I spent much of 2024 trying different brands (using my own money) purporting to have the best travel clothes for women. After buying, wearing, washing, and traveling with a number of items, I have a few things I can confidently recommend.
Here’s what I was looking for: wrinkle-resistant fabric was my number one criteria. In addition to that, I wanted something that would look good, as simple as that sounds…a lot of women’s travel clothing looks like they are preparing you for safari and that’s not my style, unless I’m actually going on safari. I subscribe to the theory that whatever I wear in my own city on a normal day, which is not sneakers and a bucket hat, is what I’m going to wear in a city I’m traveling in.
That said, I wanted some clever performance features as well – hidden zippers, quick-dry fabric, odor-blocking fabric, that kind of thing. I tried several brands marketed for travelers as well as products I found at non-travel brands that highlighted wrinkle resistant options. I’m spilling the tea here…both the brands I recommend, as well as the ones I tried and returned.
The Winner: Wayre
Wayre was my winner for women’s travel clothes that actually work. I bought several pieces I now consider travel essentials, and I’ve worn them everywhere from Las Vegas to the Coliseum in Rome. They really are wrinkle resistant…they do still get some wrinkles in the maxi dresses, but they aren’t very noticeable. The shirts, shorts, and crop tops don’t seem to wrinkle at all.
I bought the Roma Reversible Wrap Dress, which is a maxi dress that you can wear with a v neck in front, or you can turn it around for a high neck in front and a v in back. I’ve only ever worn it with the v in front, as I felt too claustrophobic with the high neckline.
I also have the Tie Front Button Up Crop shirt and the matching Travel Pocket Flow Short. Lastly, I have the Square Neck Button Front Tank.
What I love about Wayre:
- Easy care fabric – you wash and hang these up. They dry quickly and without wrinkles
- Hidden pockets – pretty much every item (even the button front crop top) has at least one lie-flat hidden zippered pocket. Many have multiple pockets
- The fabric is stretchy and really comfortable
- Stink-proof and water resistant fabric – need I say more
- The colors – I found the neutral colors throughout the entire line to be easy to mix and match, which makes for a great travel wardrobe without packing too much
- Pack flat – the fabric is very thin without feeling revealing, which means they lie very flat and pack down easily
- Made from recycled plastic bottles – I love that most of the clothes are made from recycled plastic water bottles and recycled spandex. I’m always up for lessening my environmental impact
- UPF fabric – this fabric really does everything…it gives an extra layer of sun protection, which was crucial while baking in the sun in Rome
What I don’t love about Wayre:
- Sizing was tricky for me – The small on the dress felt too big around the shoulders and waist, but the XS creates such a deep V that I have to wear a camisole underneath to avoid shocking strangers. It’s not my ideal look, but it’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make. The square neck tank felt too small in an XS (gapped at the buttons across my chest) but was too loose in a small. Busty ladies may struggle to find the right fit with Wayre.
- The elastic waist can feel unflattering – I kinda hate how the shorts look from behind, I’ll be honest. They feel too blousy and the shorts in general give too much of a relaxed fit look for my taste
If you shop through my link, you get 15% off your purchase, which I think is a screaming deal! Get 15% off at Wayre.
The Runner Up: Unbound Merino
I found Unbound Merino when I was looking for undershirts I could wear under sweaters in the winter. Somehow, I always find myself both cold and sweating when I wear sweaters in cold weather, which we all know leads to major stink. I wanted a short sleeve top to wear as an undershirt, and after I made my first purchase at Unbound Merino, I was hooked on their shirts but also their travel dresses. I now have one Slim Merino Crew Neck T-Shirt and 3 of the Merino Travel Dress. I love the side slits in the travel dress, which make it easier to walk in and also a little more exciting.
What I love about Unbound Merino:
- Everything is made from wool, which really is very easy to care for. It is odor-resistant and they encourage you not to wash your stuff too much. As previously mentioned, I’m a sweat-er and even I don’t need to wash these very much
- The wool is very lightweight and packs flat
- Wool is moisture-wicking and keeps you at the ideal temperature, whether that’s warming you up or cooling you down
- These are the ultimate basics for your travel collection – you can dress these pieces up or down endlessly with accessories, and there are lots of colors to choose from
What I don’t love about Unbound Merino:
- I think they run small – when they say slim fit, they really mean it – I have the t shirt in a size small and it is skin tight. If I buy another, I will buy the medium. Similarly, the small in the travel dress is as form-fitting as I would want
- Wool is a little itchy – I was very happy with how soft and un-scratchy the merino wool is, but it’s not the kind of material that you forget you have on. People with sensitive skin or sensory issues will struggle with this fabric, I think
- Aside from being wool, there are no other performance benefits to the fabric – no hidden pockets or other travel-helpful features
Grab your Unbound Merino gear.
Other Favorites
I have a lot of other travel outfits that don’t come from travel-specific brands, which I’m sharing here. These are good quality pieces perfect for both everyday wear and travel, and I think are worth the money.
Athleta
I would say that 30% of my wardrobe comes from Athleta, and I travel with a lot of it. In addition to my favorite leggings (the Transcend Stash Tights) and lightweight sports bra (the Elation Longline Bra), both of which I tend to wear on long flights, they’ve got a lot of travel-ready clothes. They have several casual wear items that I love for their performance features (quick dry, stretchy fabric, UPF, etc) but I do find that in general, they wrinkle a lot.
I did live in Athleta on my recent trip to Disney World, where I wore their Pinnacle High Rise Cargo Trouser and the Essential Top with long sleeves. Look at this photo – I definitely need to come up with some Disneyland captions for all our great shots.
I love that these Athleta pants have deep pockets and an elastic hem without feeling too bubble-butt like (as the Wayre shorts did). They are great travel bottoms, although I will say that my husband thinks they are too loose-fitting and not that flattering. The shirt is one of those basic tops that is comfortable and can be worn with anything.
I also adore their sleeveless jumpsuit, which I own in three colors. You’ll see that throughout all my travels because it is a one piece, which means it couldn’t be simpler to pack or accessorize, it dries quickly, and it’s flattering. I will say with that one that I do find the materials shows pretty much anything, so you have to be careful to keep sunscreen, lotion, etc from marking it or you’ll be washing it often.
Ponte Dresses from Loft
If Athleta makes up 30% of my wardrobe, Loft makes up the other 70%. Loft carries a couple of dresses made from ponte fabric, which I find to be perfect for travel. I took one to Europe for several weeks and it was the most wrinkle-resistant of anything I packed. I loved it enough that I just bought a second color of the same dress. This dress in particular is super flattering, with a square neckline and a midi length. I think it runs big (I got the 2 first, felt it was too large, got the 0 in my second dress, and I think it’s still a bit too loose) so this is a good one for larger sizes. I will say that the thicker material does take up noticeably more space in my suitcase than Wayre or Unbound Merino, but it also looks nicer and is easier to dress up so I think it’s worth it.
Birkenstocks
I admit it, I was resistant to Birkenstocks for around 25 years. After buying a pair of the Arizona sandals to wear around Europe last summer on another blogger’s recommendation, I have to say I am a full convert. They are ubiquitous for good reason. I wore them with absolutely everything, walking all day, and my feet never hurt. They never slipped off my feet, never gave me blisters, and were total workhorses. I have since bought another pair in another color, and I am not looking back. Don’t be like me. Just buy some (get the “soft footbed” ones).
Here I am wearing the Birkenstocks and the same Athleta jumpsuit I mentioned above — I meant it when I said I have it in multiple colors!
ON Sneakers
I bought the Cloud 5 Coast sneakers because I was looking for an extremely lightweight, packable sneaker that I could wear around Europe. I didn’t end up taking these with me because I refuse to believe what my actual shoe size is and I buy 1/2 size too small chronically. I know, I have issues. But, I wear these around town now and they are insanely light. They take up no space in a suitcase and you can wear them with the heel up or pushed down like a mule.
Paul Green Sneakers
The shoes I actually did take on my last trip were these Paul Green Ajay Sport Sneakers. In fact, these exact shoes have been to at least 9 countries at this point, and I should probably have a backup pair ready to go in case they ever wear out. These are hands down the most comfortable walking shoes I have owned, and they are low-profile enough to go great with shorts, jeans, dresses, skirts, etc. They have stayed pretty darn clean across all that travel (and the leather is easy to clean when they do get dirty), and while I know they are expensive, they are 100% worth it in my opinion. My price-per-wear on these shoes is minuscule at this point.
What to Skip
Ok, it’s time to talk about what didn’t work for me. I had high hopes for several brands, many of which are well known in the travel world, but I just couldn’t make them work for me. Here’s what I sent back (good thing they have a good return policy!)
Ripley Rader
I had a few hiccups with Ripley Rader that made me send my order back. I was enticed by the gorgeous silhouettes of their wide legged pants and matching cropped top, which I thought would be perfect for long-haul flights and still make me look put together. Their brand is touted to have the perfect pant and unfortunately, they were anything but perfect for me.
I experienced significant shipping delays, which started things off badly. It took weeks for my order to arrive, and it was shipped in parts, so it was difficult to get the full picture of a matching set and I worried about missing the return window if they didn’t work out. I was also intrigued by the claim that the fabric was wrinkle resistant. I found that it was very wrinkly, and the pants were so tight I cannot imagine who can wear them comfortably. I tried multiple sizes and found them to be too small, far too long, and just not working for me. Back they went.
Quince
I see Quince talked about everywhere, and I really hoped to love it because they seem like a great deal. Everything is super affordable, but I found that the quality was noticeably worse than the other brands I tried and kept. I also found that though they promoted a Tencel Jersey Fit & Flare Dress as being wrinkle resistant (and in my reading, Tencel was a good fabric for this), I found it both horribly wrinkled on arrival and just really unflattering on my body. It was fitted up top but then hung like a tent on bottom. I tried another of their Tencel dresses (I don’t remember which) and it also was an immediate no. These items do have great reviews, so maybe they will work as good basic dresses for others, but they definitely were not for me.
What I Want to Try Next
There are 2 brands on my radar that I want to try next: Aday and Anatomie. Both talk about performance fabrics and offer classy basics that seem like they would be great for my next trip. I’m never going to stop looking for wrinkle free travel clothes, so check back to see if I give them a go — you know you’ll get the honest truth on them from me!
Wrap Up
When I’m packing, I’m constantly fighting between being practical and bringing alllll the options. I am a pretty strictly carry-on-only person, so I tend to sacrifice style for space. With these travel clothes for women, though, I finally have found things I love that travel well, mix and match beautifully, and give me some great performance features that regular clothes just can’t do. Travel clothes have come a long way in recent years, and I’m thrilled that you can get good-looking gear that gives you plenty of practicality without making your look scream, “Tourist!”
Now, what brands have you tried and loved that I need to check out next?
