I sat next to an off-duty flight attendant on a five-hour flight last month. She was in a soft navy half-zip and matching joggers, curled up against the window, and she looked more comfortable than anyone I've ever seen on an airplane. So I asked.
"Everyone on the crew has one of these," she said. "You fly enough, you figure out what works. Zip collar for the cold air, pockets for your phone and passport, elastic waist, and it never wrinkles. I have it in three colors."
She was wearing the Everyday Athleisure Set. I bought the burgundy from the airport Wi-Fi before we landed. Here's why it's earned a permanent spot in my carry-on.
The zip collar is the whole idea
Airplane cabins have two temperatures: too cold and, briefly, too hot. The high stand collar with a center zip is what makes this set work. Zip it up and it's a soft turtleneck against the air vent. Zip it down and it's a relaxed crew neck for the taxi.
The sleeves are long and relaxed enough to pull over your hands. There's no hood to bunch behind your head. It's the closest thing to a blanket that also looks like an outfit.
It doesn't wrinkle. It can't.
This is a lightweight, quick-dry knit. It's the fabric flight crews trust because it comes out of a suitcase looking exactly the way it went in. No crease from sitting, no fold lines from packing, no iron in your life.
Spill coffee on it, which I did on the second flight, and rinse it in the hotel sink. It's dry in a couple of hours. Try that with sweatpants.
Pockets where you actually need them
Two front pockets on the top, deep enough for a phone and a passport. Pockets on the pants for the boarding pass and the earbuds. The elastic waist on the joggers sits soft and stays put, and the cuffed ankle hem keeps the hem off airport floors.
It looks like an outfit, not like giving up
The fit is oversized and relaxed, but it's cut, not slouchy. The collar gives it structure, the tonal color makes it read as intentional, and the tapered jogger with the cuffed hem looks sharp with white sneakers. This is athleisure the way a stylist would do it, not the way a gym does it.
Nine colors, from navy and black to mint, camel, turquoise and pink. Sizes S to 5XL. The cabin crew woman had it in burgundy, camel and black. I now understand why.
It's $45. A checked bag costs more.
The set normally sells for $83.75. Readers get it for $45 this week. That's under $23 a piece for the top and the pants, which is the cheapest thing I've ever found that I'd actually wear from the airport to a restaurant.
What I used to fly in vs. what I fly in now
I made this list for my sister, who flies in a hoodie and leggings and is always cold. She ordered the camel.
| Everyday Athleisure Set | Hoodie & leggings | |
|---|---|---|
| Warm when the cabin is freezing | Zip collar, long sleeves | Hood bunches, still cold |
| Cool when the jet bridge is hot | Zip down, lightweight knit | Sweaty |
| Wrinkles out of a bag | None | None, but looks like a gym bag |
| Pockets for phone and passport | Four | Zero, or one useless one |
| Looks like an outfit at lunch | Yes | No |
| Dries overnight in a hotel | Yes | Not the hoodie |
| Sizes | S to 5XL | S to XL if you're lucky |
The flight attendant's method, as told to me
Word for word, roughly.
- Wear the set to the airport. Zip up when they turn the air on
- Pack the second color rolled in the corner of your bag
- Sneakers, sunglasses, one good bag. That's the whole look
- Land, zip down, go to lunch
Build your own airplane collection
Tap a color to check sizes. Navy, black and burgundy go first.
Navy Blue
Black
Burgundy
Camel Brown
Coffee Brown
Mint Green
Turquoise
Pink
GrayWhat other frequent flyers say
sets on planes and counting
Wore the coffee brown on a red-eye to Boston and slept the whole way. It's soft, it's warm, and I walked into my meeting in it with a blazer over the top. Nobody blinked.
Turquoise, because why not. The color is exactly like the picture and the fabric dries in no time. I've washed it in three different hotel sinks now.
I'm a 4XL and this is the first set that fits without pulling at the shoulders. The zip collar is genius. I own black and navy and my husband keeps borrowing the black.
The pockets. Honestly, the pockets. Phone, passport, gum, and my hands free. Comfortable enough to sleep in and I did.
$45 instead of $83.75, while it lasts
The Everyday Athleisure Set is normally $83.75. Trendy Fashion Journal readers can get it for $45 right now, any color, any size from S to 5XL.
It's the set flight crews buy in multiples, which means the popular colors don't stay in stock long. If the button below still works, the price is still on.
Questions readers ask
What is the fabric?
A lightweight, quick-dry knit. It's soft, holds its shape, and doesn't wrinkle. Not a natural fiber, and that's exactly why it packs and dries the way it does.
Is it warm enough for a cold cabin?
Yes. The zip collar and long sleeves are the reason crews wear it. On a hot day zip it down and the lightweight fabric breathes.
How does it fit?
Oversized and relaxed on the top, tapered jogger with an elastic waist and cuffed hem on the bottom. Take your usual size. Sizes S to 5XL, free exchanges.
How do I wash it?
Machine wash cold, hang or tumble dry low. It dries fast enough to rinse in a hotel sink and wear the next morning.
How fast does it ship?
Orders ship within 24 hours with tracking. Delivery times for your address show at checkout.
The bottom line
If the people who fly every week wear this set when they fly for fun, that's the only review that matters. Warm, cool, pocketed, wrinkle-proof and presentable at lunch.
At $45 it's cheaper than the checked bag you'll no longer need.
P.S. I emailed the flight attendant a link to this article. She replied with one line: "Told you. Get the camel next."
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