Style or comfort? Soaring 45,000 feet in the air doesn’t mean either has to be compromised. MUTZINE brings you tips and tricks for effortless airport fashion as inspired by your favorite celebrities. 

Words Cessi Treñas, Art Gato Adulto and Gissella Ramirez-Valle

In modern-day society, the airport has become a runway in more ways than one. Now among the areas most frequented by reporters and household names alike, this constantly buzzing hub is an opportunity to showcase personal style as much as it is a take-off point for idols whose lives are consistently surveilled by the public eye. In the hustle and bustle of traveling between countries, how are these celebrities able to strike a balance between form and function?

The answer: an arsenal of fool-proof closet essentials and ample flair to get them through the journey. Take cues from your favorite idol style icons and travel in both comfort and style with these tips.

Hang Loose

Skinny jeans are beloved even by the most fashionable of idols, but are reputable for their tendency to lead to chafing or discomfort. For long flights, ditch the skin-tight bottoms and opt for a game-changing pair of wide-legged pants, which are both an effortless trans-season item and a recent favorite among celebrities. Buckle down and avoid wearing belts for hassle-free security checks, and settle for naturally cinched waistbands. In need of a little styling advice? Follow in T-ARA’s Hyomin’s lead and sport breezy denims with cropped tops or preppy blouses.

Call on Wool and the Gang

Some materials are made for wearing on-the-go, while others are a crinkled mess waiting to happen. Long-haul flights call for wrinkle-resistant, form-retaining fabrics. Blends of cotton-polyester, often found in chinos and men’s shirts, are breathable and harder-wearing than regular cotton. Lyocell, more popularly known as Tencel, is a form of artificial silk most commonly used in combination with cotton to produce smooth fabric that easily hangs off the body. Knits, woollen sweaters, and cardigans, which typically boast of high crease-resistance and warmth when made up of tighter-woven fibers, are a constant in EXO’s Sehun’s travel wardrobe.

Go Minimal

Accessories can make or break an outfit, and have the underestimated potential to take an ensemble from looking plain to completely overdone. Thankfully, elegant, low-maintenance dressers like Jessica Jung are a perpetual reminder that accessorizing is often more simple than it seems, even when circumnavigating the globe. Add some spark to your travel outfit and steer clear of inconvenient security scans without compromising style by trading in layered accessories for cozy scarves and quirky socks that can help you keep warm throughout the flight. No make-up? No problem; simply add your favorite pair of sunglasses to the mix.

Revisit the Trend: Canvas Totes

In the ever-changing domain of fashion, some trends are inevitably forgotten while others repeatedly rise to the surface. Eco bags, otherwise known as canvas totes, are one such trend, having been ceaselessly sported by big names in both the acting and music industries, like Han Gain, Gong Hyojin, and KARA’s Goo Hara. Love them or hate them, eco bags are understated and convenient, and make for more practical carry-on baggage than designer handbags.