Originally Posted by
JMKSTL
There is a common theme about scruffiness and how people dress, casually, suited, very casual, etc. It seems like at best, people think the way they dress has a neutral impact. I don't care which cabin I'm in, I never go to the airport dressed like I would for my morning workout, or working in the yard.
I can't point to statistics, but it just seems things go better, I get treated better, people bother me less, etc., when I dress more than casually. I often am in a suit if I was at a meeting, but more typically just in business casual including a sport coat. I don't think that makes me better than anyone else or entitles me to anything, I just can't help the feeling that I still get better treatment than at those times that I happen to have been more casual. Maybe its all in my head, maybe it is a placebo. Regardless, it seems to work
Depends.
I deliberately try not to look like a stereotypical "business traveler" when flying international. Partly for comfort, partly because I've found EU immigration is friendlier when I look like a tourist.
Domestic, depends on why I'm flying and whether I have a meeting shortly after I step off the plane. Couple weeks ago I probably looked like a perfect first-class passenger stereotype because I was catching a 5:45AM flight on my way out to SFO for a meeting at noon. But then when I was in LA for Thanksgiving last week, not so much with the trying to look nice.