[Hint: it's not the above.]
For years, and I mean YEARS, of pretty much monthly travel, I've been boggled at what people decide is appropriate to wear on airplanes. Just absolutely boggled. The sweatpants and the stiletto mules (often on the same person), the jeans that are more holes than jeans (with matching holey t-shirts), the ratty flip-flops, the micro-minis. I could never figure it out, until last night, while waiting for the red-eye home to Chicago from SFO, I had a little epiphany, or perhaps a little interlude of sleep-deprivation. (So hard to tell the difference, really.)
My take is that people who wear clothes on airplanes that are better suited to washing a series of strangers' cars at $5/pop have essentially given up all hope that they will ever be the recipient of happy chance. They've decided serendipity is not for them, so they've forsaken the notion that perhaps one day they may need to make a good first impression on a stranger. (They've also decided that they don't ever need to be upgraded to business class, never mind first.)
Me, I won't get on a plane in anything less than I would wear to a business-casual meeting. Usually a skirt + cardigan, mostly a skirt + comfy jacket. At least two pockets are essential, so I don't have to keep digging in my bag for ID & boarding pass. Flat shoes that slip on and off easily are a must, so that I can play my walk-through role in the TSA's security theater with aplomb. (The next time I'm behind someone in strappy, multi-buckle gladiator sandals, though, I'm tossing THEM to the lions.) If I'm flying on Saturday, *maybe* I will wear sneakers, but they're nice one, not the ones I use for mowing the lawn.
This way, if I end up sitting next to someone interesting, I don't have to shout over what my clothes are saying. Last night I saw clothes that said "I model for Frederick's of Hollywood, Lamé Division"; clothes that said "my favorite Saturday morning cartoon and a bowl of chocolate-frosted sugar bombs are what I REALLY need right now"; and clothes that said "I can change the oil in my car — and recently have." None of those clothes said "Take me seriously, please."
I'm not against comfort — notice I said "flat shoes, comfy jacket" and I wear t-shirts, for sure, not fussy silk blouses — but there's a line between 'comfortable' and 'raggedy-ass lazy' and the airport is not the place to cross that line. An airplane is a confined space, and, like any confined space, demands MORE civility and regard for others, not less.
So, please: no more flip-flops (and if you do wear flip-flops, please try to keep track of them, so that we aren't all held up on deplaning by you searching under three rows of seats for your left one). Try for clothes that have structural integrity; turbulence can be rough, you know? And I know they sell perfume (cheap, too!) in the airport, but that doesn't mean you get to try on five different ones before you board.
Before you leave for the airport, look at yourself in the mirror, and think: Could I meet and IMPRESS someone who would change my life while wearing this? And if the answer is "No," change. And add a sweater: those planes can get cold.
A Dress A Day 
While I agree with you about the outlandish things I’ve seen some folks wear on planes, my one hard-and-fast rule for plane travel is pants (or jeans). I’ve ended up climbing over people’s bags (or people…) – or contorted in a strange position in order not to kneecap myself with the seat back in front of me – way too many times to feel comfortable in a skirt or dress.
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Oh, Amen to both comments. I would also point out that all of the “How to Survive” snippets that I’ve seen discuss the need to wear clothing on planes that would allow you to get off of the plane quickly and safely–flip-flops and stilletos are definitely out on those counts. And can you imagine sliding down the air ramp in a micro-mini?
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Thank you for saying what I have been thinking for years! I seriously think they should institute some sort of dress code. I’m tired of flying with people who are wearing their yard clothes. Why does everyone think it’s okay to look nasty? What happened to self-respect?
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Okay, here’s a question. I am a college student, but I go to school halfway across the country from ‘home,’ so I travel quite often. My standard outfit is a nice pair of tan corduroys, a nice black shirt, good flats or nicer sandals (NEVER flip flops, and depending on the time of year and where I’m travelling)and a nice, comfortable jean jacket. Is this nice enough? My business casual clothes are some of the nicest clothes I own so it seems a little much to wear them on a smelly, yucky airplane. Considering the fact that most college students fit EVERY one of the mentioned categories of bad dressing, am I dressed to impress or should I be trying harder?
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Whitney, if you would wear that to meet someone who wanted to hire you as, say, a babysitter, or to walk their dogs, I think you’re okay. People don’t expect college students to be too fancy!
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I rarely had the opportunity to fly but I took the bus because as a child my father was a driver and we got free passes. Mom always had us dressed decently and in clean clothes. When I started traveling on my own due to some unfortunate accidents I established a few rules for dressing while traveling in public transportation. Always wear a pullover top (no buttons or zippers to break) and pull-on pants/skirt (yet again no buttons or zippers to break, especially zippers in the back of pants–ask me how I know this!). I also learned to take a cape or ruana to wrap up in to keep warm or to use as a pillow. My first airplane ride was a most wonderful experience, with a lovely meal and I was so glad I was dressed in what was for me, elegant surroundings.I have found that some people refuse to hear the message about dressing for the occassion. When my niece got married, after I talked her out of wearing blue jeans for the occassion by making her a satin dress, polished off her lovely outfit by wearing some old brown sandals her mother had found at the beach one day and brought home! She wanted to be “comfortable”. Well I know it is possible to find comfortable dressy shoes if you are willing to look for them.
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while i often HAVE to dress up, as I’m going directly from the plane to working, the problem is, so many dress up clothes are very lacking in the pockets! Other than jeans skirts, I think only one of my skirts has pockets. Granted, if I’d sew my own like Erin, I’d be set, but…:)
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It baffles me how people manage to wear sandals on an airplane. It’s about 38 degrees at floor level, as a seat-mate of mine once discovered. She wore a mini skirt, tank top AND sandals and spent over four hours in agony because of the cold. I know two — count ’em! — TWO couples who met on an airplane so, believe me, you never know who you might end up with!
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I’ll wear on the plane pretty much the same thing that I need to wear during the trip. If that’s jeans and tshirts and boots and a sweatshirt, (and it generally is) so be it.I love love love the dresses you post, but I come from a different world, where wearing dresses is something that happens on very rare occasions. I have no business casual clothing in my closet. If I did, it’d be extremely dressy compared to what I typically wear.When I was touring, I either flew in my pyjamas (sleep being extremely precious on a touring schedule) or, if I had to go directly to the theater, my work clothes and boots.I guess what I’m trying (and perhaps failing) to get at is that I just don’t see an airplane as somewhere to dress up. Maybe it’s my age (25) or my profession (blue collar, to say the least), but I can’t see how my jeans and tshirts that I wear every day are any more or less offensive on a plane than on the street.
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Not to add a morbid twist to this, but natural fibers are good for flying. Pantyhose are a no-no, as are any other items that will melt to you in case of a fire.But…I agree comfy does not have to equal trashed or trashy.If you would not feel comfortable meeting an old crush/flame in what you are wearing, you are too casual.-Janet
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I second the safety caution regarding clothing fibers. Many slacks, jackets and blouses are polyester or polyester blends – bad in case of emergency landings. Wool does not burn, so it’s always a good choice (against the frigid air, too). Cotton will burn but not melt, same as linen (I think).I also second the entreaty to resist the siren call of the perfume counter! Strong lotions and potions in a small, confined space are terrible for those of us sensitive to fragrances and/or chemicals. It’s nice to smell good, but unnecessary for anyone who isn’t nuzzling you to be able to smell you. And remember – just because you can’t smell it anymore doesn’t mean others can’t…it means your smeller got used to it and started tuning it out. No need to respray!
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I’d like to add a rant about the woman sitting next to me on the train to work this morning – doing her nails. Yes, the lovely smell of nailpolish at 7.30 a.m. Just what I needed. I might add that this is not the first time I thought I sat down on a bus, train or airplane and instead found myself at a nail parlour.
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Hmm took a very crowded commuter train from berkshire to London one day (no standing room except on someone’s toes.) A woman who’d got on before the crush and had a seat did the whole beauty routine – took heated rollers out, cleansing, make-up – somehow managed to get eye liner and mascara on without splodging, must have taken years of practice and knowing exactly where the carriage lurches happened. Looked good when she got off at waterloo.
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I don’t fly at all. Ever. I take the train, which means I am often taking multi-day train trips. I’m slightly less concerned with what I wear while I am on the train because I have to sleep in my clothing as well as sit in a small seat and keep myself amused for the 14 hours I am not asleep, but I have a set of rules about what I wear. 1. Always board and detrain in a skirt and blouse or dress. 2. Always wear a skirt and blouse or dress to meals.3. If the trip is less than 7 hours, just wear the skirt and blouse or dress the entire trip instead of changing into something more comfortable4. Always wear comfortable but sensible closed toe shoes with no heel (for safety reasons). Heels can very VERY easily get caught moving between cars on a train which literally becomes a life and death matter. Ditto for toes hanging out of shoes. 5. If I’m taking Acela or a business car, wear a church dress or nicer to appear civil and humane among the business people. 6. Wear a coat instead of a hoodie during the winter months. Most people don’t bother doing those things, which baffles me. The times I’ve requested something of the conductors (ie, a seat change or that another passenger be moved or reprimanded), I’ve always been taken seriously despite being 22 with a shaved head and multiple facial piercings. And I’m always able to get assistance with my luggage because I don’t look like a dumpster baby. Even if it’s a Red Cap that I have to tip, I’m able to be taken seriously when I request assistance with the suitcase that’s almost bigger than me.
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While I’ve only flown three times in my young life, I long for the golden age of travel when people dressed for flights, trains, etc. I always try to dress nicely, hoping for an upgrade. I hadn’t really thought about the safety issues presented here (specifically the fibers that will/won’t burn/melt onto you – I guess that a sign of the times.).
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Miss. BS has left in her wake the complete blacklisting of juicy sweat pants, expecially when worn with UGGs. Juicy sweats are a definite no-no, unless you’ve got your own private jet… then go nuts.
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It is my general habit to wear a travel knit dress on planes; it naturally creates a flattering shape, and it doubles as dressy or not. Recently I made the old-t-shirt/lounge pants mistake, and who should I see at the airport but a student who was used to seeing me in business casual. So I’ll be taking Erin’s advice to heart, though modifying it a bit for my own ends.
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I feel exactly the same way. My favorite Coco Chanel quote comes to mind:”I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”Amen to that!
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Darwin in action…. survival of the most appropriately dressed! As a travel professional who has to dress up to fly and sometimes gets upgraded — yes, it is worth the effort. I’ve a feeling that those who dress like they’re going to a pool party hosted by their ex-neighbor who used to work for Fredericks probably are going to a pool party..etc etc… I’ve always thought the most stupid thing you can wear for travel is stiletto heels. In fact, wearing them anywhere but a party is a clear indication of an i.q. equal in size to either the height of the heal or the size of the shoe.
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AMEN!!!!!! You have a far greater chance of being bumped up to first class if you are dressed appropriately (and that even applied when I had a child with me) and the traveling public has no desire to see you in your jammies.
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I agree with risa that you don’t need to be “dressed up” while traveling, but there’s a huge world of difference between dressed up and trashed out.An international aquaintance told me that he can always spot Americans overseas because they’re the ones in shorts and flip-flops. On a recent flight between Philadelphia and Raleigh-Durham I saw a lot of people traveling in cut-offs that were full of holes and the matching holey t-shirts, with flip-flops (don’t their feet get cold? Mine do.). They may have been clean (benefit of the doubt) but they weren’t very tidy.What skeeved me out most were all the people whose toenails seemed poorly acquainted with soap, water, and nail clippers who were kicking off their shoes to stroll through security. That’s just nasty.
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I dunno, I’m not too fussed myself. I try to wear clothes that won’t be dangerous if we ras. For example, I heard that nylon tights will melt into your skin if there is fire, so I wear trousers. *blush*It’s not completely rational, I know.
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I personally don’t much care if people want to look sloppy when they travel. But I would quite prefer it if they’d at least wear clothing. I don’t want to sit next to someone with shorts or a mini skirt on. Or someone with a muscle shirt or tube top on, thank you. Just keep it under wraps and I don’t care if it’s sweat pants or lined wool trousers!
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My biggest pet peeve with flying are people who wear wholly inappropriate shoes. Aside from the cold feet issue, if there were an emergency in which you needed to deplane quickly, flip-flops and high heels are not going to speed your departure! Emergency deplanings [not because of accidents, but fire, equipment malfunction, etc] happen more frequently than people think, and you need to be able to move quickly and stably. I saw a report that the most frequent injuries in such cases are to people’s feet and ankles because they lose shoes, trip up on heels, and so forth. You should be wearing flat or low-heeled shoes that will stay on firmly (tie, velcro, buckle, or otherwise enclose) and that you could quickly go down a slide and run across the pavement or a field wearing. I would say that 80% of the women I see in airport waiting lounges are not wearing appropriate shoes. Men usually do much better, but there’s still some who wear the flip-flops or scuff sandals.
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I suspect more people wear flip-flops on planes nowadays because of the security checkpoint issue! I am happy in my slip-off Dansko clogs most of the time.I also rarely wear a skirt on a plane – aside from the fact that I am always with small children when I fly these days, and thus can end up crouching or sitting on the floor at any given moment – what about wrinkles!?!
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No-one has ever waited for me to retrieve an errant flip-flop, but I must apologize to everyone who has ever waited for me to unlace and re-lace my boots, which seem to sprout a new set of eyelets every single time I have to take them off when there’s a line of 50 people waiting for me. Sigh.I can see wearing easy-off shoes on a plane because of security checkpoints, but I would never wear flip-flops. They’re not really safe. First of all, how can anyone hurry through a crowded airport in no-support shoes that fly off your feet at the slightest provocation? And what if we have to emergency-exit the plane? I am not waiting for you to find your flip-flop in line at the emergency door; I’m pushing your fashion-challenged self out of the way.
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does it really matter so much to you what other people think of your clothes? does it really matter so much to you what other people wear? do you really judge people by the clothes they are wearing? do you really think people judge you based upon your clothes? if so, are those the people who really matter? who defines who you are? Do you, or are you only as deep as other people’s opinions of you?and lastly, do we really need more rules when it comes to travelling? aren’t there too many rules already? what happened to the golden rule, it is the only one we really need, after all. wear whatever you feel most comfortable in (whether that’s pajama pants and a stained tshirt or dressed to the nines) and allow others the same courtesy.
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I travel a lot, and my solution is: Knits! And I’m not talking about sweats.
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Short dresses and skirts are the comfiest things I can think of to wear when travelling – with opaque tights and flats, of course. Knits are ideal, topped with a cardigan. Comfortable, practical, mod.
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The first thing that came to mind when I saw the title of your post was a story told to me by my mother.In the early 60’s, her family was emigrating from Germany. My grandfather was already here, so my grandmother was flying over with 5 children! They didn’t have much money, but the family made sure she had a nice new outfit for the plane. During the flight she was absolutely HORRIFIED to see the man across the aisle TAKE OFF HIS SHOES! The beginning of the end, I’m afraid ;).Me, I’m mostly concerned about warmth, to not have any skin touching airplane upholstery (I don’t like to think where it’s been or what they spray on it), and to get through security as smoothly as possible. That said I don’t think I own any holey clothing, and what I wear on the plane has to be presentable for wherever I’m going because I’m not carrying it around the whole time I’m there.
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Excellent topic. It brings up the overall lack of “taste” that American people exhibit in general in public. Since I study fashion and clothing over time – I have noted that historically the way people dress reflects their inner state and conditions of society. It does not have to do with wealth, but personal pride. Several generations ago, take a look at how people dressed when they traveled. Even how they dressed when they did yard work – most men didn’t wear jeans as much as they do now either! What about hats for going out – what happened to them? I could go on…
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I can’t agree with some of the premises in the post and the comments. There’s nothing particularly special about airplane travel that should increase the general requirement to look presentable. If anything, people should get a little leeway to dress comfortably– are knit pants really so evil when you’re sitting in a tiny seat for hours with a total stranger?In what must be over 100 flights I’ve yet to meet someone I wanted or needed to make an impression on, but I’d say about 100% of those I needed to sit comfortably and/or sleep. 100% of the flights in the last five years I’ve had to take off my shoes with a quickness, pack light, and try to take up as little space as possible in the footwell. And of course in 0% of flights has there been an emergency calling for running shoes. I wear flip-flops on planes almost exclusively during warmer weather.I’m all for a general prescription of “don’t dress sloppy in public” but being squished into a seat with 30″ of seat pitch next to Milwaukee’s leading copier salesman for 5+ hours is not what I’d call an occasion for my Sunday best. I should hope that I don’t want to make a friend any more than he does. Maybe I’m missing out on some wonderful business opportunities, who knows. But I’m willing to take my chances if it means that one more hour spent on a plane is unconscious.
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The first time I got on a plane, when i was 14, I wore a pencil skirt and silk blouse. I’ve tried to keep that up all my life. The exception? When flying with toddlers. 🙂 It is so sad to read so many people say that they do not own anything business/casual. Does noone go to church anymore? (Oh, I could go OFF on the horrors of dress I’ve seen at church!)
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No, Kristen, I don’t go to church. I’m an atheist.
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My flying attire:* Comfortable, supportive shoes (usually clog-type things)you never know when you’ll have to lug that bag you thought was light all around the entire airport; also, because I’m cheap and a nondriver, I’m usually going to or from the airport on public transportation.* Ladylike T-shirt (I don’t do woven blouses, ever).* Nonwrap skirt, preferably stretchyone of my favorite skirts to take on a trip is a reversible wrap skirt, but I don’t want to be fussing with the flap while I’m wrestling with a bag or seatbelt. I used to always wear pants on planes, to stay warm, but then my mother mentioned that she never does, because she doesn’t want to worry about her trouser cuffs touching the floor in potentially nasty public bathrooms. Point taken.* Cardigan.* Depending on the airline, a large shawly thing of some sort, in case I can’t obtain a blanket.I wear earrings and a matching necklace, as I do every day, though I avoid anything especially snaggy or dangly.All that said, I have never yet met anybody cool on a plane, and the drunk in the seat next to me still elbowed me through the entirety of my last flight. What am I doing wrong?
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Erin, I totally agree with you. My reasoning behind dressing well for traveling is the knowledge that there was once a time when one would wear one’s best clothes for a trip. I like looking smart, like I’m someBODY and I’m going someWHERE. It’s more for my own sense of self-importance, and my love for old-fashioned “looking-sharp”-ness. Even if I’m just flying to Indiana to see my parents.
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I try to dress for success, as is were, when traveling. When my husband and I have traveled to Europe, the only time we were pegged as Americans was the one day we wore shorts (it was hot in Pompeii that day!). We usually were thought to be British or German by how we looked- nice slacks, nice shirts, skirts/dresses for me. We’re flying this summer, and I plan to dress everyone comfortably, but nicely. Nothing wrong with looking fresh and nice at arrival!
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Stacy — yes, I actually do judge people by what they wear. It’s not the only thing I judge someone by — kindness is of course FAR more important, you can look amazing but if you’re rude to the waiter I am never going to be your friend — but what you wear is how you choose to present yourself to others. Someone who wears dirty, ill-fitting, inappropriate clothing is someone who has made a bad decision, and I can make my own decisions about people based on seeing theirs. It’s just the same as seeing someone litter, really. It tells you about their character.I don’t think you have to be a fashion plate (I’m not judging the COST of someone’s clothing nor the STYLISHNESS), but your clothing represents your taste and that’s certainly a worthwhile way to judge people. I know I prefer to be around people with similar tastes (or different tastes that I find interesting!) all other things being equal. I think people say “oh, no, you can’t JUDGE someone by what they WEAR! That’s so shallow!” but what they really mean is that they don’t want to be judged negatively for anything they do or say, ever. They want to live in a world without consequences. They want to be judged by who they are ‘inside’ without ever figuring out a way to show their ‘inside’ to the outside world. Or they DO want to be judged but in a reverse-snobbism way, getting points for pretending not to care how they’re dressed. Risa, I think I know what you mean about reading this blog, because, being a non-drinker who talks to a lot of foodies, I always have to mentally edit their advice about wine and things cooked with alcohol and so forth. I think you should do the same reading here. Just make the little mental adjustment. My friends don’t spend all their time editing their advice for me, even though they know I don’t drink — they assume I will adjust for my circumstances. So if you wear jeans on a plane, that’s just fine — what you might take away from what I said here is maybe wearing a nicer pair, with a cardigan or little jacket, right? Or not, depending on how you edit what I say …
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You can even wear jeans if they are non-holey and clean. I tend to wear flat-front khakis or jeans, t-shirt and cardigan or twinset, pashmina wrap, clogs. I also bring my trench if it is cooler. I am a woman of means by no means-I am a bartender-but I get upgrades snd those food vouchers all of the time. Your nice clothes and nice manners. Please and thank you go a long way. Airline counter people are actually shocked when I speak in a well-moderated voice and say thank you. It’s like magic! And, yes, we do need rules. It’s not like Erin is advocating anything draconian. Just old-fashioned civility. We have forgotten how to put other people first in a genuine way.
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I’m in the comfortable business casual camp. I travel alone, and I want everyone possible on my side. My clothing affects how I see myself, and I need all the dignity and self-assurance I can get in crowds. I also want to be able to run like crazy and chat with anyone without any of my parts creeping out. I blush easily.
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I travel often, and usually with a toddler. I have zero interest in the other travelers, so if they chose to ignore me because I am not dressed “appropriately, it is a blessing. I have never once looked around a plane to decide what each of the other passengers must be like based on what they are wearing. Even when traveling without my husband and/or child, I pass my time working, reading, or napping. Glancing around to make presumptions about my fellow passengers is not how I spend my time. (Not that Im perfect, I will usually be passing at least some of the flight time reading celebrity gossip, *insert smiley face here*)I usually wear flip-flops because it is too much trouble to remove and reinstate most other forms of footwear, while at the same time taking a child out of a stroller, taking off their shoes (because my 1 year old is carrying a bomb in his teeny-tiny sneakers), getting my laptop out of its bag and into its own container, folding up the stroller and putting it on the belt, going through the metal detectors, and then reversing all of the above. During a flight, I am spending all of that time desperately trying to keep my child entertained, quiet, and generally happy. I am not looking to make connections or to network. I dont need to find a man, because I am happily married. If I were to meet a life-long friend, they would likely be uninterested in my dress because, in general, most of my good friends pay little to no attention to that sort of thing. I am nothing but polite with the airline staff, and I believe this politeness makes the difference in how I am treated. I have been upgraded, switched seats, gotten extra food, and all the wonderful things that the airline staff can give as extras while wearing baggy jeans, flip-flops, old t-shirts, and no make-up. I would no sooner dress up for an airplane ride than I would for a road trip in my own personal car.
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I somewhat disagree with this simply because I usually travel in either pajamas or what I’ve come to realize are my pajama skirts– swoofy, floofy, I get compliments, but they’re easy to travel in. And flip-flops if at all possible because it’s more of a pain to strip off a pair of shoes than to have cold feet for an hour. So I’m a little defensive on the subject; I will try to hold that back.Thing is, most of the time when I’m traveling, it’s inappropriate for me to wear business casual. I don’t *have* anything between jeans and Intimidating Competence. I’m working on that (seems to involve a lot of impractical skirts I love but can’t wear) but it’s not appropriate for me to bring a business suit along for a week with friends, let alone wear one for travel. It’s a different-environments thing. If I go to a conference, then it’s dressing up all the way, but most of the traveling I do is for fun. It’s more important for me not to ruin my good clothes by traveling in them than to impress the other pajama-clad students.I really need to find some clothes that aren’t pajamas, jeans, or too fancy for everyday wear. There’s not a suitable middle ground in my life right now– everything is either comfortable, Intimidating Competence, or jeans.
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Having just collected Daughter and her friend from the airport and having flown a fair bit myself, I land firmly on the dress “nicely” side of this discussion. One of the differences between dressing for the street and dressing for travel is the physical distance between oneself and others. On the street, I can move away from/avoid a person who is dressed or behaving in a manner that makes me uncomfortable. In the close quarters of plane/bus/train, that is not usually an option. In a world where we have to learn to get along with one another, thinking about others and how they might feel sitting next to me is a helpful guideline.
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I just flew first class, round trip, between Seattle & London. I wore a ratty old pair of sweat pants, stained & holey, and old running shoes, and some nasty old unflattering, shapeless pullover sweater. On a long flight, all I care about is being able to sleep, so I just want the loosest, softest, most unstructured clothing that won’t bind when I roll over in those fabulous, completely flat sleep-pods British Airways has in first class.Though I have to say, I noticed I didn’t get very good service in the first class lounge, and I wondered if it was because I was the only person there who appeared to be homeless.
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Oh, but I should add, that my raggedy-ass clothing didn’t stop a very nice lady, the regional manager for Donna Karan in Saudi Arabia, from having a fascinating conversation with me in the first class lounge in London. We were sitting next to each other in the lounge during a long, long layover. This lady, who was slim, elegant, tri-lingual, and poised, was willing to look past my sloppy clothing and engage me in a fascinating conversation about what it’s like to be a secular Western business woman and single parent living and working in an Arab country. I benefitted from her willingness to look past my appearance, but so dis she — I’m well-educated, well-read, and well-traveled, and I am also an interesting person to talk to, despite my sloppy attire.
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erin,this is a great post to read today, my first day back from our shared time in california (it was great to meet you). i flew back east last night, arriving this morning, wearing a perfect new old dress with nice matching white flats. i never do dress up for a flight but i’ve been thinking about the days in which people dressed up to fly. i thought i’d try it. i might never turn back. (though my aladdin pants are pretty rad for a flight.) i could have walked right into work this morning, would even be a bit overdressed… but i needed a shower.
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I would just like to second all the comments about the days when people wore their best to travel. I am realizing that although my attire was probably appropriate for a college student, I would like it to be pleasantly surprising for a college student. I vow from here on out to wear nicer clothing while travelling.You never know who you could meet on a plane. I once met a very interesting guy on a plane, we didn’t exchange contact information, but I was very glad that I had asked my roomate to do my hair before I left. I almost dismissed him completely because while I was in my standard corduroys and a nice shirt/ jean jacket/ jewelry, he was wearing an old, stained Corona shirt and jeans. Blegh.To those of you who have said that you don’t care what your clothing says about you because you would rather not have other passengers take interest in you at all, I would say that dressing up more would grant more anonymity. As an avid in-airport people-watcher, I would say that my eyes are drawn more towards people who look as though they are wearing the only clothes they own, rather than people dressed comfortably and sensibly.
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I dress for comfort, practicality and (especially) safety when I travel. That means jeans or cotton pants (clean, no holes, no sprayed-on fit), walking/running shoes, cotton socks, a nice cotton top, and a very casual cotton knit jacket (not a hoodie). No melting clothing, and layers that can be removed. Note that ratty t-shirts with obnoxious sayings are NOT required just because you are wearing jeans. Flying itself is not a social occasion for me, its a necessary and often unpleasant task, where I am at the mercy of airline scheduling goofs, baggage handlers, security, weather, shuttle busses, car rental agencies, and lord knows what else. I need to be prepared for anything, including being comfortable sitting in the airport for hours when my flight is delayed.I want all parts of my body covered, both for warmth and safety, especially my feet. There are all kinds of toe-eating devices that I encounter: escalators, people movers, shuttle bus steps, loading ramps, sliding door tracks – the list goes on and on. I need to be able to hike, run (to catch a connecting flight when the first flight was delayed), and walk miles through parking lots and terminals, if need be. In my mind, this requires practical walking shoes, not flip flops or sandals, and clothing that does not restrict vigorous physical activity.When I see people in the airport in flip flops, I can’t help my gut-level unconscious reaction: “Not very bright. In the case of an emergency, you’ll be the first to be injured or die.” When I see shorts, tank tops and other temperature-inappropriate clothing and my unconscious assessment of the persons native intelligence dips lower. Add ratty, dirty, stained, holey, cut-off anything to the mix, and my expectations of native intelligence drop even lower. This is clothing that is unsuitable for yard work (much less traveling) just on the basis of safety, never mind style.Anon in California
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The lost flip flop lady sat in front of me on the plane yesterday coming home from hawaii. She then proceeded to show everyone just how too short her shorts here (especially for her age!!!) as she dove under the seat for her shoe. on all fours. in the middle of the aisle, so nobody else could get out.I am a big fan of neat dark jeans and Sam Edelman flats. A fitted long enough tee and a big wool challis scarf to pull out of the bag whenever i get a chill.
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Great topic. Great feedback, too. I fly many, many miles (often international)–and I always wear the same outfit. My favourite jeans at the moment (never hole-y), one of my three favourite t-shirts (worn only for flying), wool cardigan, my lucky socks, and slip-on Mary Janes by Naot. Recently, I experimented and wore a collared cotton blouse and a pair of clogs by Clarks instead of the usual. And although I still looked presentable, it just wasn’t the same outfit–and I had The. Worst. Jetlag. Ever. I think I’ll stick to my usual.
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