Why You Should Reconsider Wearing Skinny Jeans On An Airplane

Most frequent flyers are happy to share their airplane travel pet peeves, as evidenced by the results of a 2024 survey cited by International Airport Review. According to a poll of travelers, flight interruptions and long waits were among the top annoyances. But even after travelers get on the plane, their woes might be just beginning — especially if they're mixing fashion and flying by wearing skinny jeans.

What's wrong with sitting for hours in your favorite skinnies during a flight? Plenty, as it turns out. The first issue relates to the reality of easy movement — or the lack thereof — on the average plane. Unless you're flying in total luxury in a first-class area complete with serious legroom and a lie-flat bed, your personal space in a commercial aircraft is destined to be quite limited.

Even if you get up to use the bathroom to stretch your legs (and respond to Mother Nature's call), you'll be relegated to wiggling your way out of skin-tight denim in a bathroom that may be no more than two feet wide. That's not exactly enjoyable or practical.

The second problem with wearing skinny jeans while flying pertains to the way your body may react to being high above sea level. Flying can cause bloating as gas swells in your belly, which feels even worse when your jeans barely have any stretch. Why endure hours of cramped sitting with the top of your jeans pinching your hips or waist, especially if you're someone who's bloated all the time anyway? It's best to ditch your jeans and let your gut relax (and swell).

A third concern with wearing skin-tight, restrictive pants is that they can hinder proper blood circulation, which can put some individuals at risk of developing blood clots. (Legs are one of the places on your body that blood clots can form.) 

In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone with factors that put them at risk of a blood clot (e.g., a history of blood clots, being overweight, being older) take precautions when traveling long distances in commercial vehicles. The agency also recommends performing stretching exercises in your seat, such as bringing your knees up toward your torso. However, those exercises might be difficult in a pair of skinny jeans.

This doesn't mean you have to ditch denim the next time you fly. Conde Nast Traveler outlines several types of jeans that travel editors swear by. But none of them belong to the skinny variety. Instead, all the suggested jean types combine style and comfort, and many are obviously built to be casually chic yet slightly slouchy.

What if you prefer your jeans to hug your silhouette and don't like baggy versions? Throw on a pair of pants made from stretchier fabrics. After all, that's what the professionals do. Flight attendant Amy Caris (via Reader's Digest) admits she ditches her uniform and goes for pure comfort when she travels for personal reasons: "As a passenger, I always wear ponte knit pants, which offer stretch and are stylish."

Can you bring your skinny jeans with you? By all means. But consider packing them in your carry-on to slip into when you land so the actual traveling part of your upcoming trip is much more comfortable.