Well, just like knee length dresses, there are different bodice & waist styles that will be more flattering for different shapes. I especially appreciate the many options that allow me to wear a REAL bra with my dress! Some things aren't the most flattering but we occasionally wear them anyway (capris anyone?) But I think maxi dresses can be attractive on most women - just have to find the right one for you, if that's what you're interested in.
I love a maxi dress - they're great for my workplace in the summer (I wear dresses & skirts almost exclusively from April through October due to the temps and my style preferences) And when I wear a maxi dress, I don't *necessarily* have to shave But the nice thing is there are all sorts of clothing options available to suit us all
I personally find it ironic that someone who states they wear oversize pajamas for travel says that maxidresses shouldn't be worn because they're from the 70s. But whatever
Be warned! I used to wear long, loose, comfortable skirts for flights (pants sitting in one position for so long is torture) until I got felt up my bare leg; all the way up. It was disgusting, loathsome, and made me feel horrible and nauseated, in addition to raising my blood pressure.
Now I wear jeans, bring my skirt, and change once through security.
Just because you've been lucky wearing a skirt before doesn't mean you always will.
I often wear a long skirt to travel in and have had pretty good results - when I have gotten selected for "extra screening" it's just been somebody touching the area around my ankles - and over the skirt, not on my bare skin! Hearing that makes me wonder if I should stop wearing it! Gross!
Be warned! I used to wear long, loose, comfortable skirts for flights (pants sitting in one position for so long is torture) until I got felt up my bare leg; all the way up. It was disgusting, loathsome, and made me feel horrible and nauseated, in addition to raising my blood pressure.
Now I wear jeans, bring my skirt, and change once through security.
Just because you've been lucky wearing a skirt before doesn't mean you always will.
Excellent advice.
The tent dress—"maxi" is quite the accurate description.
I usually travel in jeggings, but I've seen many bloggers writing about traveling in maxi dresses recently.. However, I'm a bit worried about getting cold legs - does any of you have any issues with that? Most of my flights are 12 hours or more, so I really don't want to experiment with something new and risk freezing for that duration. So far I love my jeggings, but I need to use a belt with them, which leads to extra hassle in the security control.. Sigh.
Is it legal for them to feel "up" a skirt? I've never had that happen and frankly, it's not going to even if it lands me in some major hot water. Just because there is a hole there (for my legs) doesn't mean someone else can touch there. No one sticks their hands down the front of people's shirt - why would it be okay to go up a skirt?
I always traveled wearing a comfortable denim skirt the length of which is down to mid-calf. I have ALWAYS gotten the pat down even after going through the body scan. This has happened in many airports (SFO, SJC, DFW, SJU, MIA, etc.) The last few times I was patted down, they when way up my legs and I did feel a bit violated.
To test my theory about skirts, I wore denim capris on my recent trip to MGA from SFO. No extra pat down. I wore a short sundress on the way back MGA to SFO - a pat down.
I stopped wearing skirts too. I now dress for security instead of dressing for the trip. In the summer I'll dress as naked as possible - less for them to "pat" - and then change into something more appropriate before boarding.
A friend was wearing a long skirt once and got secondary screening. I believe she asked for a private screening. So when they wanted to start their pat down up her skirt, she just pretty much lifted it all the way up, did a turnaround and asked if that's good enough. If I remember correctly they didn't touch her but I was rolling. It still makes me laugh. And she no longer flies in skirts.
Is it legal for them to feel "up" a skirt? I've never had that happen and frankly, it's not going to even if it lands me in some major hot water. Just because there is a hole there (for my legs) doesn't mean someone else can touch there. No one sticks their hands down the front of people's shirt - why would it be okay to go up a skirt?
In the US absolutely is it the norm that if one wears a skirt at the TSA checkpoint, one will be subject to extra screening. That was confirmed by several TSOs here as well as many of us have been told that wearing a skirt/dress is automatic grounds for TSA search.
Even worse, if the skirt is of the pencil variety and hands cannot be put up the skirt, one can be taken to a private room, forced to remove the skirt and put on a paper drape, and be searched.
That all sounds horrible and bizarre, doesn't it, especially to those of us who fly several times a week wearing a skirt in 'rest of world' with no issue. I am currently at about 70% or higher for secondary physical searches at TSA checkpoints, and I used to fly weekly in the US.
I wondered when this would come up, If you wear a tight skirt and have been selected for whatever reason to have a standard pat down, you will be asked to change clothes into something that will allow the patdown OR you can go to private screening and don a paper drape and raise the skirt high enough to allow a standard patdown.
In the US absolutely is it the norm that if one wears a skirt at the TSA checkpoint, one will be subject to extra screening. That was confirmed by several TSOs here as well as many of us have been told that wearing a skirt/dress is automatic grounds for TSA search.
Even worse, if the skirt is of the pencil variety and hands cannot be put up the skirt, one can be taken to a private room, forced to remove the skirt and put on a paper drape, and be searched.
That all sounds horrible and bizarre, doesn't it, especially to those of us who fly several times a week wearing a skirt in 'rest of world' with no issue. I am currently at about 70% or higher for secondary physical searches at TSA checkpoints, and I used to fly weekly in the US.
YOu must be incredibly unlucky.
Auto grounds for a search b/c your wearing a skirt/dress? I don't think so.
Auto grounds for a search b/c your wearing a skirt/dress? I don't think so.
Do you work for TSA? I've had numerous screeners, supervisors, and managers for TSA as well as the contract firm at MCI tell me that is policy, and several TSOs on FT have verified this. There are numerous threads on the subject on FT.
Some airports or screeners don't seem to practice this every time, but others definitely do. DTW is one airport where I have witnessed many times all skirt-wearers sent for a patdown.
Do you work for TSA? I've had numerous screeners, supervisors, and managers for TSA as well as the contract firm at MCI tell me that is policy, and several TSOs on FT have verified this. There are numerous threads on the subject on FT.
Some airports or screeners don't seem to practice this every time, but others definitely do. DTW is one airport where I have witnessed many times all skirt-wearers sent for a patdown.
Nope. DOn't work for TSA. (What an awful job that would be. ) I'd be more interested in seeing the official written policy than reading about hearsay statements from a variety of anonymous sources.
You say you've been subject to secondary searches at least 70% of the time. That's almost inconceiveable to me. And I'm certain your experience/percentage is nowhere near representative of dress-wearing, female flyers. So, like I said, you must be incredibly unlucky. The only other thing that I can think of that would explain the 70% plus search ratio is that it's not the skirt, but instead, it's the way you're behaving that makes the TSA want to take a second look. Or, perhaps you're wearing designer shirts/skirts that say: "F%#* the TSA!"
TSOs who post here have said that it is policy to check everyone wearing skirts, or bulky clothing. Other posters have reported that they no longer wear skirts due to the high rate of being checked. Those of us who do wear skirts on every single flight may have a higher rate of being checked due to the airports we use.
As with anything related to TSA, it all depends on the airport, the checkpoint, and the agent.
Frankly, I find it disheartening how many American women don't seem to care, or seem to think that we must be behaving in a certain fashion or doing something to deserve this type of treatment.
Frankly, I find it disheartening how many American women don't seem to care, or seem to think that we must be behaving in a certain fashion or doing something to deserve this type of treatment.
Why not wear slacks when you travel? Why purposely make things more uncomfortable for you going through security? This American cares about making the security experience as easy and quick as possible.
) But I think maxi dresses can be attractive on most women - just have to find the right one for you, if that's what you're interested in.
But the nice thing is there are all sorts of clothing options available to suit us all
Analise — Choose wisely; treat kindly 
) I'd be more interested in seeing the official written policy than reading about hearsay statements from a variety of anonymous sources. 
