Tips, tricks (and treats!) for your travel attire

Comfort key to getting-around fashion while on vacation

If there’s one requirement of a decent travel outfit, it’s that it must be comfortable.

While advances in stretchy fabrics — coupled with the widespread acceptance of inky black leggings and slouchy sweaters as appropriate apparel beyond the gym — has allowed travel attire to relax significantly, not everyone is comfortable travelling in items that could otherwise pass as loungewear.

But even for the style-conscious set, comfort is still key.

“The last thing you want to worry about on vacation or an airplane is an uncomfortable outfit,” says Abbey Stimpson, vice-president of marketing of the brand Sympli.

So, how do you choose a look that’s both chic and comfortable? Basically, it comes down to choosing key pieces that look structured, but aren’t stiff.

“Selecting the perfect travel outfit may seem daunting, but the right fit keeps you looking and feeling fabulous,” Stimpson says. “We swear by layering pieces.”

Stimpson says a basic tunic and leggings or gaucho pants in a bodyskimming fabric, like the jersey fabrics used in Sympli designs, are perfect foundation pieces for a travel outfit. Adding on a stylish vest, cardigan, chic duster-length jacket in an equally wrinkle-free fabric, or a classic denim topper are fail-safe options for pulling together the look.

Wrap on a stylish scarf — either a gauzy iteration coiled casually around the neck or a plush blanket scarf slung over the shoulders — and you’re all set to travel in style.

According to Stimpson, finding a go-to item or outfit for travel that can take you beyond the tarmac is another important element to consider, especially given the possibility of mysteriously vanishing suitcases and ever-dwindling baggage allowances.

“A versatile and comfortable outfit makes all the difference when the day begins on a plane and ends on a beach — or literally anywhere in the world,” she explains. “Versatility also allows you to pack light, knowing you can always dress up or dress down your look with accessories and shoes.”

Perhaps the easiest rule to keep in mind when dressing for travel is to keep things simple. Aside from having to sit in an airliner seat for any number of hours, having to schlep your bags from Point A to Point B, and all the security screenings — the last thing you want to be wearing is a complicated contraption full of sartorial bells and whistles.

“Clothing can make or break a trip,” Stimpson says. “So removing complicated styling from the equation is the way to go.”