting comfortable on an airplane. And of course, there is also a threat of pick-pocketing in some areas. A tiny zipper on a back or thigh pocket gives that little sense of security that can be very important when traveling.
It's also helpful for your travel wardrobe to be versatile. You want items that can easily be mixed and matched in different combinations. Neutral colors tend to be a good idea. Maybe your flowered Hawaiian-style shirt could be left behind in favor of a solid color that could look good with several different pairs of pants.
Having a layering system is also a practical idea. Shirts that can do double duty as a jacket are helpful. Sweatshirts that have a DWR treatment can easily work as a rain jacket in a pinch. Less is really more in this case. You want pieces that can serve several functions when your cargo space is limited.
Brands and suggestions
OK, I've been speaking in some general terms here. You may be looking for some specific recommendations or brands that I have experience with here. Let's look at a couple.
Outlier
Outlier has been making innovative pseudo-tech garments for men since 2008. Some of their items look more classic and subtle, while others have a more fashionable flair. They tend to use a lot of merino wool, linen, and natural fibers for their tops, with more synthetic fibers in their pants.
Here are a couple examples of items that I've personally used on my travels:
Slim Dungarees - These may just be the ultimate travel pants. Great comfort with some stretch. A synthetic fabric that can withstand anything (except cat claws!) while still looking classically fashionable.
Ultrafine Merino T-shirt - It just looks like a simple t-shirt in a variety of colors. But the wool is super high quality and softer than any other wool shirt I own (and I’ve owned many!). It can be worn for several days while still looking, feeling, and smelling clean.
Supermarine Cap - A simple hat that comes in a variety of colors. It looks super minimal but is made of a durable treated cotton that feels incredibly durable and can withstand rain. Perfect for covering up travel hair.
Wool & Prince
You can probably guess that Wool & Prince is a company that focuses heavily on merino wool products. Their merino wool dress shirts and t-shirts are some of the best in the business. They come in 100% wool options or some are blended with nylon for a bit more durability.
Here are a couple examples of items that I've personally used on my travels:
Merino Dress Shirt - This is the shirt that started it all for them. Their founder wore it for 100 days straight without washing as a marketing stunt, but I believe that it’s possible. Looks very professional while being comfortable and super low-maintenance. They have a few different weights these days but I’ve loved them all.
Merino Crew Neck t-shirt - I really like the 78% merino 22% nylon blend of these shirts. They have all the benefits of merino with a little more durability thanks to the nylon. Can still be worn several days without washing and look great especially with the pocket.
Merino Boxer Briefs - These may be the best underwear for travel, or maybe best underwear period. They resist odors and are incredibly comfortable while looking great.
Bluffworks
Bluffworks is a brand that is fully dedicated to making high-quality garments that make your travels easier. They have a focus on synthetics like polyester and nylon to give some technical upgrades to wardrobe classics. I'll say that they are also the best company at sneaking in thoughtful pockets that help you carry all of your essential items without looking like a tourist.
Here are a couple examples of items that I've personally used on my travels:
Grammercy Blazer - This blazer is travel-ready and wrinkle-free. It’s made of synthetic materials that help keep you comfortable with just a bit of stretch. Maybe the most impressive thing is the array of ten pockets and the ability to just throw it ina. washing machine and dryer when needed. They also have matching Grammercy pants that work well on their own as dress pants too.
Envoy Travel Pants - This is a relatively new product that is based on their previously amazing “Bluffworks Orginals” pants (of which I owned several). So while I don’t own this particular new model, I can safely say that the fabric used is amazing and it’s packed with very useful pockets.
Zenith Dress Shirt - Bluffworks has offered several different dress shirts over the years and I’ve been pretty pleased with all of them. The current iteration of the Zenith is a simple shirt that is breathable and machine washable with no worries about wrinkles.
Travel Wardrobe Everyday?
You can probably tell that I've done a lot of research and testing over the years in the world of "travel clothing". So much so that I started to rethink the concept altogether. Why should I only wear these cool, high-tech clothes when I'm traveling?
Can I just replace some of my traditional wardrobe staples with their upgraded travel equivalents? The answer is yes.
I don't travel as much as I used to, but pretty much all of the examples listed here still get daily usage in my closet. If an item is good for travel, it certainly should be good enough for daily life at home.
Again, maybe this is more about how brands market their clothes. A shirt is a shirt regardless of the intended use that its company promotes. But having tested out many many options in this space, I can tell you that upgraded, functional clothing is a real game changer.
My suggestion to you is to question some of those wardrobe items in your closet. If you have some travel coming up this season, it could be time for an upgrade. And who knows, you may be convinced like I was to wear "travel clothes" 365 days a year.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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