036: Honey, I’m Home!
g2g!!! Busy traveling in style
Happy Holidays! Somehow the end of 2024 is in sight. Did you know? In your haze and daze of holiday shopping, don’t forget to stop and smell the poinsettias. Andddd while we’re at it, you’re probably traveling to see the fam bam this season, yes? Lucky for little ‘ol you, we’ve got that part handled here at HQ. If, and only if, you’d like a few prime-time travel outfit recommendations please keep reading. If not, then keep reading because we’re silly little goslings guaranteed to make you guffaw.
Ready for Takeoff
AB: Hi, AB here with the ever so lovely CM. Also known as yap queen 1 and yap queen 2. Welcome back.
CM: Hey bb gorl, how you doin?
AB: I will start by saying, I would love to never hear the word “trend” another day in my life. I DO NOT want to waste a single moment of my precious time hearing that tedious word again. I am so ooooover it. The world would be a better place without it. This may sound silly but there is a rule of thumb in dog training that suggests saying a command often makes the command less valuable. “COME HERE” 20 times does nothing. The dog lost the command after you said it more than 3 times. It is of no value. Same with the word trend.
CM: TRENDS ARE SO LAST YEAR.
AB: Now let that marinate in your mind while CM and I waste none of your time styling the comfiest, most effortless and totally cute travel outfits for everyone headed home for the holidays. These looks will never be on trend for the simple fact that they are for a purpose. Traveling is exhausting and humbling at times, so you need a formula that will never fail. Enjoy.
CM: What’s truly ironic is that I am typing this on a plane (literally). I have traveled more in the last 335 days than ever before. Since early October I have been in the air and headed somewhere almost every other weekend. Translation: I have my airport outfit like so figured out.
AB: Starting off, I love intentional loungewear. Something that gives off the feel of polished and put together but relaxed and easy going. When I mean loungewear, I don't mean you’re-at-home-watching- a-movie-sweats-and-T-shirt. I am referring to something much more deliberate. There is a large difference between comfort at-home loungewear and going-in-public loungewear (errhhmm “athleisure”). How you choose to wear yours, I am not judging, however if I was going to wear the full-on loungewear look traveling, I would choose the not-so-everyday sweats for the occasion.
For example, this cute pair of Kith fleece sweats. They are an intentional choice since the color is clean, airy and soft. Although I would want to wear these all the time, the color forbids me from doing so, making them an occasional choice. You can also opt for a wide leg sweat (here's a pair from Aritzia) that can look just as considered and a bit more modern…unless they are unhemmed wide leg pants. Any kind of unhemmed wide leg pants don't work. They must hit just right! Where is that you ask? THE TOP OF YOUR FOOT.
Pair the bottoms mentioned above with something soft to the touch and light in fabric. Something similar to this classic henley from Eddie Bauer, a half zip, or a fitted T. I go for a baby T it fits my body best, but try a boxy, or something thick for a good armor against the trials of travel.
CM: I have a rule, flights longer than two hours require loungewear. Anything shorter and I might (might) spring for a jean. Last year I caved and bought a matching sweatsuit situation from Girlfriend Collective. In typical Courtney fashion it couldn't be a simple sweatsuit, that would be dumb. I expertly decided on a creamy off-white/beige color that can transition to any season and paired these cute patootie cropped unhemmed kick-flare-ish sweats with a crew neck. Add in a comfy, breezy T-shirt underneath and you can take me anywhere. Since the color is so grounding, I can really mix and match to my heart’s content—I’ve swapped in this quarter zip a few times, but would also pull this or this paired with these from my bench in a pinch.
I will also throw on a flare legging for funsies, you know, keeping things interesting.
AB: I like to stay buttoned up when I travel. Not too exposed. For many reasons. Unfortunately I cannot tolerate open toed shoes through an airport. Or even driving. When you're in your comfies a great way to balance the look without moving too close to lazy is by pairing with a heavier more grounded shoe. No slippers or slides here. Grab an interesting tennis shoe, or a chunky clog like a platform boot or Blundstones. Don't be that person dreading your life in the wrong shoes.
CM: If I’m wearing jeans, then I’ll wear just about any damn shoe I wanna in the airport, with socks (obvi) and probably a flat sole unless I need luggage space—likely these or these TBH. With my sweats, I usually rock one of three options:
1. Platform sneakers that I can wear for walking wherever, whenever.
2. My workout sneaks (yes, I’m that b*&$% on vacation).
3. My Uggs, for when the comfort monster gets the best of me.
AB: Finish the look with the largest coat that you planned on packing anyways. It saves the luggage space. You may not have paired said jacket with your look in hindsight, but it works, trust me.
CM: As AB mentioned above, the tricky part about traveling this time of year is the coat situation. Current winter fave is this chocolatey brown yummy thang from Aritzia. I would also rock this, this, definitely this and this, too.
CM: If I’ve ditched the sweats and decided to travel like an actual psycho in jeans—you’ll likely catch me in these (ironically also a cropped wide-leg situation, but hey they’re roomy). As for the top, it’s all about the layers. I like a white tee, if I can (this or this for some texture) and either a cardigan or sweater that I am planning to wear during my adventures. The thing about airport fits is to serve dual purposes.
Example a) I’m spending Christmas with my S.O.’s family and we are playing games in our cozies—see: Sweats.
Example b) we are going to be walking out and about, say at the Christmas Stroll, and I need warm, sturdy boots that are still cute as heck—see: Platform Boots.
AB: I even tried the look myself! Felt cute, can’t delete later
AB: Still in need of inspo? Brunello Cucinelli is the pinnacle for well-made luxury clothing. Their travelwear section online is a curation of the best athleisure pieces made for the long haul. I can imagine myself in this look coming off an airplane now!
CM: Okay, okay, okay, arguably the most important part of travel days: THE UNDERTHINGS. I’m not kidding when I say this has changed the game for me. Maybe a year ago (???) Laura Reilly shared like a what’s-in-my-carry-on for Milan Fashion Week. And when specifying what she wears for those long flights, she included Skims boxers (here’s a more sustainable option for the green girlies like me out there). NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A BOY SHORT. Here’s why (sorry in advance if this is TMI but this is very important), the length of a boxer, a true boxer, means it’s not bunching up uncomfortably, and the shorts mean you're avoiding the potential discomfort of a long-flight-wedgie-situation, if you catch my drift. Take it or leave it, but this has been a game changer in creating comfort for me.
CM: I usually pack around a claw clip instead of a hair tie—sometimes a headband if I’m really feeling it. My hair drives me nuts, but I get tension headaches easily, SO this let’s me pull everything out of my face in a pinch sans mirror (I’ve had a lot of practice) and then undo the whole thing while I’m sitting on the plane avoiding eye contact with strangers for the next 2-4 hours. Plus, it’s cute, duh.
Deep Cuts
AB: Tried to recreate this look for Thanksgiving in the skirt momma Miranda made for me. It didn’t work like I wanted with a sweater so I layered with another dress. I loved it! Thanks again Mrs. Miranda.
CM: Wait, I love this because I’ve been devising an outfit for NYE with my skirt, too! Gosh, we sure are cute.
Before You Go
CM: I know we seem sporadic, that’s my fault!!! Blame the travel, blame my schedule, blame my wedding!!!! But we’ll be coming at you quick this month with some killer shopping reccs and other yummies you’ll want to sink your teeth into. Pinky swear!
AB: If you’ve made it this far, peace and blessings <3
Safe travels you well-styled butterflies! Ciao for now. xx