What To Wear When Travelling

2014 is shaping up to become a good one, travel-wise. In a couple of weeks I’m heading to Edinburgh, then I have a month of madness – New York, Oregon, Andalusia. I’m also hoping for a little 1 year wedding anniversary trip in September, funds allowing. That’s a lot of travelling which means a lot of long waits in airports, cramped journeys in small seats and lugging overweight bags about.

Coatigan, Free People | Jumper, ASOS | Jeans, Topshop | Trainers, Nike Free at ASOS | Bag, c/o Antler | Sunglasses, Orla Kiely

I was asked by Antler to create my perfect outfit to wear for travelling. If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, Antler have been creating pioneering luggage for nearly 100 years, and I was given the beautiful Elspeth Tote to help make my travelling outfit both stylish and practical.

I teamed the tote with jeans – I know the general consensus is denim is BAD for travelling as it’s uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time, but Topshop’s Leigh jeans are more like jeggings than jeans – super soft and stretchy. The perfect travelling outfit for me consists of layers – planes can go from hot to cold in minutes so it’s good to wear separates that you can take off/put back on easily. Antler kindly sent me an ASOS voucher to add to my travelling wardrobe, so I bought this loose grey cotton jumper and layered it over a Uniqlo long-sleeve tee. Over the top is my Free People coatigan which doubles up as a pillow or blanket – very important to choose mulitasking items!

With my ASOS voucher I also bought a pair of Nike Frees – I’m on a real trainer kick at the moment and these are the shoe du jour. They’re crazy comfortable – perfect for sprinting across sprawling airports or stomping the streets of NYC (again with the multitasking!).

To finish off my outfit, I’ve got my sunnies to cover tired travelling eyes and the Elspeth Tote on my arm. As you’d expect from a brand with such a long history of luggage expertise, the bag is packed with handy storage features like inner zips, shoulder straps and a multitude of pockets.

Now I’ve got my airport outfit sorted, here are a few final tips for travelling in comfort and style:

• Wear your hair down or piled up on the top of your head. Trying to lean back on a ponytail is the worst!
• Don’t wear jewellery. A tricky one for me (you know how I love my statement necklaces) but after being stopped countless times for making the scanner beep, I’ve learn it’s really not worth the hassle.
• Wear socks or pack a pair in your hand luggage, particularly if you’re travelling to the USA and will have to remove your shoes at security. Being barefoot in an airport is no fun at all.
• Take lipstick. Applying a slick of bright lipstick is my favourite way to freshen up after a long journey – it’s easy to apply and brightens your whole face in seconds.