If you’re ever overwhelmed with what to wear on a long haul flight or on what to pack in your overnight case, I’m hoping this post will make it simple for you. I’m breaking it down into long haul flight fashion essentials so you are prepared, no matter what situation you face, while travelling.
In today’s post I’m sharing what I wore on the plane and what I packed in my overnight case. This packing guide will save your butt if your luggage gets lost at your destination. It will also ensure you have essentials for a good night’s sleep if your long haul flight is an overnighter.
When we recently travelled to Los Angeles, we flew to Auckland and had a 5 hour stopover. This stopover was ideal as we had a shower in the lounge and I was able to change into my sleep outfit and get the girls into their pyjamas.
My mum is a seasoned traveler who is highly organised and a planner. I have learned from her to ALWAYS pack spare clothes in my overnight case. It’s something ingrained in me that I can’t not do because I know without a doubt, the moment I DON’T have spare clothes with me, something will happen where I will DESPERATELY need them.
You only learn once in these circumstances. I learned my lesson 18 years ago when I was coming home from the Whitsundays via train from schoolies week.
All my clothes were packed in my suitcase, which was located in the undercarriage.
I fell asleep on the train and when I woke up I felt unusually wet at my crotch. I had gotten my period and my pants were soaked. I panicked as I was with other teens on the train and I had NOTHING on me to clean the mess or hide my embarrassment.
A good friend who was sitting next to me helped me by giving me her sweater to tie around my waist and she offered me the jeans she was wearing as she had white shorts in her bag she could change into. I was so grateful to my friend for helping me and I learned to ALWAYS have sanitary items in my bag no matter what, and when travelling, to always have a spare pair of knickers and outfit. You just never know what situation can arise when travelling.
Long Haul Flight Fashion Essentials
What to Wear on a Long Haul Flight
I didn’t get a photo of my outfit when we left for the airport. But this family photo shows you exactly what I was wearing when we left from Brisbane to Auckland.
I opted for a leopard print t-shirt from City Chic (no longer available but the blue version is available in limited sizes here) with stretchy jeggings from Crossroads and my Frankie 4 Nat sneakers. My bag is the Santorini from The Wanderers Travel Co. It proved to be a brilliant bag to travel with and the ideal size for holding all my essentials and bottles of water while walking through Disneyland.
I opted for a dark, patterned tee to hide any food stains or marks, which I’m always prone to get when eating on a flight. I can’t stand having anything around my neck on a flight so I kept my scarf as a wrap for sleeping only.
I also took my active jacket from Cotton On as an extra layer on the plane if I got cold.
- Decjuba Animal Print Boyfriend Tee $59.95
- Cotton On Active Jacket $49.99
- Everyday Cashmere Transit Wrap $276
- The Wanderers Travel Co Santorini Satchel $299
- The Wanderers Travel Co Capri Travel Wallet $169
- Frankie 4 Nat Sneakers in White $229.95
- Crossroads Slim Shape Skinny Jean with Stretch $29.97
What to Sleep in on a Long Haul Flight
In Auckland, I changed my pants into bamboo sleep recovery pants from Cotton On. I put on a long sleeved stripe top from Witchery as I knew it would get cool on the plane. On the way over, my ankles swelled terribly, so my mum bought me compression socks at the airport on the way home. When you’re travelling long haul, have some compression socks just in case. I never used to swell on the plane, but now I do.
We flew Premium Economy so received an eye mask for sleeping. Sometimes your flight will give these to you in economy. If not, make sure you bring an eye mask to block out light from the passengers who like to have a light on to read.
- Witchery Stripe Rib Long Sleeve Crew Top $49.95
- Compression Socks $19.95
- Everyday Cashmere Transit Wrap $276
- Cotton On Active Jacket $49.99
- Frankie 4 Nat Sneaker $229.95
- Cotton On Sleep Recovery Pant $34.95
What to Pack in your Overnight Case
In my overnight case I packed a spare pair of jeans, a t-shirt, underwear, coat, leopard print scarf, boots and my clothes for sleeping in. I wore all these pieces when I was in America. I also packed the same pieces when we flew back.
My Lands End down coat is a jacket I have owned for 12 years. It’s one of those jackets you buy once and they can last for ages. The one pictured below is similar to the black one I own. It’s always best to buy down jackets from overseas during the off season – their summer when they are generally on sale.
- Birdsnest Butterfly Kisses Tee $49.95
- Lands End Down Coat $206.43US
- Witchery Stripe Rib Long Sleeve Tee $49.95
- Cotton On Sleep Recovery Pant $34.95
- Compression Socks $19.95
- Frankie 4 Laura Boot in black $289.95
- You Rock Style Leopard Print Scarf $34.95
If you wanted to add colour into each capsule, change the scarf to a brighter hue instead of black. My cashmere scarf was a blush pink as it matched in with my leopard print tee. The benefits of having a minimal colour scheme is that everything can be worn with each other to make multiple outfits.
What are your long haul flight fashion essentials?
Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.