Everyone agrees that a shower and grooming are good preps for a flight.
STYLE:
Style today is not about pretension. Anyone who thinks it is is living in the past. Style can be a pair of great jeans, a clean pressed shirt, polished loafers (male or female). The total look could cost under $100 and last forever.
Plus: 'chacun a son gout' you said. No, it is not about taste (gout). Taste is ephemeral. "Good' or 'Bad' taste, it's all the same. Bad, so called, taste, can look original and charming. STYLE, personal style, original style, self-expression, is my point. Style can be low-key, understated.
The point is: style/ dressing in a way that is appropriate for travel.
It's is not about 'dictating'...but rather hoping that an adult can decide, based on experience and discretion, what works on a plane/at the airport/arriving at a hotel, arriving at destination.It's not just the flight.
Style, carrying it off, looking confident, original, being yourself, expressing yourself, looking great--that is not pretentious. Style and allure will always be great--at any age, at any cost. It is not about bucks or pretension at all. That is where you've got it all wrong.
I am shocked to see this SNEARING at people who own jackets, at age-ist remarks ('reminds me of my grandfather'). People who take pride in looking unkempt can feel only a meagre, small accomplishment. Anyone can do that.
Don't assume that someone who looks great spent any money to look good.
And don't be hating people dressed other than your way. Just get into your seat, read your book, and keep your judgments to yourself. Wow...who would have guessed that people are hated for wearing a sport jacket.

If Allen Edmonds made steel toes, I'd wear them every day. As-is, I go with steel toes almost all the time, since they're too bulky to put into a carry-on, and I *have* to wear them when working.

I do love my AEs though, all 5 pairs.

I keep hearing "dress as you want to be seen" as if everyone wants to be seen. On a business trip, flying is my down time. I dress to be ignored.

...which is what? How do you dress to be ignored? And by whom?


And does it work?

Sorry, but I'm not going to put on a tight skirt, stilettos, and a pressed top to go sit down for 3+ hours in an uncomfortable seat where my clothes will emerge wrinkly and I will emerge pained and annoyed. I can think of more interesting things to do - like wearing a pair of jeans and comfortable top. If you don't like that, I guess I don't really care that much. I'm sitting in front and you're not.

Who said it doesn't get cold on flights? I always wear my casual leather jacket (maybe that's why it's called a flight jacket? Come to think of it, it's moreso a bike jacket before you call the fashion police) to fly simply because i'll freeze without it. Along with that: jeans, nothing amazing shoe-wise, and a regular shirt/polo.

What's up with the whole hatred of jeans in comparison to slacks? Yes, I didn't have to press my jeans (and the people who do are freaks) but they're fashionable. More fashionable then pleats *cringes*

When my trip is 20+ hours door to door, I dress for comfort. I'm the guy in jeans, sneakers, T shirt, and my trusty LL Bean navy blue thick chamois for warmth. It's the only way to fly.

Also, I prefer to avoid being a target by "dressing down".

I doubt that anything discussed on FT is worth being shocked about. I further doubt that sportcoat wearers are hated - just laughed at.

Ouch! Is that what I've been hearing all these years? I wasn't imagining the laughter?

Though there is another (much larger ) segment of the population that cannot pull it off. If I see PINK stretched across one more giant cottage cheese butt waddling down the concourse I might just start screaming, "Didn't you look in the GD mirror before you left the house you deluded loon!!! You aren't Paris Hilton!! That does not look good on you!!"

The most casual I've ever gone for a flight was for a transpac to Brisbane. I had on a pair of heather grey lounge pants with a long sleeve shirt and cashmere sweater. Not quite pajamas but the closest I could come to them without being in pajamas. Most of the time its what ever I'm wearing to work that day (dress pants and a cashmere sweater or jeans and that same sweater if its Friday).

Now we've entered the realm of truly disgusting.

And usually across the pink is written something like "Juicy!" (now I'm beginning to gag a bit).

Yikes...and I thought I was simply and smashingly witty, suave, and debonair.

Hahahaha...true on both counts!

What's wrong with pleats? They tend to fit me better.

I don't wear jeans, personally, as I don't find denim (or any other fabrics that heavy) comfortable, but they seem eminently practical for those who like it, and if in good condition are not really any more informal that less less formal khakis I've got.

I tend to wear the (possibly just slightly more formal) microfiber ones when traveling, especially long haul, not because they're formal, but because they tend to shed crums, dirt, etc a lot better than the regular twill ones.

Ditto, I'll usually wear one of the same couple pair of heather-gray socks whatever color pants I'm wearing - because even if my shoes stay at my seat during a waddle to the lav, those never show ANYTHING, even things that might be visible picked up on dark socks (let alone white athletic ones.)

Can some of the issues (in F at least) is there are three basic types of business travelers

1) The commuter or consultant who is probably flying out on a Sunday night and is dressed in what they are wearing before they fly out. Typically jeans, shorts etc. I fall under this category. And you can guarantee I am wearing shorts in Texas on a Sunday in the summer.

2) Someone going straight to work who is in work clothes be it suit, sport coat (shudder), business casual, uniform, jeans, shorts depending on their job. Why is it that the suite guys always assume everyone in F wear sa suite to work. Most don't. Even bankers are not wearing suites anymore. Unless you are in healthcare or in the funeral business not much suit wearing anymore

3)Those traveling for pleasure (vacation). I can proudly say I wore my leather flip-flops last month on my trip to South Africa, and did not feel bad at the least. Looked very stylish.

On the sport coat, does it not remind you of Herb Tarleck, the sales guy on WKRP or your local Kia dealership guy.