Hello sew-friends! If you've been following me for a while, then you might know that besides sewing, one of my biggest passions is travel. I love exploring new places, seeing new things and experiencing different cultures. Like many travelers, I also love planning for a trip and want to be as prepared as possible.
A big part of feeling prepared is having a wardrobe that works with the weather, adapts to different temperatures and is comfortable. My main goals when packing for travel are comfort, style and versatility. If I can make my garments myself, all the better—mostly because when I sew for myself my clothing fits better which means I feel more comfortable. In this post, I’m sharing two garments that I made last year have become go-to travel garments, specifically for my plane outfit. (Everyone has a specific "plane outfit" right?)
The first garment is a pair of Jodi Wide-Leg Knit Pants in black ponte. This is a pattern that I released last year and one that I wear frequently. The waistband of the Jodi Pants is designed with a medium rise, so they sit below the natural waist, just below the belly button. Personally, I find this position more comfortable than a high rise pant. This pattern is designed to be both stylish and comfortable, making it perfect for plane travel. I also think these pants work well for out and about activities in place of slacks or jeans.
This pair is made in a black ponte knit fabric. It looks less casual than a sweatshirt fabric but is still comfortable, because of the stretch. The ponte is soft and has a little bit of drape to it so the look is more like classic slacks than sweat pants. The only thing that I don't love about this fabric is that it is relatively heavy in weight, so it adds more weight to your suitcase than other knit fabrics.
This pattern comes in sizes up to a 62” (157cm) hip measurement and there’s a full video sewalong here on the blog.
The Jodi Wide Leg Knit pants are the perfect mix of style and comfort. These ankle length pants feature angled side seam pockets, a medium rise and a lightly gathered elastic waistband. These pants are easy to sew, comfortable to wear and have a stylish wide leg.
This pattern is rated as Advanced Beginner. It’s helpful to have experience sewing with knit fabric but this is easy enough to sew as your first knit fabric sewing project. There are blog posts in the sewalong to help you.
Theses pants are designed to have a “skim” fit with just a little bit of negative ease. You’ll have all the comfort of stretch knit fabric but none of the tightness of a garment like leggings. See the size chart for more details.
This digital pattern includes an illustrated, step-by-step instruction booklet, a print-at-home layered pattern for letter or A4 size paper, a US copy shop pattern, an A0 size pattern and a projector pattern. All pattern files have layers.
Model is 5’11” and is wearing a size E.
THIS IS NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT. After checkout, you will receive a link to the pattern that will be active for 24 hours after you click it. Prices are in USD.
The second garment that I love for travel is an oversized button down shirt. I love this style of shirt so much that I have worn through at least two of them. Just like the Jodi Pants, the big shirt is the perfect mix of style and comfort. It's not restrictive but the style is polished. I also appreciate that I can wear a tank top or t-shirt underneath and a sweater on top. (Layering is crucial for planes, where you never know if you'll be too cold or too hot.)
For this shirt, I used the vintage pattern Stretch & Sew 1504, circa 1985. I used this pattern once before in 2024 and I really like the style and fit. For more details on the pattern, check out this blog post. A similar pattern Named Silmu Shirt.
The fabric is a dark brown and cream checked cotton fabric that I got years ago at (I think) The Fabric Store when they had a location in Los Angeles. I love this fabric and have also used it for a pair of shorts, an Eva top and in a quilt top. The colors are neutral and classic so they go with a variety of other garments. And the cotton is really easy to work with.
This shirt was not difficult to sew because I’ve used this pattern before and sewn button downs before. As with all sewing projects, the more you practice, the easier things (usually) go.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. While this is my current favorite travel outfit, I recognize that a wardrobe is an evolving thing. As time passes, styles change and bodies change and the wardrobe needs to adjust as well. It’s part of the fun of making your own clothes and building a wardrobe of things that work for you. For more info on sewing these garments and my experiments with the travel wardrobe, check out the links below.
OTHER BLOg POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY
If you’re interested in a more detailed DIY packing list, I shared what I packed for a 2-week trip to England last summer over on my Substack. I detail everything I packed, what I wore and didn’t and suggest patterns to make your own. Click here to read that post.
How to sew buttons by machine and a one-step buttonhole
Tips for sewing your first button down shirt (This is a post that I wrote that is hosted on the Bernina We All Sew blog)
If you’d like to save this post for later, you can save the image below to Pinterest.
