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Emily Hochberg/Business Insider
As a full-time travel writer, I'm on the go a lot, whether road-tripping with my husband and kids around our home state of California or flying cross country on assignment. It's a good gig, but living out of a suitcase is tough — especially when it comes to looking presentable. Too many times, I've reached my destination only to find my clothes wrinkled, despite my best efforts to pack them neatly.
Rather than waste time steaming, I now prioritize travel-friendly fabrics that are lightweight and wrinkle-resistant, so I can get out and explore instead of sitting hunched over an ironing board. Jersey knits, brushed bamboo, nylon or cotton blends, and stretchy Spandex are all much more resilient and less likely to crease compared to delicate linen, silk, or rayon.
The best wrinkle-free clothes are also comfy to wear on long flights and work for multiple outfits once you land. To help revamp your travel wardrobe, I compiled a list of my favorite wrinkle-free travel clothes to inspire some new vacation and airport outfit ideas.
A comfy sweat set for long rides
Emily Hochberg/Business Insider
For long-haul journeys and redeye flights, I prioritize comfort above all else. But when I don't want to arrive looking totally disheveled after hours crammed into tight quarters or a sleepless night, I reach for this two-piece Cozy Earth set.
Made from a buttery-soft blend of brushed bamboo, acrylic, and Spandex, it's ultra comfortable to wear for long periods of time and I've yet to see a single crease since I started wearing it several months ago. I own the navy color, though it also comes in black, charcoal, or olive. The pullover top and slim-fitting joggers look far nicer than standard sweatpants, and I feel like I'm wearing pajamas without looking the part.
While I initially got this outfit for travel days, it's since become a go-to look for dropping my kids off at school, running errands, and grabbing coffee with friends when I don't want to make a ton of effort, but still appear as if I did.
I also think the price is a boon. The set commands $164 for both pieces, which isn't cheap, but offers a higher value than competitors. When I was shopping around for a similar outfit, I found many other retailers charged that price for just a top or a bottom, as opposed to both pieces together. It's an instant outfit, and a really nice one at that.
I often travel for work, and usually my itinerary involves several meetings. In these cases, it's really important to me that my wardrobe looks poised and professional. Unfortunately, most of my more tailored looks, like a great button-down shirt, are prone to excessive wrinkling, even when I pack with extra care.
Then I found this shirt. A "No Iron" Shirt sounded too good to be true, but I packed it for a recent work trip and it went from suitcase to meeting without any steam. To really test this claim, after my meeting, I wadded it into a ball and left it sitting like that all night. The next morning, it looked exactly the same as it did the day prior.
The secret is in the fabric, which is a blend of cotton, polyester, and Spandex. It's simultaneously lightweight yet has a sturdy thickness to it, with a point collar and a classic straight silhouette. The latter means it's a little boxy, but not excessively so.
Depending on your personal style, you could size up or down to increase or remove that aspect. I'm typically a medium in tops, though I find button-downs to be tricky as I have a larger bust. Chico's uses its own sizing, so I tried this shirt in both the 0.5, which is like a size 6 or a small, or the 1.0, which the brand says is equivalent to a medium or size 8-10. In all honesty, both sizes looked and felt the same, so I stuck with the larger one as it's a bit more comfy across my chest.
I also like that it has a flattering shirttail hem that looks just as good tucked in as it does left hanging over a pair of jeans.
A pair of secretly stretchy jeans
Emily Hochberg/Business Insider
Wearing rigid jeans on a flight is as uncomfortable as it gets. I won't ever do it unless the flight is an hour or less. Otherwise, forget it.
With one exception: the NYDJ Barbara Bootcut. Made from a combo of cotton, polyester, lyocell, elastomultiester, and elastane, they look like your standard structured jeans but have significantly more stretch. All that flexibility means they're comfortable to wear for long periods of time and don't wrinkle or crease.
The design includes NYDJ's signature Lift Tuck Technology, which flattens the tummy with a slimming panel and flatters curves elsewhere. I'd say that claim is pretty accurate as these jeans fit my body well without any pesky waist gap. I'm typically a size 6 in most pants and these fit true-to-size, though I'd consider sizing up one if you prefer an even stretchier fit for long flights.
I pack them on any trip where long pants are in order and really like the darker wash, which has a vintage feel, and can be dressed up easily (hint: I like pairing them with the No -Iron Shirt listed above).
Dressing in layers is essential when traveling, but nowhere more so than on an airplane. Plane cabins can waver between hot and sweaty or frigidly cold, and there's little you can do about it other than come prepared. For me, that means stashing this cardigan from Quince I've been wearing for years in my carry-on.
Made from sublimely soft Mongolian cashmere, the duster-style length feels as if I've draped myself into a warm, fuzzy blanket. Yet it's still a sophisticated, polished sweater that goes with absolutely everything. It comes in six colors; I have it in the neutral oatmeal shade and have worn it on flights over leggings (or the Barbara Jeans noted above) and a T-shirt. I've also packed it to wear on vacation with a sun dress at dinner in Hawaii, over a long-sleeve shirt in Colorado, and to keep warm on chilly desert nights in Arizona.
It's also impossible to wrinkle. I essentially crumple it into a ball that I throw into my carry-on, and it looks excellent without any effort. If I want to pack it, it's lightweight and folds down without issue. I'm usually a true-to-size medium and that fits perfectly. There's really no need to size up or down as it just drapes open.
Better yet, it's 100% cashmere but without the markup of other brands. Win, win.
You know why I love a jumpsuit? It's a great one-piece outfit. There's no agonizing over whether that top looks good with those pants. Instead, you have a fashion-forward look that's ready to go. That also makes jumpsuits especially great for travel, as it means fewer items to pack.
However, not all jumpsuits do well sitting inside a carry-on for long periods of time. I have a linen one I love, for example, but I'd easily spend an entire morning ironing out all its creases. No thanks. I leave that one at home in favor of this sleek suit from Albion Fit.
Its cinched, belted waist is adjustable and super flattering, and the front gold zipper elevates it from simple to something that appears highly styled. I also appreciate how versatile it is. I can pair it with sneakers for a casual outing, or dress it up with heels and gold jewelry for an elevated look.
But back to why it's so good for travel: the material is made from a performance stretch fabric that's naturally wrinkle-resistant. It's ultra lightweight and moisture-wicking, reminding me a lot of workout clothes. I really like this look for warmer climates and recently packed it for a trip to Las Vegas. It arrived looking as pristine as when I initially placed it inside my packing cube, and kept me cool while sightseeing on the Strip.