Heading off on a trip and don’t know what to wear? Before you rummage for any bottoms in the back of your closet, take a gander at these elevated travel pants you’ll soon grow to love. We understand whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or car, comfort is key. And while we love our trusty leggings and sweats, some folks prefer looking a little more pulled together with stylish bottoms during their trips.
When it came to curating our list of best travel pants, we put in place a set of criteria to meet: They should look versatile enough to wear straight off the plane and for the next stop on your jam-packed schedule, be comfortable enough to withstand whatever weird contortions we end up in when trying to catch sleep on a long-haul flight, and match the rest of our wardrobe enough to be worn multiple days throughout our trip. Along with those requirements are a handful of secondary concerns like wrinkle resistance, technical fabric, and, of course, pockets.
Say hello to our 13 top travel pant picks below. Once you learn the beauty of these sweat-wicking, breezy, and relaxed-fit bottoms, we promise you'll never go back.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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Welcome to Fashionably Black!, a style and culture guide for Black people highlighting the cultural moments, pioneers, and conversations we’ve always been a part of! Putting a magnifying glass to style & self-expression, Fashionably Black! explores the many ways we are the history, we are the fashion, and will ALWAYS be. We’re not trending, we’re true.
Black Business Month is all about celebrating and acknowledging Black businesses locally and internationally. Within the last few years, Black-owned businesses have been receiving the recognition they rightfully deserve. We’ve seen this change through collaborations with Black businesses like Range Beauty, Homage Year, and Zerina Akers and big brands such as Target, Nordstrom, and Macy’s, to name a few. Every month, there’s a new Black-owned brand emerging on the scene but the odds are still stacked against their success.
Black-owned businesses are less likely than their white counterparts to be approved for financing at banks, according to Federal Reserve data. But Black businesses continue to use their creativity and unique voices to market themselves and overcome the systemic obstacles in their way. . And over and over, Black consumers prove that our buying power is strong and our support keeps these businesses afloat.
Unbothered doesn’t just celebrate Black businesses in August — we’re Black all year. For this installment of Fashionably Black!, we spoke to three creatives about Black-owned fashion and beauty brands they recommend and why we should support them well beyond Black Business Month.
“I’ve never had a good experience with powder foundation and truth be told, it’s never had a good reputation in my book. The first time that I did try powder foundation was a few years ago and it did not give what it was supposed to give. The coverage was trash and especially as someone with oily skin, I need all the coverage I could get. Once I discovered The Good Mineral‘s powder foundation, I was sold off-rip.
The powder foundation comes in undertones for every shade and shades for every hue. We love the diversity in beauty products. Not only did I get full coverage, but it’s a clean beauty brand, vegan, cruelty-free, and Black women-owned. It’s perfect for my sensitive, acne-prone skin with a lightweight feel and active ingredients, including sunscreen. Ladies, if you’re an oily skin baddie like me, go ahead and add this to your cart ASAP. The brand only has a little over 5k followers on Instagram, and they honestly deserve way more.” – D’Shonda Brown, Culture Editor and Influencer
Kai Collective
“Kai Collective truly never misses. From the color range to the silhouettes Kai Collective is the brand for anyone. My favorite item from them is the Mayan set. It’s the perfect mixture between sexy and classy, with sheer fabric and lettuce hem finishing. And if you are a woman like me you love a snatched waist which the top lovely provides. I appreciate the effort that the brand puts into its marketing because they showcase various body types. As a curvier woman it feels good to be represented in that way but also the clothes look just as flattering and sexy on.” – Maiya Carmichael, Social Content Strategist and Influencer
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No matter how old you get, chances are late summer and early autumn will always evoke back-to-school vibes. As Tom Hanks’ You’ve Got Mail character said of the season, “It makes me wanna buy school supplies.” But rather than a haul of notebooks, highlighters, and textbook covers, it’s time to scoop up fall’s biggest back-to-school trends when planning your latest shopping lists.
Think of pleated skirts, polo shirts, and blazers with a preppy touch as the cooler-weather take on summer core aesthetics like golf and tennis fashion. And, of course, sweaters of all kinds, from cardigans to collegiate cable knits and super-soft cashmere (vests included). You can even make like the Louis Vuitton runway and cinch a bold jumper around your waist with everything from rugby tees to dresses for instant school-is-in-session cool.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Pleated Skirts
Pleated skirts are the ultimate preppy piece for every desired length and aesthetic. Designers showed a wide range, from micro-minis at Miu Miu and Rokh to midi and maxis at Altuzarra and larger, full-length pleats at Peter Do. Even asymmetrical cuts at Dior and romantic full-volume iterations debuted at Brandon Maxwell for a more elegant take.
Though we love them year-round, blazers are a cool-weather classic. This year, slouchy and oversize styles continue to trend (see Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Prada), as well as tailored and cinched silhouettes, like at Fendi, Erdem, Dior, Peter Do, and Brandon Maxwell.
Polo Shirts
From cropped and collared iterations at Miu Miu to rugby styles like at Louis Vuitton, Eytys, and Botter, consider this the easy-wearing top you can quickly throw on while looking polished.
Checks & Plaid
Designers have revamped iconic school patterns with contemporary twists, including vibrant houndstooth and plaid at Chanel and Versace, windowpane checks at Rokh, buffalo plaids at Off-White and Nanushka, and mixed prints at Marine Serre.
Collegiate Sweaters
Knitwear is quintessentially autumn-ready, and a staple in any school-inspired wardrobe. Fall 2022 styles run the gamut from shawl collars at Bottega Veneta to argyle seen at Rokh, Tory Burch, and Eytys, and cardigans like at Chanel and Libertine. Take a cue from runways when wearing yours, like the waist-cinched styling seen at Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton and the belted cable knits shown at Brandon Maxwell.
Backpack
Is that oversized tote weighing you down? Instead, embrace the childhood staple designers reinvented for adulthood, including fuzzy and knitted iterations at Off-White, sleek leather at Gabriela Hearst, and woven baskets detailed with buckles and straps at Altuzarra (the ultimate trans-seasonal take).
Relaxed Trousers
Trousers are hardly new, but slouchier fits and pooling hems with sneakers and boots, including Y2K-inspired low-slung waists like at Bottega Veneta, Stella McCartney, Tory Burch, Rokh, and No. 21, are the refreshed versions guaranteed to reinvigorate your wardrobe.
Sweater Vest
A beloved knitwear hero piece in recent seasons continues for fall 2022 with new versions, including whimsical prints at Tory Burch, halter silhouettes at Marine Serre, and slouchy cuts with cap sleeves as spotted at Chanel and Nanushka.
Button-Down Shirts
Oversized and re-worked button-down shirts have become a modern default for many. Keep your more timeless versions in your fall rotation, as encouraged by Balmain and Palmer//Harding. Plus, consider bustier-inspired styles à la Fendi, bold banker stripes like at Erdem, and buttoned-up with a tie like at Louis Vuitton.
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If there was ever a cause for the celebration of summer's end, it would be because of Labor Day clothing sales. And this year, our all-time favorite retailers and brands — from Everlane, Farm Rio, and Reformation to Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom — are showing up to the big shopping blowout with prices slashed all the way up to 80% off. But, as with all too-good-to-be-true deals, such deal-scoring moments are fleeting. Therefore, to get ahead of the game, consider shopping this stacked selection of the best pre-Labor Day clothing sales with steep discounts we won't see the likes of again until Black Friday.
Before you start on your shopping extravaganza, make sure bookmark this page. We’ll be consistently updating it with all the best Labor Day clothing sales as they continue to drop. (What you see below isn't all!) Click on through for the best LDW fashion markdowns worth stocking up on for fall — and, if you're short on time, peep our quick links for best Labor Day clothing sales ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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