If you find yourself running from a meeting to drinks with friends or spending all day touring without going back to your hotel room before dinner while on a trip, you should invest in transitional travel wear.
Travel Wear Pieces to Complete Your Day-to-Night Look
These five travel wear pieces for both men and women will instantly take your outfit from day to night.
Day to Night Looks: Boots
No matter the season, a pair of smart casual boots will complete any day to night look.
For women, look for a heeled boot or bootie, like Asushoes’ Peep Toe Bootie. The slight heel provides all day comfort while adding elegance to any outfit. Plus, the peep toe works in warm to mild climates.
Men should look for a slightly dressy but still casual oxford-style shoe. Rockport’s Wynstin Chukka Boots fits the bill with vintage elements and all-day cushion comfort.
Day to Night Looks: Outer Layer
An outer layer protects you from both the elements and air conditioning, and a jacket or cardigan is the best way to dress up a more casual day outfit. Kenneth Cole makes great multi-purpose travel wear for both men and women—the line’s jackets in particular are a stand-out.
Women, check out the Single Breasted Wool Coat. This layer is naturally weather-resistant and looks great with leggings, trousers, or jeans.
Men, the Wool Blend Car Coat is a great option—it has blazer-inspired elements and a water-repellent finish, meaning you can go straight from a client meeting to an outdoor beer garden.
Day to Night Looks: Jumpsuit
A trendy jumpsuit is the perfect women’s travel wear option for a day to night look. Just throw on a cropped jacket or blazer, and you’re good to go for the day—just remove for nighttime.
I like Nordstrom’s line of jumpsuits for versatile pieces (check out this black striped, wide-legged style). And, if you’re looking for a more conservative style, this is a popular wide-leg, belted option that is compressible and has four-way stretch.
Day to Night Looks: Dark Pants
Thanks to the athleisure trend, your options are endless when it comes to comfortable travel bottoms that work for both day and night.
Everlane makes a great pair for women—The Japanese GoWeave Zip Track Pant—which is wrinkle-resistant for all-day wear, and provides comfort with an elastic waistband.
Lululemon is always my go-to for comfortable, yet stylish travel wear for guys—the Commission Pant is ideal for dressing up or down.
Day to Night Looks: Oxford Shirt
The right top can make or break your transitional day to night look, so pick something that’s comfortable but has fabric that holds up all day.
Lululemon’s elongating women’s shirts are ideal for this feat; check out the All Town Buttondown or the Knot Your Typical Tank.
For guys, Mountain Khakis makes an awesome quick-dry button down shirt that looks like a dress shirt but wicks moisture from all-day sweating. Wear it under a blazer at work and then on its own for a casual dinner.
More from SmarterTravel:
- 10 Comfortable Shoes for Fall Travel
- 11 Performance Wear Outfits You’ll Actually Want to Wear While Traveling, 2017 Edition
- 8 Practical (and Cool) Watches for Travel
Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
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