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When I determine if a clothing item is TFG Approved, I carefully assess the fabric to determine if it will withstand the test of travel. Read to find out what’s the best fabric for travel!
How to Choose the Best Fabrics For Travel
Written by: Chantelle Mallin
TFG’s official blogger and fashion student Chantelle Mallin uses her textiles classes as inspiration to help you determine what fabrics are best for travel!
We’re all tempted just to buy clothing based on style, but a closer look into the fabric of your capsule wardrobe can help make travelling way more comfortable.
Fabrics for Travel in the Cold
To help you make the most of your winter gear and limited luggage space, start by reading these general tips on packing for winter travel:
- Capsule Wardrobe for Winter
- How to Pack for Cold Weather
- How to Stay Warm in Cold Weather
- Extreme Cold Weather Clothing Strategies
- The Secret to Packing Light in Winter
- The Best Travel Shoes for Winter
Merino Wool
Pure merino wool is like a super fabric, it has the ability to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, wearing a wool garment will retain warm air and keep moisture out keeping you nice and toasty, it has the capability to absorb moisture from your skin and release it into the air, which is pretty cool and means you stay lovely and dry. Disadvantages include wool becoming heavy when wet and taking forever to dry.
Find out why merino wool is the best fabric for travel!
Fleece
A high tech synthetic fabric part made from recycled bottles, a good alternative for people who are against wearing fabrics made from animal by-products, it is lighter that wool, offers better insulation, still remains warm when wet and dries fast. Fleece comes in a variety of thickness and colours.
Take a look at our round-up of the best looking fleece clothes!
Thinsulate
A highly insulating fabric catching air between you and the outside – the more air it traps the warmer you’ll be. Thinsulate is a thin fabric, a welcome break from thick, bulky winter coats.
You can still pack your travel capsule wardrobe in a small suitcase when traveling in cold weather by using packing cubes to compress your clothing as shown in this video!
Polyester
Present in most outdoor clothing, the fabrics strongly woven fibres and occasional chemical coating stop moisture from getting through, keeping you nice and snug.
Check out our best travel blazers recommended by our readers!
GORE-TEX
Used in a variety of outdoor clothing such as hiking boots and parkas, this high tech fabric is perfected to allow moisture to escape the body whilst remaining super waterproof and promoting a ‘Guaranteed To Keep You Dry’ promise; the science behind the fabric it is pretty cool. Garments made from GORE-TEX can be quite pricey, however if your used to battling extreme weather it’s probably worth the investment.
Traveling to a destination with subzero temperatures? Read these tips on how to choose the best arctic clothing to find out the best extreme cold weather gear for women!
Worth A Note
Don’t forget to layer!! Also invest in a pair of thermal underwear, lightweight and guaranteed to keep you delightfully warm. Use thermal underwear underneath and never feel a winter chill!
Learn more about layering and why thicker fabrics aren’t always warmer!
Fabrics for Travel in the Heat
Start by reading these general tips on packing for summer travel:
Rayon
One of our favorite fabrics for intense heat and humidity is actually rayon. It’s similar to cotton but less expensive and slightly more wrinkle resistant. Made from wood pulp or cotton linters, rayon is one of the most absorbent fabrics and a good conductor of heat making it a preferred fabric for summer climates.
Cotton
A popular fabric in warm climates as it is soft, lightweight, absorbs sweat, and lets your body heat escape. Paperweight 100% cotton is very comfortable and quick dry for the heat. The cotton clothing to avoid includes items that have thicker cotton fabrics.
Is cotton the most breathable fabric for hot weather? Find out six pros and cons to help you pack for your summer trips!
Linen
One of the best suited fabrics for summer, a sturdy and resilient fabric, that although stiff doesn’t cling to the body, linen absorbs perspiration and dries quickly, again wrinkles easy so go for a blend.
Linen clothing is perfect for summer and warm weather travel. Stock up on this vacation staple with this season’s ten best pieces!
Silk
Lightweight, breathable and durable not to mention luxuriously soft, however repeated exposure to the sun will erode the fibre, not the best for lengthy wear.
Find out why we love traveling with silk pillowcase!
Worth A Note
It’s worth a note that the above fabrics wrinkle like crazy. Here’s how to avoid wrinkles! While not the freshest option, polyester wrinkles less and is very lightweight for summer travel. Look for breathable sleeveless styles that have a looser weave for the most comfort.
Adea Clothing boasts moisture wicking quality basics that work great for travel in humid climates. Check out TFG’s review of their Bra Friendly Camisole Tops.
Quick Drying Fabrics
Wet clothing provides little insulation, a nightmare in cold and wet environments, look out for fabrics that are quick drying such as:
Polyester
A strong, durable and wrinkle resistant fabric that dries very quickly, polyester does not absorb moisture meaning it can get humid when worn in warm weather, tongue twister!
Choosing lightweight fabrics such as silk, cotton, rayon, or polyester (with a breathable weave), don’t take up much space! Find out how to turn any dress into versatile dresses!
Nylon
The fabric dries quickly and dirt does not cling making it an easy washable fabric, perfect for travel, like polyester it can be humid and clammy in the heat.
Longchamps are the best example for nylon fabric. Find out why Longchamps are the best travel handbags!
Coolmax
A high performance fabric that keeps the body dry by moving sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, COOLMAX is one of the fastest drying fabrics.
Worth A Note
Fast drying fabrics mean less dryer use, saving you time and money, bonus!
Fabrics That Are Wrinkle Resistant
It’s definitely got to be a fact that everyone hates the chore of ironing, so finding clothing made from fabric less prone to wrinkle is just wonderful (and such a time saver), look out for fabrics such as polyester, nylon, Lycra, knitted fabrics such as cotton and denim.
Worth a note
Use the bundle wrapping method when packing, removing the folds that cause the dreaded creasing, if a few stubborn wrinkles remain hang the garment in the bathroom whilst you take a shower, the steam will help smooth the creases.
If wrinkles drive you crazy or you travel for business, check out these travel tteamer
or these selections of travel irons.
TFG Top Picks
Denim
Despite the fact that denim has received so much criticism in the past as a bad fabric for travel, it’s actually the perfect fabric for travel in cold or mild climates.
It matches with all you clothing and can be dressed up or down which is great if you only want to pack a minimalist travel wardrobe. It’s also fairly wrinkle resistant, moisture absorbing, and hardly needs to be washed. What more can you ask for!
Read more about the denim travel taboo and about choosing the best jeans for travel.
Think of chambray as your “summer-weight denim”. It has the benefits of a versatile denim piece in your travel wardrobe:
- you can wear it repeatedly without washing
- you can dress it up or down
- it works in a variety of destinations
Find out how to wear chambray clothing for your next trip and stock up on our favorite pieces!
For more tips on travel fashion, please read these posts:
- Beach Dresses You Can Wear On and Off the Sand
- Summer Maxi Dresses
- 5 Sundress Outfits to Transform a Summer Dress
- The Best 2-Piece Dress for Travel
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Hope you’ve found this post on choosing the best fabrics for travel helpful. Please share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Going to Scandinavia in June. Not sure how to pack effectively with varied temperature
Hi Bonnie, a good place to start is to take a look at TFG’s Four Signature Packing Lists for ideas for a capsule wardrobe and how many clothing items you could pack: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/functional-and-fashion-packing-list/ The packing lists show you how to pack light and have the right clothes no matter the destination or the length of the journey!
The point of our capsule wardrobes is that you use the principles behind them, not the exact clothing shown. Depending on your preferences, you can choose more bottoms, fewer dresses, more tops – you can adjust the combination based on your needs!
Check out this 10 step guide which takes you through every stage of your packing so that you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/10-step-packing-guide-europe/
Then for destination-specific help, we also have a comprehensive blog category dedicated to articles on what to pack for individual European countries. Choose your destination from our Europe Packing Lists: https://bit.ly/3hqJLeg
Hope this helps. Have the most amazing time on your travels! 🥰
Thank! This information is very helpful. I like to shop my closet when I pack. I have gradually stopped buying clothing made of fabrics that wouldn’t travel well. I appreciate having these great options in my everyday wardrobe, too.
Best fabric for sensitive skin and always cold??
Looking for a black long sleeve top.
Hi Arelene, thank you for reaching out. Merino wool is the best fabric for traveling light and for staying warm. Merino wool is the ultimate travel fabric, because it is super lightweight, durable, and very versatile, so you will only need to pack a few items. One of the best advantages of merino wool is that it wicks away moisture while retaining airflow, keeping you warm and toasty while you’re out sightseeing! But if your skin is to sensitive for wool, have a look at this article for some alternative fabrics: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/best-alternative-to-merino-wool/ I would also highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post your question there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Hope this helps. Happy travels!
I have found a website qualitago.com where you can find a lot of items made of cotton, silk and other natural or semi-natural fabrics from most common brands. They show detailed composition, so you don’t have to click on every item to check if it’s 100% of cotton or 1%. They don’t have search engine unfortunately, but worth to check.
Thanks for the tip!
I am currently travelling… I had 20 degrees in New York, and six degrees centigrade in Vienna.
I am travelling with merino wool and silk.
And am laying…
a tank top, a top, a merino jumper, a cardigan if needed… A woollen coat…
And have hat, scarf and gloves. If I need more layers, then I add another scarf, or another tank top
Thanks for sharing Kay! Happy travels!
Have you ever tried Coolibar’s ZnO fabric? All our family members have at least one item, and my son with the sun allergy has several pieces. It’s a cotton/bamboo sunblock fabric. It washes, dries and breathes like cotton. It stains fairly easily, so does need some special attention when washing, and it’s a bit pricey, but it does a great job of keeping you covered and cool in the sun.
Oh I’ll have to look into that produce Connie! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for bundle packing. However, as a larger woman, I have clothes that are larger than what it shown in the bundle videos. The method does not work for bigger clothes unless you want to reduce width with side folds.
Hi Susan 🙂 Have a look at this post for plus size packing tips http://bit.ly/28St1Z6
Thanks! Good article. And good links in it, too!
Thanks for reading Susan! We appreciate the feedback! Safe travels!
Wow! Such an impressive or important news you providing us. so thank you so much for this.
I think maybe you meant to put “taking forever to dry” under the disadvantages for cotton, instead?
There’s a reason why Patagonia sells (fabulous) wool baselayers in three different weights for hiking — I use them frequently for travel.
Wool’s moisture-wicking capabilities also make it fast to dry. Granted if you have a heavy wool sweater that will take awhile, but certainly still less time than the equivalent thickness of cotton.
Travelling, particularly flying from the UK into a hot country is super tricky. You never know what the temp in the airport will be like, you’ll be cold on the plane, and boiling when you get off the other side. I now go with a maxi dress with cardi, that seems to work
Helpful, as always!
Thanks!