What It Girls Always Wear on the World's Most Luxurious Airlines

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While most of us will toil away in coach seats on budget airlines, I was curious to find out what women wear when they're traveling on the best luxurious airlines in the world. My theory: When your airline ticket costs as much as two months' rent, you might be tempted to wear something a bit more polished than you normally would. To test my theory, I tapped stewardesses for their insights and also scoured Instagram to see what It girls wear.

I asked a former Singapore Airlines stewardess named Becky about the outfits she observed on the top-of-the-line airline. "Passengers are very travel-savvy nowadays, so they know how to dress comfortably while still looking stylish," Becky told me. "They don't always dress lavishly (even in first or business class), but they exude class through expensive, elegant accessories like scarves, handbags, etc."

Amy, another former Singapore Airline stewardess, agreed that designer bags are extremely common. "Singapore Airlines provides dust bags in business and first class because many passengers carry designer bags," Amy told me.

Naturally, passengers' style can vary on different types of flights. "Passengers going to fashion cities like Seoul or Paris always look Instagram-ready, even if it means being in full makeup for seven to 13 hours in flight," Becky told me. As for what passengers don't wear on the world's fanciest airlines, Becky offered her thoughts: "Generally, I think people are still sensible when dressing for travel—things like miniskirts, stilettos, or sheer tops are less common compared to staples like jeans, pullovers, and sneakers."

Scroll down to see what It girls wear on the world-class airlines that win every best-in-travel award.

Emirates

Based in Dubai, Emirates routinely wins awards for being the best long-haul airline, having the best in-flight entertainment and staff, and other accolades. So what does one wear on the 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Dubai? Well, Olivia Culpo made the journey on Emirates wearing an outfit that struck the perfect balance of comfortable, practical, and chic: She wore an Alexander Wang sweatsuit, Stella McCartney platform sneakers, and a Saint Laurent embossed bag.

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Qantas

Australian model Shanina Shaik traveled back to her home country on Aussie airline Qantas, which also nabs best-in-travel awards on the regular. For her trip to Melbourne, Shaik wore a cute red-and-white sweatsuit by I Am Gia. I also own one of the brand's hoodies and can attest to the fact that it's absurdly soft and comfortable enough for a long-haul flight.

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Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines was named the world's best airline in 2018, so you know it attracts the most discerning travelers. Camila Coelho shared a photo of herself in the airline's roomy seats wearing a fur-trimmed leather jacket, leggings, sneakers, and every Instagram girl's ultimate accessory: a logo Dior tote.

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Qatar Airways

Based in Doha, Qatar Airways has made fans out of It girls like Chiara Ferragni, Hanna Stefansson, and others. The airline has a slew of awards under its belt, including best first class lounge, best business class seats, and more. For her trip from Qatar to Italy, Ferragni wore Gucci's instantly recognizable sweatpants with a white tee, and Stefansson brought along her color-block Boyy bag.

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Next, I compared 21 airports and these six are the most stylish

Erin Fitzpatrick
Senior News Editor

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 12 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of senior news editor (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.