"Dressing as one should look when flying"
 

In the Feb 10, 2009 NY Times, the 'Itineraries' page had a refreshing article about a young FF whose profession is writing about video games & technology.

He has some unique perspectives on ".. how someone should dress when flying" . Rather than wearing sweat or pajamas & carrying a pillow as if one were going to a jr hs slumber party, he wears slacks & sports coat

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/business/10flier.html

I wouldn't say they're unique - many people feel the same way. It's just that most of them flew on DC-3s.

As long as your feet are covered and you don't smell, please dress comfortably.

Mike

I flew on a DC-3 once when I was a very small child. I wish I can remember how I was dressed.

And they can feel however they like, I have no issue with opinions. Just as long as they don't convey that feeling in a snobbish way, acting like flying is a country club ball instead of transportation (not saying the author is acting like that, didn't get to read the article yet).

But, feel free to dress up if you like. Just don't look down on anyone who may not share the same outdated notions of what's acceptable or respectable.

The perspective's not unique, and it's not limited to old fogeys, either. A person of any age can recognize that, for better or worse, people make snap judgments based on appearance. Thus it behooves a person to dress like he or she wishes to be treated.

Actually, I think it would behoove that person to show those who make judgments based on appearance that respect is shown through actions and words, not pieces of fabric with designer names on them. :)

I find that those who "dress up" the most tend to be those who don't fly much. You know the couple in FC with the bangels and jewelery are not the road warriors on the fourth flight of the week, blerry eyed and just wanting to get home

It goes to your overrall appearance. Who comes across better in the F class cabin, an in shape man, well groomed and with manners wearing jeans versus a 400 pound slob in an ill fitted business suit, shirt half untucked, and smelling of b.o., ordering around the F FAs like they are his personal servants while screaming in his cell phone to some poor underlining back at his office.

I remember flying on constellations. the interiors in coach were very plush, and there was considerable room. on some of the planes, there were sleepers over the seats. i frequently flew from columbus to pittsburg. lunch or dinner was served on that hop.

most males(very few females on these planes) wore coat and tie and polished leather shoes.

^

I did enjoy reading the article, even if I don't exactly relate to it. The fact that he wants to emulate Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday" just amuses me, in a way that's hard to explain.

I do find flying a bit of a retreat myself. I have X number of hours to devote just to reading, which is a real pleasure. But I do limited flying for work, so I know that most business flyers are going to have a different experience.

I'm all for dressing comfortably, as long as it is tasteful. I did have the lounge dragons in Narita ask a man to put pants on instead of the gym shorts he was in. Yep, I'm the one who made the request. The thick, black coat of fur on your legs was too much to handle, in a bad way. :td:

yep, dc3 dress was different....i worked for ibm a long while back and on the corporate dc3, everyone wore dark suits, white shirts, conservative ties, and hats [straw in summer, felt in winter]....now i wear chinos, shirt and travel vest [w/coat or sweater if needed....

Very true, there are many factors that go into how people treat you. As you mention, manners, hygiene and neatness are very important. Physical attributes can also be important. Dress is also important, in my opinion. It's a whole package. Ignoring just one of them can outweigh all advantages of the others. For myself, I'm always comfortable wearing nice clothes whether on a plane or in a business meeting. I never go casual when traveling or any other time unless I'm in the privacy of my home. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, even though I not old enough to have ever stepped foot on a DC3 or even close.

Of course I have to be sure my clothing is appropriate for the weather/temperature and when flying it often involves a wide range of temperatures from origin to plane to destination, which can restrict somewhat my choice in clothing. Dressing up in a suit and tie when you're going to be subjected to hot temperatures is definitely not a good choice if it will cause you to sweat a lot. I do take special care to try to choose clothing that won't wrinkle too badly after sitting many hours on a plane.

I wasn't always this way. In my younger years I always chose casual and comfort and didn't pay any attention to how I appeared to others. I found though through the years that wearing nicer clothes wasn't uncomfortable after all and that the much better impression it left on people was well worth the effort. I don't look down at all on those who don't dress nicely though, but just smile when I see how sometimes people are treated differently based on how they are dressed.