kochleffel

An opinion column today argues that everyone should dress well for flights, the way everyone did 60 or so years ago.

t wouldn’t hurt any of us to dress up. Why is that? Because you’re communicating to your fellow passengers that you’re trying — a good habit any time you’re in public. When I see somebody dressed up, I know they are making an effort as opposed to doing the bare minimum.

The writer especially objects to workout clothes:

An airplane is not a gym, so don’t dress as if you’re going to work out. If there’s elastic in your clothes then those clothes don’t belong any place where other people are not breathing heavily on purpose.

Golly, for a overnight transatlantic flight, I would have thought that joggers were ideal, and would have worn them. I probably will, in fact. The writer also repeats the (I think debunked) claim that agents are advised to upgrade well-dressed passengers. And admits that he doesn't feel comfortable except when overdressed. What the...?

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EXP100

No I don't want people to be required to and feel they need to dress up for flights like suits and ties and dresses. However, sometimes the issue isn't even the clothing it's the person's general appearance. The number of people getting on a flight that look totally unwashed, unkempt and wearing unclean, unkept clothing is astounding. You can dress in a tee shirt and jeans and look good. The difference are the number of people that think their clothes can be worn for days on end without laundering, they don't really need to take a shower in the morning, or they should replace clothing when in tatters and forget about having a healthy weight. Air travel reflects the downhill trajectory of society.

wrp96

I usually wear a dress with leggings underneath. I look presentable yet am comfortable. Me having elastic in my clothes shouldn't affect anyone else, in fact, if I didn't I suspect other people might be more distressed.

whitewave

Oh so what, who cares? Now for me, I don’t fly spirit and I try to get first class for flights longer than 3 hours if I can, so I do tend to wear like what you could maybe call “elegant casual”. (I don’t wear jeans— very rarely— I’m in my 50s).

On my flight at the end of the month (cattle car economy), I’m wearing black stretchy pants and a black tunic. Chic. I always wear closed toe shoes for safety, good measure and just in case.

I can’t believe some people wear high heels, flip flops, sliders and whatever else. If I need to run, I want to be able to run.


my 2 cents, worth exactly that.

ETA: I tend to swell up like a balloon when I travel, so elastic is necessary.

6P&E

As a boomer, I try to be accepting of today's more than just casual attire. But what makes air travel any different from an other situation? Sure my mom wore June Cleaver clothes when she flew in 1960, but she wore the same outfit in any other public situation as that was the norm. I might also add that the norm was also a ticket from Philadelphia to Chicago that cost the equivalent of a month's rent for a lot of people in the highly regulated CAB environment - and maybe that's why it was an elite form of travel that meant gloves and hats for women, suits for men, and even coats and ties for boys and party dresses for girls.

We are much more casual today and air travel, for better or worse, is open to virtually all. Additionally, cruise passengers today don't dress anything like those on the Queen Mary in 1938.

It's a different world.

kochleffel

I can still remember being forced into a suit and tie for my first flight at the age of 10. Now I'd only dress that way if I had to go straight to a funeral (as the officiant). I sort of feel that I should advise the author of the column of my travel plans so that he can avoid flights that I might be on. I'm sure he would think that I should wear a jacket and tie to fly in J on a European airline, which is the next flight I have booked. As it happens, the last time I was in J for a flight in Europe, I was rather disheveled, which is what happens when one has to get from Air France to Lufthansa at CDG. The only other time I've been so disheveled was when I needed to go from PHL terminal F to A-West in 12 minutes.

Although the Cunard Line still has a strict dress code. I also post on a cruise site, and I say with chagrin that dress-code threads keep coming up in the forums for other cruise lines, which don't, and they are always awful, with people declaring how they dress and how they want everyone else to dress, others replying defensively or criticizing them for it, and you can imagine the rest.

Badenoch

The decision on appropriate attire is up to the people in charge letting me on the plane. If they approve the opinions of stuffed shirts who might feel otherwise are of no importance.

The same applies to cruises. There are those cruisers who want to relive their high school prom by stuffing themselves into tuxes and evening gowns on "formal night." As long as the maître d' doesn't deny me access to the main dining room then the aspirations of the fancy dressers to have everyone display the same degree of sartorial splendor will go unsatisfied. So far I've never been turned away and I don't wear a jacket and tie on holiday.

angetenar

As a 20 something year old, this really is something that I would respond to with an "Ok boomer".

Lomapaseo

Good grief. When I flew the Concord I dressed in work clothes no-tie, buttoned sweater, old shoes, comfort only.

maybe that explains why the ashen bodied guy next to me dressed in a cuffed bound shirt and tie, asked the FA to be moved. It sure gave me more room to expand
The lounge is yet another story since most just stand around sipping their grape-juice and holding small talk

gaobest

How about - ok Loomer lol

as a boomer, I encourage all to dress as they wish on a flight. Just don’t behave in a way that slows down the flight - none of that behavior that forces the pilot to return to gate to disembark an unruly passenger :-)

it’s 2022 and we are responsible for our behavior and minding our business.

yyznomad

What's wrong with wearing tight lululemon on board?

lhrhappy

The fact that someone left their house wearing it.

Radiation Station

My preference in this regard very much depends on who is wearing it…

TommyD2

I always dress up. I've read articles that say that if I do, I can get upgrades.

So sometimes a tuxedo, too.

However, so far no upgrades. Maybe a powder-blue, frilly tux is the wrong style??

(yes I am joking. I am also thinking that the author of that article is not a very frequent flyer)

Radiation Station

My girlfriend and I travel in premium cabins for all medium and long haul - we usually turn up wearing athleisure wear and occasionally other passengers think we are in the wrong check in/bag drop queue. Probably people making assumptions based on our attire and young ages. I’d rather be comfortable than meet the expectations of strangers.

How you dress will probably make no difference to your upgrade chances, as it’s mostly automated now. I imagine it would be far more effective to be good looking than well dressed, if any human decision making comes in to the upgrade process.