These ’90s Celebrity Airport Photos Are Perfect Travel Inspiration

Or, if you’re a “sweats on the plane” sort of person, just some regular style inspiration.

Whichever side you take on the debate about people dressing better for the airport—there's no denying that flying used to be a real event! People would wear fully coordinated outfits, hair done, accessories on. Nowadays, people (especially this writer) show up to the airport in a sweatsuit or pajamas, Crocs or slippers. Whether or not the public consensus on dressing up for planes will ever change, there’s one group of people who always have and always will be putting on a real outfit for the airport: Celebrities.

Through every decade, even the 2020s, celebrities have been wearing real clothes at the airport. Unlike us, the likelihood of them being photographed is incredibly high—so they need to look, at least somewhat, like the image the public has of them. Right now, as everything in our culture swirls around ’90s nostalgia, it seems like the perfect time to revisit some of the best airport outfits from the decade.

Below are some absolutely inspirational outfits from celebrities like Jennifer Anniston, Julia Roberts, Grace Jones, Prince, the Spice Girls, Hugh Grant and more. And even if you don’t ever plan to deviate from wearing comfy clothes to the airport, you can use these photos as inspiration for your day-to-day outfits.

Mariah Carey at the airport in a white tank top in 1999.
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Mariah Carey

1999

Elton John at Heathrow airport, London, Britain - Aug 1991
Richard Young/Shutterstock

Elton John

1991

Kate Winslet at the airport in 1998.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Kate Winslet

1998

Mel B of the Spice Girls at the airport in 1997.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Mel B

1997

Cher at London Heathrow Airport 1990
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Cher

1990

PRINCESS DIANA ARRIVING AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, FROM WASHINGTON 1996
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Princess Diana

1996

DIANA ROSS LEAVES HEATHROW AIRPORT AFTER BEING ARRESTED. 1999
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Diana Ross

1999

STARS ARRIVING AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON, BRITAIN - 1995
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Kylie Minogue

1995

VICTORIA ADAMS AND DAVID BECKHAM at the airport in 1997
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Victoria and David Beckham

1997

JENNIFER ANISTON AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON, BRITAIN - MAY 1999
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Jennifer Aniston

1999
 

Catherine Zeta Jones at Heathrow Airport, London, Britain - 1995
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Catherine Zeta Jones

1995

PRINCE AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON, BRITAIN - 1994
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Prince

1994

SPICE GIRLS AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, LONDON, BRITAIN - 1996
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Mel B and Geri Halliwell

1996

Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant at the airport in 1995.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Elizabeth Hurley and Hugh Grant

1995

Tom Cruise at the airport in 1995.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Tom Cruise

1995

Julia Roberts at the airport in 1991
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Julia Roberts

1991

Kate Moss in an animal print coat in 1998.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Kate Moss

1998

Claudia Schiffer at the airport in all black leather outfit in 1994.
Edward Hirst/Shutterstock

Claudia Schiffer

1994

Grace Jones at the airport wearing a jumpsuit in 1992.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Grace Jones

1992

Harrison Ford at London Heathrow in 1991.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Harrison Ford

1991

Janet Jackson at the airport in 1990.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Janet Jackson

1990

Liam Gallagher at the airport in 1997.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Liam Gallagher

1997

Pamela Anderson at the airport in 1998
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Pamela Anderson

1998

Gillian Anderson at the airport in 1998.
Dennis Stone/Shutterstock

Gillian Anderson

1998

Looking for more travel inspiration?

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Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Journalism from NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She's worked in digital media for eight years, and before working at Thrillist, she wrote for Mic, The Cut, The Fader, Vice, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.