You move fast and need travel clothes that move with you. We at Mizzen+Main believe the best travel clothes combine performance fabric and thoughtful design to make every situation feel comfortable. Conquer the highest peaks of the Alps and celebrate at the beach wearing the same shirt. We can make that happen.

But before setting your online work status to ‘Out of Office,’ you need to pack smart. Whether you have your suitcase stuffed weeks in advance or if you’re loading up a few hours before your flight, here’s everything you should think about before you travel.

Spoiler alert: we designed a lot of these styles.

Choosing your travel clothes

Packing smart means choosing clothing items that you can wear from sunrise to sundown anywhere in the world. There are certain fabric features that work from island cliffs in Ireland to Aztec ruins in Mexico. Look for:

• Wrinkle resistant
• There’s nothing worse than a shirt that comes out of the suitcase covered in wrinkles—and nothing better than clothes that always stay smooth.
• Stretch material
• Travel demands flexibility—with both your schedule and your wardrobe. Wear something that makes it easy to stay loose and carefree.
• UPF sun protection
• Don’t be the guy who gets burned on day one and has to stay inside the rest of the trip bathing in aloe. Get clothes with UPF sun protection (and please wear sunscreen).
• Odor protection
• Smell ya later. Or don’t with odor protection and antimicrobial properties that prevent you from stinking and keep you feeling fresh.
• Moisture-wicking
• The clothing you wear needs to move moistures like sweat away from your body and to the outer layer of the fabric.
• Quick-dry properties
• You want travel shirts that work as hard as you do. Run in it, sweat in it, and wash it. Dry overnight, and wear it again the next day.
• Neutral colors and patterns
• Beige, black, brown, etc. These colors work with any outfit and give you a traditional style—instead of looking like a tourist.
• Machine washable
• Don’t include “Visit the Dry Cleaners” on your itinerary. You have better things to do so get clothes that clean quickly.

Comparing the best fabrics for travel

The reason we designed The Leeward dress shirt is because we wanted a dress shirt that worked with an active lifestyle. We (the people here at Mizzen) love to travel. That’s why we care about making clothing that is easy to care for and designed to last.

Our R&D team has researched all kinds of fabrics and woven the best of the best into every piece of Mizzen+Main wear. Some top travel fabrics you should know about are polyester, spandex, and modal.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fabric that complements the travel lifestyle. Here’s why: the textile has superior water repellent properties compared to most fabrics. This makes polyester hydrophobic (warning: serious science). We use it in shirts like our Monaco Dress Shirt for its superior quick-dry and moisture-wicking properties.

Spandex

Garment makers love spandex because of its extraordinary elasticity. Commonly found in athletic clothing and sportswear, this stretch material is highly breathable and makes benefits like 4-way stretch possible. Because of its high breathability, many travelers will choose clothing made with spandex as their preferred base layer. 

Modal

Last one, we promise. Modal is a semi-synthetic fabric made from beech tree pulp. This luxurious fabric is an eco-friendly alternative to cotton because of a standard production process that uses 10-20x less water. It’s comfortable like cotton, breathable like spandex, and durable like nylon. Plus, modal doesn’t pill (we’re looking at you, wool), so leave the pill shaver back home. Did we mention it also resists wrinkles?

Our favorite travel shirt

The Leeward Dress Shirt is the best travel shirt for men. Made with a performance fabric blend of 88% polyester and 12% spandex, this dress shirt gives you off-the-clock comfort that matches your vacation state of mind. 

Your traditional look just got an upgraded performance and feel.

Moisture-wicking material turns sweat into a non-issue. We treated it with SILVADUR™ antimicrobial technology for freshness and odor protection to keep you fresh all day. Load it in your hotel’s washing machine and the superior quick-dry properties of polyester will dry it before whatever you have planned the next day. 

There's a reason we call this the best damn dress shirt. Shop the collection.

Our favorite pants for travel

While you want to be comfortable, you don’t want to sacrifice style, so leave the sweatpants at home. If you only bring one pair of pants with you (you daredevil), make it the Helmsman 5-pocket pant. We designed it for the man on the move. 

Made with a blend of 88% polyester and 12% spandex, this pant has 4-way stretch, making it appropriate to wear for multiple occasions. The Helmsman is also moisture-wicking and wrinkle-resistant. Mesh pocketing and a hidden zippered pocket will protect your items and impress TSA with your EDC ability.

Shop the collection.

Our favorite travel t-shirt

If you haven’t already put it on, we bet our EasyKnit T-Shirt will rule over all the other t-shirts in your bag. Made with 50% modal and 50% polyester, this luxury travel shirt is moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, and ultra-soft. 

Shop the collection.

Our favorite jacket for travel

Our experience places jackets as either an essential piece of travel clothing or a wished-we-left-it-behind item. It depends on the jacket you bring. Our favorite travel jacket is the new Hydrashift Jacket. The polyester blend keeps it dry and lightweight, while spandex gives it a 4-way stretch. We also love that it has features like:

• Wrinkle-resistant
• Antimicrobial
• High breathability
• Moisture-wicking

The Hydrashift Jacket checks off all the boxes. You’ll be glad you brought this travel essential. 

Shop the collection.

Travel far, comfortably

Shop our PTO collection or browse or Work From Anywhere essentials today.

Whatever you need, Mizzen+Main has you covered no matter where your travels take you.