How to Dress for a Long-Haul Flight

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The question behind how to dress for a long haul flight is a simple one: what do you wear for twelve hours in a pressurised cabin that still looks right when the doors open at the other end? Most men answer only half of it. They choose comfort and arrive looking slept in, or they choose a suit and spend the night regretting it.

The answer is a short list of soft, dark, quiet things that layer well and need nothing from you. Daniel Craig’s Bond is a useful lens, not because the films show us his flights (they largely do not), but because his later wardrobe is built from exactly that kind of clothing: fine knits, needlecord, suede, plain shoes. We take the principles from it and leave the costume behind.

The short answer

Dress in three layers you can remove: a soft base, a fine knit, and a light jacket with real pockets. Wear trousers with a little give, in cord, wool or washed cotton, never stiff denim. Choose shoes that slip on and off at security and still look considered at the gate. Carry sunglasses, one good watch and a single bag. Then change one thing on arrival, the knit or the shirt, and you are ready for a meeting or a dinner.

What the films show

We should be plain about this: our records do not place the pieces below on a plane or in an airport. What they do show is a pattern. In Spectre, Bond meets Mr White in Austria in a fumo grey cashmere roll neck, and later wears a fine mock turtle neck under a suede jacket, a combination the catalogue also records in the final London scenes. In Morocco he arrives in a suede blouson over a navy polo. In No Time To Die, Matera brings grey needlecord and a brown suede chukka, and the commando scenes bring a white henley under a navy ribbed sweater.

None of it is flashy. It is soft in texture, dark or neutral in colour, and it works as a set. That is the lesson for a long flight, and it comes from Daniel Craig’s Bond rather than from any one scene.

Layers: the base, the knit, the jacket

A cabin runs cold at night and warm at boarding, so you want layers that come off in a second. Start against the skin with something plain and soft. The Rag & Bone Classic Henley is the sort of base we mean: slub cotton, a soft collar and a short placket, and it is the shirt that sits under the navy sweater in the commando outfit in No Time To Die. Its maker calls it soft and lightweight, which is what you want under another layer for twelve hours.

Rag & Bone Classic Henley Long Sleeve (No Time To Die)View the piece

The knit does most of the work. It is pillow, blanket and smart layer in one, and it is where it pays to spend. Cashmere is warm without weight, and a fine gauge sits under a jacket without bunching at the shoulder. We would choose the N.Peal mock turtle neck, a fine gauge blend of 70% cashmere and 30% silk. It does the job of a shirt and tie in a softer way, and a mock neck does not crowd the chin when you lean back. If you want something warmer, the N.Peal cable roll neck in fumo grey is 100% Mongolian cashmere with a fine cable: pale enough to lift a dark jacket, and soft enough to fold behind your neck.

N.Peal 007 Fine Gauge Mock Turtle Neck Sweater (Spectre)View the piece

N.Peal Cable Roll Neck Sweater Fumo Grey (Spectre)View the piece

One honest limit. A roll neck is the wrong choice if you run warm, because you cannot take the collar off. For a flight into a hot city, the mock neck or the henley alone is the better call. Note too that Lapis Blue, the colour in the film, is no longer sold by N.Peal; the dark charcoal is the one to buy, and it goes with everything.

The third layer is the jacket, and it needs pockets deep enough for a passport and a phone. The Matchless Craig Blouson is a plain suede blouson with a two-way zip, slash pockets and a standing collar, made in Italy in a limited run of 700. We think it suits an early flight: a collarless, uncluttered jacket does not catch on a seatbelt. Its limits are that suede dislikes rain, and that availability varies. A softer, unstructured cotton or wool jacket in navy does the same job at lower risk.

Matchless Craig Blouson Suede Jacket (Spectre)View the piece

If you prefer a sweater that can stand alone, the N.Peal Ribbed Army Sweater is the practical choice: 90% Merino and 10% cashmere, in deep navy, with a ribbed texture. The canvas patches protect the elbows, which matters when you spend half the night with them on an armrest.

N.Peal 007 Ribbed Army Sweater Navy Blue (No Time To Die)View the piece

Trousers that survive twelve hours

This is where most travel outfits fail. Stiff denim and sharp wool creases both punish you by hour six. What you want is a trouser with a little give, a flat front and no belt buckle pressing into the stomach.

The Massimo Alba Winch is cut from baby corduroy, a very fine needlecord, in a muted grey called Alluminio. The cut is slim and flat-fronted, so the line stays clean when you stand up after a night of sitting. Bond wears them in the Matera scenes of No Time To Die, and we think they are the most useful trousers in his off-duty wardrobe. They are Italian sized, 44 to 60, so check the maker’s chart before ordering. Corduroy is not a hot-weather choice; for tropical destinations, a washed cotton or a light wool is better.

Massimo Alba Winch Corduroy Trousers in Alluminio (No Time To Die)View the piece

Shoes

Feet swell on a long flight, and you will take your shoes off at security and probably again in the cabin. That argues for a lace-up that loosens easily or a boot that slips on, in a colour that goes with everything you packed.

The Drake’s Crosby is an unlined suede chukka with three eyelets and a crepe sole. Unlined means it is lighter and softer, and it settles to the foot, though Drake’s does note it is a boot for dry days and mild weather. Crepe is forgiving underfoot on a long walk through a terminal. The same sole says weekend, so we would not wear it with a dark business suit.

If your arrival involves a meeting, the Crockett & Jones Highbury is the more formal choice: a plain-fronted black calf derby with three pairs of eyelets, Goodyear welted and made in England, with a rubber City sole. Bond wears it in London in No Time To Die. It is a shoe that asks very little, and polished on arrival it goes with a dark suit. It is stiffer than the chukka for the flight itself, so it is a decision about what the day after looks like.

Crockett & Jones Highbury Black Calf (No Time To Die)View the piece

Whichever you choose, wear socks you would be content to be seen in, and carry a small shoe horn if the laces are short.

Sunglasses and what to carry

Sunglasses earn their place twice: against the glare on landing, and as a way to block cabin light. Pick a pair that folds or fits easily in a jacket pocket. The Vuarnet Legend 06 is a brown nylon frame with Brownlynx mineral glass lenses, made in France, in a shape dating from 1967 by the maker’s account. Daniel Craig’s Bond wears the pair in the Jamaica sequences of No Time To Die. The nylon has shape memory, so a pair that gets squashed in a pocket springs back. It comes in a single size, so try before you buy.

Vuarnet Legend 06 Sunglasses Brown Brownlynx (No Time To Die)View the piece

The rest of what you carry should be short. A passport, a phone, a wallet, a pen and one book is plenty. If you want a camera, the Leica Q2 is a full-frame compact with a fixed 28mm lens and a sealed body, so it does not mind a drizzle. It appears on Q’s desk in No Time To Die, and Bond does not carry it. We include it as a reasonable alternative to a bag of lenses: with nothing to swap, there is nothing to decide at the gate.

Leica Q2 Black (No Time To Die)View the piece

For the bag itself, the Bennett Winch S.C. Holdall is the thoughtful option when tailoring is going with you. The suit carrier wraps around a canvas holdall, so a jacket and trousers lie over a wide cylinder rather than being folded hard. Paloma unrolls the olive carrier to present Bond with his Tom Ford tuxedo in No Time To Die; only the carrier is seen, not the holdall. The outside pocket takes a passport and wallet, which is convenient at check-in. It is a great deal of bag for a short trip, and a plain soft holdall will do the same job for less.

Bennett Winch S.C. Holdall with Suit Carrier in Olive (No Time To Die)View the piece

Watch

Wear a watch you will not worry about. A long flight means knocks on armrests and overhead lockers, and a watch that is already a little worn is a relaxed companion. The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition is Grade 2 titanium, 42mm, with a tropical brown dial and a titanium mesh bracelet, which Omega describes as strong and light. A light bracelet matters when the wrist swells in the cabin. Bond wears it throughout No Time To Die. We would choose it on the mesh, as in the film. It is a major purchase, and any robust, simple watch with a clear dial serves the same purpose.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition (No Time To Die)View the piece

Set the time to your destination as you board.

Arrival: what to change into

You do not need a second outfit, only one change. If you have a meeting, put on a fresh shirt in the lavatory or at the hotel and swap the knit for the jacket. If you are heading to dinner, change the henley and keep the knit. Splash water on your face, run a comb through your hair, and put the sweater in the bag you are carrying rather than the hold.

This is why we favour dark colours and natural fabrics. Cashmere, cotton and suede recover; synthetic blends hold the creases and the smell. If a jacket arrives creased, hang it in the bathroom while you shower and the steam will relax it.

What we would choose

If we were choosing one outfit, it would be this. The Rag & Bone henley against the skin, the N.Peal mock turtle neck over it in charcoal, the Massimo Alba cord trousers, the Drake’s chukka, and an unstructured jacket on top. It is plain, warm and soft, and it looks as though you thought about it for thirty seconds, which is the right amount. The suede jacket is the finishing touch if you have the budget and the weather is dry.

Practical notes

Keep metal to a minimum: a watch, and a belt only if you need one. It saves time at security.
Wear your bulkiest layer, not your lightest. Space in the bag is worth more than a cooler cabin.
Treat suede with a protector spray before the first trip, and brush it afterwards.

Questions

What should a man wear on a long haul flight?

Soft layers in dark, neutral colours: a cotton henley, a fine knit, a light jacket, trousers with some give and shoes that come off easily. Layers matter more than any single piece, because the cabin temperature changes through the night.

Can you wear a suit on a long flight?

You can, but we would not. A suit creases and restricts, and it makes the hours harder. Carry it in a suit carrier and change on arrival instead.

What shoes are best for a long flight?

Shoes that slip on or loosen easily, with a flexible sole and room for swollen feet. A suede chukka or a plain derby with a rubber sole both work. Avoid anything new or stiff.

Is cashmere good for flying?

Yes. It is warm for its weight, soft against the neck and recovers well from being folded. A fine gauge blend is the most useful, as it fits under a jacket.

Should you dress up for business class?

Dress to be comfortable first and presentable second. Tidy, dark, well-fitted casual clothes pass everywhere and suit the cabin better than formal wear.