Originally Posted by eyecue
ITs like the shoe thing. IT is a judgement call. If the wearer has nothing appropriate to be seen in,in public, screeners are not to insist that it be removed. The person goes down for secondary screening. IT still doesnt have to come off but screeners will have to ensure that it is not concealing something prohibited.
Don't forget that privacy screening is always an option as well.
Here's the catch: it's still fashionable for women to wear certain lingerie items either as outer wear or to have them exposed. So it's pretty hard to tell. Also, there are some garments that appear to be a coat with part of the blouse exposed underneath. It's actually all one garment sewn together to give the appearance of a coat and blouse. Those, of course, cannot be removed unless we turn checkpoints into cabarets.
Rule of thumb: if a passenger really objects to removing an outer garment, then make sure to offer private screening to resolve any issues/concerns. If unable to resolve the issue, that passenger simply won't fly. It's been my experience that many of these issues are easily resolved during secondary screening.