My husband wears microfleece sweat pants onto the plane, then changes into what his mom calls "grown up" pants in the restroom at the airport.

He doesn't mind being seen in transit wearing black sweats with his walking shoes (and looking pretty dorky!) but he draws the line at walking the streets of Paris like that.

I always pack one pair of his trousers in a smooth roll (to prevent wrinkles) at the very top of his carry on inside of a big ziplock. He just slides it out and changes. He's 6'4" and could never manage to change in a coach bathroom.

I follow the advice of most of the ladies here have already posted.

Have a great trip.

If I'm making a clothing change I do so in the airport bathroom (as mentioned wisely above!) just before boarding or upon arrival (when I am going hot climate to cold one for instance). As for using the plane bathroom, been there, tried that... yuck.

The trick is for your outfit to FEEL like pajamas to you, but LOOK like a snazzy stylish outfit to others!

For me that's where the various knit fabrics come in. Chicos, Lands End, TravelSmith all have mail order websites and a good selection. Or (again I'm agreeing with someone above) just keep your mind open to finding travel clothes any time/place you're shopping.

Black cashmere hoodie -- absolutely!! The great thing I've discovered about wearing a hoodie on a long flight is that I can do without the eyeshades. I just flip the hood up far enough over my head so it covers my eyes.

Of course the bad side is a variant of Hat Hair -- Hoodie Hair.

I agree with most responses. But I want to emphasize comfortable shoes. My feet swell a lot after a long flight so I wear black sandals with black socks. No elastic at the top of the socks and velcro closers on the sandal straps so I can adjust the fit.

Marilyn, I shouldn't have read your post while I was eating lunch, I almost chocked. Hoodie hair!

I guess I will look like I am from the 'hood, now if I can only get the moves right, lol.

I have this fantastic dress I bought at a department store a few years back. It is a velour type material that doesn't wrinkle, no sleeves but I layer a black sweater on top. It is long and I wear zip up short water proof boots that come off easily. It is softer and as comfortable as any nightgown I own and looks timely as it is a dark animal print. It doubles as a dress up evening outfit and NEVER NEEDS IRONING!

Hasn't anyone gone into the handicapped loo on the plane. Every wide-body has them. These are large enough for a wheelchair and more than sufficient for anyone who wants to join the 'Mile-High' Club with room to spare. You can actually stretch your arms out and not touch the walls.

LoveItaly, I do realize that it's a long trip to Australia, but my question was about these ultra-long nonstops. Sydney to Los Angeles is about 14 1/2 hours, and I think that's the longest Australia to US flight. So I'm still curious about these 15 1/2 and 20 hour flights people are taking...just wondering.

Hi KT, I think one poster here said they have had 20 hour flights from Asia.

I have noticed that everyone has a different interrupation of "flight time".

I tend to count the hours from the time I get on the plane until I get off the plane at my destination. I consider that the "flight" time.

I have a few friends that start counting the hours from the time they leave their house to go to the airport until they arrive at their hotel (or whereever they are staying).

I have one friend that never gets it straight in her head that there is a 9 hour time difference from the US westcoast to where she arrives in Europe. It drives me crazy but I gave up on trying to explain that a long time ago, LOL.

When I fly from SFO to Venice, counting the wait to change planes in Amsterdam, the flight (from the time I board at SFO and arrive at the Venice airport) is 15 hours.

However, if I add on the time to get to SFO (about 2 1/2 hours plus the early check in time since 911), waiting for my luggage in Venice and the drive from the Venica airport to the small town in Veneto I stay in (another hour) then the way some travellers figure it the trip takes a minimum of 22 hours. That is IF there are not any strikes in Italy that is!

And I suppose that since one puts on their travelling clothes before they leave their house and have them on until they reach their hotel at their destination their travel time in regards to what to wear for comfort does make good sense.

Take care.

LoveItaly, that makes sense. I guess I try to psych myself out by doing the opposite when I fly SFO to Europe -- telling myself that even though it will take me 20-some hours door-to-door it's only an 11-hour flight plus a 2-hour flight or whatever. That way, even though I'm facing a long day of travel misery I'm only facing two theoretically bearable periods of claustrophobic, stuck-in-one-seat ultra-misery!

Hi KT, well it sounds like you and I think alike!

I too do not think about the door to door length, just the actual flight time. And when I leave Amsterdam for Venice the flight seems rather short versus the long flight from our westcoast to Amsterdam.

I am lucky that I do not really get letlag flying over. I guess the only time I feel a bit stressed is when I arrive in Venice. But once I see my luggage has arrived then all is well.

This post made me think of the photos in my great-aunt's scrapbook of her "grand tour" of Europe in the mid-1960's. On their charter Elks Club flight, she and her gal pals are decked out in light-colored suits with...corsages. On the return flight from Paris almost one month later, they're still decked out, minus the corsages but with fresh baguettes in hand. They look pretty spiffy in all the photos (and did they ever look like they were having fun!)

Of course this was an old fashioned American Express fully escorted tour, and wrestling with luggage was not an issue (they had room in that luggage for gin, too, as the martini-party photos attest to).
I can barley bring myself to wear a skirt to work, so I did not inherit her sense of style, just her blonde hair and love of a good time!

On a long flight, I go for comfortable clothes, eye shades and one of those weird-looking but so comfortable inflatable neck pillows. Martini optional.

I have these and they are so comfortable!! They look pretty descent with my Dansko Mikala's and a soft, cozy sweater. Think I can get away with wearing this on the plane and into Paris. Will change as soon as I get to apartment.

http://www.barefootyoga.com/Detail.bok?no=252

Yup, danskos and velour drawstring pants - that's my uniform, too.

I don't suppose that first-time poster Kelbert would be any relation to the Kelly LeFebvre who's the head of the Barefoot Yoga company?

Regardless, I'll keep wearing my boring, straightforward $30 all-cotton knit elastic-waist pants. I don't feel like shelling out almost $70 for a poly-cotton blend with a bunch of pockets to sit on.

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I see that Kelbert isn't a first-timer -- my search malfunctioned. I really do apologize, Kelbert.

Nonetheless, I'm sticking with my plain cheap pants! :-)

For self mind games, I go with small time segments (i.e., the movie, food service, read magazine). If I looked at the ENTIRE time, from leaving home to arriving with time change included it's 1-1/2 DAYS and that I cannot bear!

Also do not (I repeat do not) look at that little map on the seat back entertainment screen and watch the plane fly for 10 hours (flight time remaining 9 hours 45 mins... pause wait look again... flight time remaining 9 hours and 42 mins) -LOL.

Not a problem KT....:-)

I understand you being suspicious. I didn't pay that much for my pants...got them at a local yoga store...on the clearance rack. They were bringing in the new season stuff...so I lucked out. The only reason I posted the link was to see what people thought of them.

Kelbert