I just had a couple of travel days, and I took notes. Literal notes 🤓

On my phone, at the gate, between my two flights, and yes (even while discreetly unbuttoning my bodysuit in the bathroom because I thought it would be "fine" for a travel day). It was not. More on that later.

Here's the thing about airports: if you pay attention, they'll teach you everything about how to travel well.

What works, what doesn't, what to pack, what to leave at home. I people-watch every single time I fly, and this trip did not disappoint.

Here's what I saw, what I messed up, and what it means for how you tackle your own travel days.

1️⃣ A blazer?? On a travel day?? Okay, I get it now.

I have always been a comfort-first girl on travel days. Soft joggers, a cozy layer, sneakers. That's my formula and I stand by it.

But blazers? Never really crossed my mind. Maybe because the only one I own is a white linen blazer, which is gorgeous, but also not exactly what you want to reach for on a travel day.

So when I spotted a few women at O'Hare looking completely put together in these relaxed, casual blazers, I had to stop and rethink everything. These weren't stiff work blazers. They looked soft and easy to wear... the kind of piece that looks like you tried without actually trying.

And they were doing so much of the heavy lifting: warm enough for a freezing airplane cabin, polished enough to walk straight into dinner, and somehow making a travel day outfit look intentional. Plus, they're a chic layer to have for spring travel!

I'm officially adding a travel-friendly blazer to my wardrobe. Here's what I'm eyeing at the moment:

• ​Organic cotton knit blazer - Quince $79
• ​The easy travel tie waist blazer - Talbots $199
• ​Fine gauge cotton sweater blazer - Land's End $109

2️⃣ The giant suitcases gave me anxiety (and I'm not even the one carrying them).

I watched multiple people wrestling with suitcases so large I could have literally sat inside them. I'm not judging, I've been there.

But I secretly wished I had little 'business cards' to hand her and tell them to subscribe to my newsletter 😂

It reminded me of a photo I took at the Kuala Lumpur airport back in December. This girl was wearing 3 pairs of pants, at least 3 layers, had a carry-on, a tote bag and the biggest suitcase I've ever seen in my life. Her travel day looked miserable.

Maybe she was moving somewhere... who knows. But it looked like a rough day.

3️⃣ Your carry-on has to be liftable. By YOU.

I hurt my shoulder at the gym recently, which meant my husband was on bag duty this entire trip. And while I am very grateful for him, it made me think about something in a way I never had before: what if he wasn't there?

You will not always have someone to lift your carry-on for you. You'll have overhead bins where no one is offering to help (this is rare in my experience, but it can happen). Stairs at train stations with no elevator. Buses where you're tossing it into a cargo hold yourself. Walking to your accommodation because the taxi driver couldn't access the narrow street your charming hotel is located.

If your carry-on is so heavy you'd struggle to manage it solo, that's your sign to rethink what's inside.

4️⃣ The backpack on top of the suitcase situation.

I felt bad about this one... especially if you've purchased my exact suitcase.

I love the wide handle, it gives me extra space inside. And this is an excellent suitcase I'm not getting rid of anytime soon.

But look...

The backpack just kind of... sits there. Loosely. One wrong turn and it's on the floor.

Here's why: most suitcase handles are a single narrow bar, so your bag has something to hang off of. This handle is wide and flat, which is great for packing, but means there's no real anchor for a backpack to grip.

The fix? A duffle or weekender bag as your personal item would work much better because it's wider and just drapes naturally across the whole handle. Or honestly, just plan to wear your backpack and factor that into how heavy you pack it.

On a related personal item note, I also saw a lot of cute puffer tote bags like this one - I've never used a tote bag as a personal item, but the puffy style did seem really comfortable.

5️⃣ $8 for a small coffee. EIGHT DOLLARS.

This is not a packing tip. This is just me needing you to know that I paid over $8 for a small coffee at the airport and I'm still not over it.

6️⃣ The woman in the Spanx Air Essentials + black trousers + loafers combo.

ICONIC. She was wearing the Spanx Air Essentials zip up (you know the one... buttery soft, slightly structured, travels without a single wrinkle) French tucked into sleek black trousers and leather loafers.

She looked expensive, effortless, and completely put-together. Zero effort energy with maximum style results. This is the dream airport outfit and I am here for it 👏🏼

If you don't own anything from the Air Essentials line yet, it's genuinely one of the best travel-friendly collections out there. Wrinkle-free, comfortable, and it looks polished enough for a dinner the second you land.

Some pieces and colors are on sale right now - browse here.​

💡keep in mind that Spanx does charge for returns, so please read sizing reviews carefully (thanks for sharing this info with me, Marilou!). And final sale items are not eligible for returns.

7️⃣ And then there was this lady in the all-black 3-piece set with ballerina flats.

I wish I had photos!

She was in her 70's and giving Paris energy in an airport.

How did she do that?

A matching set, perfectly fitted, with the most elegant ballerina flats, and she made it look completely effortless.

It reminded me that chic rarely requires complicated outfits. Sometimes a matching set and the right shoes is all you need.

When I was trying to figure out her outfit, I stumbled upon this brand called 'sexy modest'. It has great reviews, but I've never tried it myself.

​This black 3-piece set is very similar to what she was wearing.

🚫 My own travel day mistake...

You would think I know these things by now... but I decided it was a good idea to travel with a bodysuit.

A cute one. One that fits like a dream and has a snap closure at the bottom. That's why I told myself it would be totally fine.

It wasn't.

Thankfully, because it's fitted and I was wearing a cashmere vest I was able to unbutton it and it was all good... but just don't do this ok? No bodysuits on travel days. (it's gorgeous for date night)​

It looked really good though 😅

Outfit details: White leather sneakers | Ponte wide leg pants | Second skin body suit | Cashmere vest​

The airport is honestly one of the best classrooms for travel style. And the best part? The lessons are completely free!

You see so many different approaches to travel in one place. The giant bag. The relaxed blazer you never thought to try. The matching set with the perfect flats. The Spanx zip-up that makes you want to go the airport Spanx store immediately 😂

Everyone is just figuring it out in their own way, at their own pace. Including me, quietly unbuttoning my bodysuit inside the airplane bathroom, and pretending everything is fine.

Every single travel day teaches me something. And I genuinely love that after all this time on the road, I'm still learning. Still noticing things. Still coming home with a notes app full of observations I can't wait to share with you.

Thanks for being here reading my emails 💕 It truly means a lot to me.

XO,

Aimara

PS: I've written about travel days a lot on the blog. If you have a long one coming up, make sure to read this blog post.​

Keep reading some fun things on the blog:

• ​How I packed 44 outfits in 1 carry-on for 6 weeks in Asia (multi-climate trip)
• ​The 5 best pants for travel​
• ​15 European summer packing essentials​