The Ultimate Flying Outfit

'Tis the season for traveling across great distances in inhumane conditions just to be home for the holidays. Wearing head-to-toe oversized university apparel might be physically comfortable in those merciless skies, but I couldn't imagine how great of a beating my self-esteem would take having to be dressed so poorly for all those hours in transit. Hence, I constantly find myself on the quest for pieces that straddle the line between comfortable and stylish---gems that comprise my travel arsenal. Taking on the challenge by my friend Brandon to "bring style back to the skies", allow me to share with you what I wear when I fly:

1. Large black sunglasses hide jetlagged eyes and double as a sleeping mask when the airline you fly is too stingy to provide you with one.

black shield sunglasses by Number (N)ine

2. A relaxed jacket comfortable enough for you to sleep in, rendered in a luxurious fabric such as silk satin or jersey to keep you looking polished for both the authorities and the onlookers. This one comes in a palatial black-on-black silk brocade, with a shot of lime in the lining.

silk Chinese jacket by Shanghai Tang

3. Roomy pants, because sharp tailoring can almost be piercingly painful at the fourteenth hour on the cramped coach seat you've been tossing and turning on. I got these trousers in extra-large and belted them to my size, folding in a pleat under each of two belt loops to create my very own quick DIY pleated pants.

trousers by Cheap Monday

4. Rings, both sparkly and colorful, keep me sufficiently entertained during those short windows of time at take-off and landing when use of any electronic device is prohibited.

bird head and "incomplete traffic light" rings from the Brooklyn Flea

5. Slip-on shoes, because though lace-ups may be handsome, hopping about to get them on at the end of a security line of annoyed travelers isn't.

slip-ons by defunct footwear label 3:33

6. And a bag of the perfect size, spacious enough to carry all your documents and a couple of snacks, yet not so big as to tempt you to stuff in half your apartment, causing you to look like a weighed-down wanderer.

Saffiano leather travel bag by Prada

Here they are all together:

note how wearing all of The Dandy Project's travel essentials head-to-toe makes one look more Asian than usual

I've once made the mistake of wearing stretch skinny jeans on a long-haul flight that started to pull at my leg hairs after a few hours up in low-moisture altitudes, resulting in prolonged excruciating pain. Do you have any flying foibles you'd like to share?