# What is ok or not ok to wear on a plane?



## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

We've had similar discussions here before, but I thought it interesting that CNN had a story with multiple user comments on it. Uh... the man's attire on CNN's site is a bit over the line.

[URL="https://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2010/08/20/join-the-conversation-what-s-ok-to-wear-on-a-plane?hpt=Sbin"]https://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2010/08/20/join-the-conversation-what-s-ok-to-wear-on-a-plane?hpt=Sbin[/URL]

Me, I try to go back to the heritage of aviation, and dress up for commercial flights. Full suit and tie with pocket square and carried hat for me. Not as comfortable as some, and I certainly don't blend with most, unless I'm in first class. (and even then it's often a stretch) But I do try to look good.


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## jean-paul sartorial (Jul 28, 2010)

You should sit next to me then, so you look extra awesome next to the guy dressed like an idiot. Because I hate flights and I am dressing for maximum comfort and practicality.

Maximum comfort means a t-shirt. And if it's leisure travel I'm good with jean/shorts and t-shirt. Perhaps too casual for most people's liking on this board, but at least consistent.

It's when I used to travel a lot on business that I really offend. Maximum comfort is still the t-shirt. Maximum practicality means a sport coat so I can deal with the temperature changes of getting on a plane at a 78 degree airport in Richmond, sitting on a plane where temperatures seem to range from what seems like 50-100 degrees, and then landing at O'Hare in 70 temperature. Also, wearing/carrying the jacket means it doesn't get wrinkled up in my suitcase. I have this weird thing where I feel like I don't want to walk barefoot or even have thin socks on a carpet where 10,000 people a day walk on. So I wear thick socks. But also, I like to have shoes that are easy to slip in and out of so I wear the wool socks and slip-ons.

It's awful. A big indicator that I am poorly dressed is... I am at an airport or on a plane.


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## joeyzaza (Dec 9, 2005)

Over the past 30 years, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of dress at airports. I would estimate 25 % dress like slobs and another 25% are borderline. Part of it is low fairs that encourages people more fit for buses to be boarding planes. And believe me, I am not elitist. Just saying what many business travelers already think.


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## Bernie Zack (Feb 10, 2010)

jean-paul sartorial said:


> Maximum comfort means a t-shirt. And if it's leisure travel I'm good with jean/shorts and t-shirt. Perhaps too casual for most people's liking on this board, but at least consistent.
> 
> .


I am hesitant to use the word "decline" to describe dress on an airplane. I would agree with this post that I see people dress more casually for comfort. I'm in no position to say whether that is good or bad. That being said, I was watching an episode of Mad Men, and I must admit it seemed pretty cool that every man was wearing a suit on the plane. Too young to remember those days, but not too young to notice the increase in casual dress over the last 40 years that I've been travelling through airports.


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## shandy (Jul 4, 2010)

Air travel now is far more uncomfortable than it used to be, Also it is not the special thing it used to be. For me it is like getting on a bus or subway train only longer and more uncomfortable.

I know this won't be popular here but it is a comfortable pair of trousers with hopefully a bit of elastic in the waist, T shirt if it is warm or a light weight sweater if cooler and very comfortable wide fitting shoes I never take my shoes off on a plane as it is so uncomfortable to have to put them back on.

I never eat airline food, just plenty of water and a little notice saying do not disturb on night flights. This is the only way I can cope with flying commercial aircraft nowadays (not rich enough or have a company to put me into business or first!)

I would have thought the most uncomfortable thing to wear is a suite and heavy shoes. I am fortunate to not give a fig how anyone chooses to asses me by what I wear anymore! My clients are more than happy to see me for me and not what I wear..Then again I am in the entertainment business and we are granted all a bit weird!


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## Starch (Jun 28, 2010)

I'm pretty much in complete agreement with shandy. I'm old enough to remember when flying _was_ a sufficiently special ("classy," even!) that I dressed up for it. It's certainly not that anymore. I'm no more inclined to dress up for a plane flight than I would be for a bus trip or supermarket shopping. Less inclined, actually, as to the latter.

On the other hand, it does sometimes make more sense to wear a suit rather than to pack it.

Dressing like an on-duty stripper, though, is just going too far (even if you have the body for it - which, I think, means female, at the very least - and _especially_ if you don't).


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## camorristi (May 9, 2010)

Assuming that we all travel first/business class, I'd recommended wearing a suit, and changing into (pijams, robe, velvet slippers) while on board, then changing into a suit right before landing.


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## camorristi (May 9, 2010)

and that's guaranteed to get you some:


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I didn't take my first commercial airline flight until 1968 and for the next ten years or so I generally wore a coat and tie; not necessarily because I wanted to but because that is how I thought one was supposed to dress on a commercial flight. Much has changed. Now I wear khakis or jeans along with a navy blazer if I'm going to need a jacket on my trip. I find nothing about the experience of commercial airline travel that warrants anything more.

Cruiser


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## upr_crust (Aug 23, 2006)

There is only one place in which I don't care at all about how I dress, and that is the gym, though for dressing to fly in coach I am not much better. I normally wear jeans or khakis (in dark colors), and a long sleeved buttondown shirt with a pocket (to contain a pen, essential travel documents, and, if I'm traveling for pleasure, which is my normal mode, a small spiral-bound notebook, into which I write my travel diary). I am always warm on a plane - I never wear more than one layer onto the plane, but may keep a sweater, scarf or hat in my carry-on luggage, just in case. 

I only wish that I had the means to dress well on a plane - but that would mean flying first class, and I've better things to spend money on - like clothes for when I land .


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## jean-paul sartorial (Jul 28, 2010)

An additional point is that the sort of declining "special occasion" feel on airplanes extends to travel as a whole.

I'm younger than some of you, but I know that standards declined quite precipitously even from the mid 90's to mid 2000's. It used to be that if you booked a decent hotel you could always go to the concierge (with a little extra money in hand) and get whatever you needed. From the highest of the high brow to the lowest of the low. Reservations at the best restaurant, dry clean service at any time of night, where to go for the classic "boys night out" etc. They had unparalleled knowledge of their home city, the needs of travelers, and most importantly had all sorts of connections and insider pull. There was nothing you could ask then they hadn't heard before and didn't know the perfect way to get it.

Whatever your interest or needs, a business trip offered a potential to do things and be treated in a ways better than you enjoyed in your typical day-to-day life. So there was a reason to get excited, dress up nice, and treat a trip like a special occasion.

Nowadays, you land in a city and you are on your own. The concierges can give you directions and tell you certain hot spots, but you are treated as no more than the average tourists and they offer nothing more than the average tour guide. And the expense accounts for traveling are not what they used to be anyway.

Basically, the whole trip is a grind and you are no longer trying to do something special but simply survive. What used to hold a little bit of excitement now holds only deep dread and trepidation. If you can find a semi-decent drug store that offers more than the junky store at the hotel; if you can find a restaurant that isn't an awful tourist trap with terrible food and ridiculous prices; if you can go a couple days living somewhat close to how you live at home, you count yourself lucky.

Bottom line is that I do not believe airline flights require any sort of extra formality in dress. My "casual" is a good deal more casual than most posters here, but whatever your most casual is, feel free to dress that way. And most of you will still be dressed better than 90% of the people around you, as you usually are.


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## ZachGranstrom (Mar 11, 2010)

Pajama pants,t-shirt and flip flops. ( it's not worth it to dress up for flying anymore)

Edit: I should mention that I only go on red eye flights....So that's why I wear pajama pants whenever I'm at the airport.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

For me when flying it's jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops and a fleece top if its colder. I do not want to be wearing a suit and tie on a 14 hour flight, although I've seen a few that do wear such attire on long haul flights.

I think we like to fly wearing what we are comfortable with. If the guy in the CNN iReport picture is comfortable with what he's wearing, I don't see that as a problem.


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## CharlesFerdinand (Jun 18, 2010)

I got this quote from 'The New Yorker' through the Fritinancy blog

I should be used to the way Americans dress while travelling, yet it still manages to amaze me. It's as if the person next to you had been washing shoe polish off a pig, then suddenly threw down his sponge, saying, "**** this. I'm going to Los Angeles!"
- David Sedaris, August 9, 2010 (subscription required).
​


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

Lately, a microfiber blazer since it's one less thing to jam into the rollaboard, and my running shoes. The costs of checked bags dictates wearing something that might take up space as you get on, then stashing it in the overhead since the closets are frequently full.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

In the beginning, I wore a flight suit while flying, regardless of whether I was seated in the front seat or back seats of the aircraft...I rather miss that! Then later but, still years ago, on business trips, I wore a suit...it looked good, left positive impressions and was one less thing I had to fit into the suitcase...and today, I wear a Blazer/sport coat and odd trousers for flying. We each choose to be part of the solution or part of the problem...it's an individual thing!


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## KenCPollock (Dec 20, 2003)

Air travel these days is not much better than boarding a cattle car going to a concentration camp, except that most people dressed better for the latter.
https://www.modia.org/poeme/auschwitz/train.jpg


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## WhereNext (Aug 16, 2009)

What I wear varies widely on a number of factors:
1) Who will be picking me up from the airport. This is mostly a concern if I am meeting a "special" lady friend or if I am being flown in for a job interview.
2) How many changeovers I'll have to make on the journey. In other words, how many layovers, bus or train connections, etc. will be involved in getting from my home to the destination.
3) The combination of weather at my destination and where I'm leaving from for the trip. If I'm going somewhere where the weather will be dramatically different, I'll often have to wear easily adaptable clothing to address (as an earlier poster mentioned) being appropriately attired at home, on the journey, and when I arrive at my destination.

I also usually wear Chelsea boots because they are easy to take on and off quickly which comes in handy, especially if you have to go through multiple security checkpoints.

I have flown in suits in the past, but I find this largely unpleasant unless I am forward of the coach cabin. I realize that does make me, officially, part of the problem. I'm comfortable with that.


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## GoToEleven (May 19, 2010)

*Yes, but practicality has to play a role, too.*

If one has a laptop case, hanging bag, etc. that one carries on, the last thing I want to do is destroy the shoulders of a suit by carrying heavy items through the airport. Something a bit more casual, and layered to allow adjustment for different climates at each end point, seems to be a reasonable approach.

This is even more important when I am traveling with the family, where my main role is as communal sherpa.

Sometimes even personal sartorial aspirations need to be tempered by practical consideration.

-- GTE


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## ToryBoy (Oct 13, 2008)

t-shirt/polo shirt (half or full sleeve)/rugby top
casual trousers/chinos/jeans
smart trainers (maybe loafers or monks)
casual sports jacket (in the summer, will carry the jacket rather then wearing)

Suit and tie on a plane - no chance. I have travelled for business on a train and worn a suit; however, if I was flying for business then I would be given the chance to change into a suit (after the flight or at the hotel). I do not dress smarter, if flying business or first class.


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## Charles74 (May 2, 2010)

I try to dress nicely for a plane trip. Why? Because if there are problems or you need assistance from airline or airport workers, you tend to get better service when you dress better than the average passenger


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

camorristi said:


> and that's guaranteed to get you some:


The flight stewardesses don't look like that . . . they're her grandmother today.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Charles74 said:


> I try to dress nicely for a plane trip. Why? Because if there are problems or you need assistance from airline or airport workers, you tend to get better service when you dress better than the average passenger


Agreed. And I find if you fly internationally, you get through customs without the hassle.

I generally wear at least chinos or slacks -- never with a belt, loafers, a shirt and sportcoat. Sometimes I wear flip-flops and carry the loafers in my carry-on just because it's easier going through U.S. security with flip-flops.


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## ThomasK (Jul 7, 2010)

I passionately hate flying. I'm too young to remember any time when it was good or special. It's always been a hassle and uncomfortable. Flying coach is one of the few times I'm extremely thankful that I am short and small. It feels cramped to me; I can only imagine how much worse it is for my giant of a brother, who is 6'5". 

Pretty soon we might as well all show up buck naked. Imagine how much quicker security would go? 

These days I pretty much only fly for work. Which usually means I must wear a suit and tie, since I typically fly someplace for court, and then fly back the same day. So I will go through security at least 3 times. Which is another reason I'm considering wearing braces instead of belts. One less item of clothing I have to take off to go through security. I need some good dressy shoes that can be easily slipped on and off too.


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

The flight I took last month on the way home I wore chinos (I think they are more comfortable than jeans for a long flight, shorts don't work for me because it gets too cold), OCBD shirt (easy to roll up the sleeves if it gets hot, roll down if it gets cold on the plane, which it often does, fabric looks ok wrinkled, comfortable, pockets are useful), gray t-shirt (in case it gets really hot and I need to take off the shirt), sport sandal over tan cotton socks. Yes, the sandals are scandalous, but gosh they are comfortable, my feat get hot and they are quick to take off and put on. That was the first time I tried that, but I was so hot from the 115 Phoenix heat when I got to the airport that I went for it. I will do it again, it was really comfortable.

I used to wear a cheap dark sport coat or blazer, but you guys have ruined me. I tried on a couple of my old blazers and they fit me so badly and the sleeves were so long I just can't wear them in public. Better to look like another too casual clown than an idiot in a too big blazer with sleeves to my knuckles :biggrin:

I missed wearing a blazer though, the extra pockets are handy and you do look more serious to people and as was mentioned, you get better service (as long you keep your smile going too and be friendly). I need to find a good travel blazer. Will go nicely with the sport sandals.


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## Top Guns (Apr 29, 2010)

joeyzaza said:


> Part of it is low fairs that encourages people more fit for buses to be boarding planes. And believe me, I am not elitist. Just saying what many business travelers already think.


SHEESH! _People more fit for buses_ and _I'm not elitist_? Bad news--yes you are.

Allow me to remind people that passing judgment on your fellow travellers based on the way they dress is possibly as shallow as you can get. I would say passing that same judgment based upon skin color or gender would be just one step lower.

Allow me to remind everybody that there are many very young men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United states (and other countries) that come back from the combat theater to spend two weeks with their families and then return to the combat theater. They are not wealthy, nor do they travel with business suits to Afghanistan and Iraq. So, when they travel--especially after the severe physical hardships they encounter--they are going to travel comfortably. They are going to travel in ratty jeans, running shoes, and a t-shirt.

Or perhaps the spouse of a Soldier killed in combat, travelling to Dover, Delaware to view her husand's remains returning from theater. She travels comfortably--as well she should! I have had the honor of assisting such a spouse and I can tell you I would be willing to die for that fine widow--sitting next to her trying help her come to grips with her newly shattered life, stuffed in coach while snobbish, elitist business people sit in first class slurping themselves stupid on complementary champagne. Statements like the above just make my blood boil. She is a higher class person than any of you could ever hope to know.

I would be proud to sit next to any of these fine men and women, regardless of their dress. And if anybody here would rather they take the bus to go from one coast to the other, then shame on you!

Our combat Soldiers are not the only case, either. There are plenty of people (firefighters, EMTs, Police, etc) who exist to ensure the safety and health of those they serve. Hard working blue collar workers travelling to a parent's funeral? Not wearing a suit (possibly the only one they have) on the plane makes them worthy of riding the bus? Your own employees (for those of you that are executives and managers) probably wouldn't dress in a suit to travel on an airplane. Would you tell them THEY are "bus class" people?

If you think people are "bus class" people because of the way they dress then I suggest you are a foot class person and don't even deserve public transportation.


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## CharlesFerdinand (Jun 18, 2010)

BTW does anyone know if cufflinks can cause problems with metal detectors. I've never dared to wear them on a plane trip.


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## GoToEleven (May 19, 2010)

Bravo, Top Guns. Thanks for reminding all of us of the importance of applying our preferences / personal standards only to ourselves. 

And thank you for your service. Your role in helping those who have lost a loved one who was serving our country is, perhaps, an all too thankless task, but know that the silent appreciation off many goes with you. 

My children sleep safely each night due to the sacrifice of many like you, who are far finer people than I. 

-- GTE


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## GBR (Aug 10, 2005)

Jeans/tee shirt/shorts/trainers are quite sufficient: the glory days of glamour are long long gone given budget airlines now prevail.

If you turn right at the door, everyone is the same and the staff little better and won't care, if left, the stewards will merely think you practical or eccentric and the service will be good anyway.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Can you imagine being crammed into coach next to the chap wearing this outfit? A $7 Miller Lite would then seem not overpriced. But, somehow I doubt he flies coach.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I would hope the young folks serving our country would travel in uniform--that way I recognise them, thank them for their service, perhaps buy them a round of drinks and give one of them my seat if I've got a better one. If the way you dress gets you better service or a seat upgrade a military uniform should make this automatic. Downgrading your assessment of a traveler by their dress may indeed be shallow, but the converse is not.


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

Wow, lots of good posts to reply back on...



camorristi said:


> and that's guaranteed to get you some:


 Huh... I'd wear just about ANYTHING that would be "guaranteed to get me some of that!" :icon_smile:



upr_crust said:


> I only wish that I had the means to dress well on a plane - but that would mean flying first class, and I've better things to spend money on - like clothes for when I land .


I hear that, too. Fortunately, I fly/travel often enough that on certain airlines I've reached "MVP" status, and occasionally get upgraded for free. Oh, those are happy, happy days when I'm able to do that. Makes so much of a difference on longer flights. :aportnoy:



CharlesFerdinand said:


> I should be used to the way Americans dress while travelling, yet it still manages to amaze me. It's as if the person next to you had been washing shoe polish off a pig, then suddenly threw down his sponge, saying, "**** this. I'm going to Los Angeles!"
> - David Sedaris, August 9, 2010 (subscription required).​


​Now THAT's funny, right there!



eagle2250 said:


> In the beginning, I wore a flight suit while flying, regardless of whether I was seated in the front seat or back seats of the aircraft...I rather miss that!


 Darn tootin'. I'm rather thankful that I'm still allowed to be one of those zipper-suited flight guys in the cockpit. I'll take being the pilot on a flight anyday over riding in the back, even in first class.



Top Guns said:


> Allow me to remind everybody that there are many very young men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United states (and other countries) that come back from the combat theater to spend two weeks with their families and then return to the combat theater. They are not wealthy, nor do they travel with business suits to Afghanistan and Iraq. So, when they travel--especially after the severe physical hardships they encounter--they are going to travel comfortably. They are going to travel in ratty jeans, running shoes, and a t-shirt.


Thanks for the thoughts, Top Guns. I'm actually one of those guys who will be getting my 2-weeks leave time in January to come home from a year in Iraq. For me, I'll be constrained to wear my fatigues the whole way back home, and then again the whole way coming back to work. Won't have any option to dress up!



cdavant said:


> The costs of checked bags dictates wearing something that might take up space as you get on, then stashing it in the overhead since the closets are frequently full.


 That's one of the big factors for me, too, not wanting the bulk of packing a suit or jacket, as well as getting it all wrinkled and such. So wearing it during travel end up being the best option, and then it's no problem to just take it off once on the flight or in a car, and fold it on top of some luggage. But even if I'm not in a suit, just wearing a blazer/sports jacket gives me that available clothing at my travel location if I need it to dress up a bit.


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## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

I'll wear what is practical to have at my destination. If it's going to be zero degrees, then parka and the warmest trousers I have, etc. Going to San Antonio to visit the mother-in-law, it's jeans and a huge belt/buckle, athletic shoes, and, depending on the weather, either a cotton western style shirt or a plaid flannel one. If I'm going to board the QM2, a blazer, colored mercerized tee, camel khakis, dressy slip-ons. All of this goes along with Wildblue's concept of not having to pack one outfit. I certainly wouldn't want to be on an icily air-conditioned airplane in anything skimpy. I won't even wear shorts, generally, for that reason alone.


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## Top Guns (Apr 29, 2010)

Wildblue said:


> Thanks for the thoughts, Top Guns. I'm actually one of those guys who will be getting my 2-weeks leave time in January to come home from a year in Iraq. For me, I'll be constrained to wear my fatigues the whole way back home, and then again the whole way coming back to work. Won't have any option to dress up!


No, my brother--thank YOU for your service. Wear your fatigues with pride--just don't expect the first class seats to be given up to you. I have seen some returning veterans receive an upgrade if there is an open seat, but I have also seen those in first class not willing to exchange a seat for a grieving widow of a fallen Soldier, even though the flight crew were briefed on the situation and asked. Noble thoughts do not always translate to noble deeds.

However, many servicemembers return to the East coast and have layovers, or have a stop there with family, or whatever and then travel again to another destination. In these situations they often (because they are no longer travelling from overseas, even though they are still travelling on R&R leave) travel in the above-described clothing.

Fellow AAAC members; please just realize there is so much more to people than their appearance. You don't know who somebody is, what they do, or what is going on in their lives until you take the time to learn. I know the servicemembers and their families at the very least (very few of whom ever wear suits when traveling) deserve that.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

cdavant said:


> I would hope the young folks serving our country would travel in uniform


The various policies and directives pertaining to this have changed several times over the years. When I was in back in the late 60's-early 70's just about everyone wore their uniform while traveling because you got a bigger discount on your fare for wearing the uniform. Of course all of the services back then required that some variation of a service dress uniform be worn. There were no fatigues, utilities, or dungarees on commercial flights. Airports, bus stations, and train stations were filled with military personnel in uniform. Heck, some airports had USOs, Love Field in Dallas comes to mind.

At some point in the 80's I'm told that military personnel were discouraged from wearing uniforms on commercial flights because of terrorism fears. I think this came about after terrorists murdered a U.S. Navy diver who was a passenger on a hijacked airliner.

While more military personnel are now seen in airports, it seems that most of them (at least the Army) are wearing BDUs, or whatever they call them now. It is my understanding that the Army put out a directive two or three years ago encouraging soldiers to wear these uniforms instead of service dress uniforms when traveling in the U.S. to remind citizens that we are a nation at war.

Cruiser


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

That pretty much sums it up, Cruiser. For a while, we had to wear service dress when we were flying commercial somewhere for government travel. Was not popular--service dress is NOT comfortable--even less than a suit and tie. But in the end it was supposedly changed for operational security reasons. Today, you can wear whatever you want on most travel. The exception is when flying on government-contracted carriers to and from the Middle East (AOR), you have to wear fatigues. (currently ABU's for USAF) So, when I deployed to Iraq, I wore civvies from home to the port in Baltimore, spent the night, and the next day put on my fatigues to catch the contracted "rotator" flight to the desert.

There are parts that do get a little silly, but it's still for a good reason or at least intention. i.e., when I go back for my 2-week R&R, I'll be in fatigues on the contract rotator to either Dallas or Atlanta. during that time, we're still under "General Order #1" where we're not allowed to have any alcohol, just like here in the desert. But then they take it one step further, that we're not allowed to change into civvies and have a drink in the airport, or even on the following commercial flight back home, if the flight attendants offer one. Even after being locked away for 6 months without a drink. It's a court-martial offense.

Now, it seems silly, but I can understand--wouldn't want someone who has been locked up tight for 6+ months to go crazy and plunge into the deep end right away, especially if they start embarassing themselves and the service while still in uniform. When my time comes, I suppose after 6 months I can wait another 6-12 hours for a drink. 

Anyway, sorry to get this thread off-topic. Back to talking about men in camoflauge hot pants and halter tops.  uh....


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

I am not sure if the comfort (therefore t-shirt) argument is as straightforward as it is being made out to be here. As has been said several, several times on this forum, once one gets used to a suit, or any other coat or whatever, and it fits well, then it is very comfortable.


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## Apatheticviews (Mar 21, 2010)

Wildblue said:


> For a while, we had to wear service dress when we were flying commercial somewhere for government travel. Was not popular--service dress is NOT comfortable--even less than a suit and tie. But in the end it was supposedly changed for operational security reasons. Today, you can wear whatever you want on most travel. The exception is when flying on government-contracted carriers to and from the Middle East (AOR), you have to wear fatigues.


When I first joined the USMC, back in 1994, we were briefed on traveling via plane (while on orders). They had "recently" (within the last couple years) changed the rule that said you had to wear Service uniforms (Business suit style) when on orders. The admin Gunny's brief was pretty simple. "Don't look like a jackass." After the briefing, one of the CI guys talked to us a bit, and gave the following advice:

a) Dress comfortably, in shoes that you can run with. You never know when you will need to.
b) Carry a jacket. The weather "here" is not the same as the weather "there" and most planes have the AC jacked up to stupid levels. You can use it as a pillow and save yourself $2.
c) Don't be conspicuous. The safest place you can be is part of a crowd. It's a lot harder to do if you're wearing blaze orange, or something else "eye catching."


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

MicTester said:


> I am not sure if the comfort (therefore t-shirt) argument is as straightforward as it is being made out to be here. As has been said several, several times on this forum, once one gets used to a suit, or any other coat or whatever, and it fits well, then it is very comfortable.


I do know that one can get used to a suit, if one wears it often and for work. I'm thinking of the practicalities of tailored garments for air travel. Someone has already pointed out that a heavy carry-on shoulder bag, which may contain a laptop and many other things, can damage and may even destroy the structured padded shoulders of an expensive suit jacket, blazer or sport coat.

Also what does one actually do with such a tailored jacket while in the cabin? Does one wear it? Where it will get all rumpled and creased from the cramped seats of economy class*. Does one try and stuff it in the overhead? Many of us know what these can be like, often filled to overflowing.



KenCPollock said:


> Air travel these days is not much better than boarding a cattle car going to a concentration camp,


+1

Myself I see no benefit at all of wearing tailored clothing for the occasion of been interrogated, herded like cattle, and then stuffed into a cramped aluminium tube for 14 hours.

*not everyone can afford first class.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Wildblue said:


> Me, I try to go back to the heritage of aviation, and dress up for commercial flights. Full suit and tie with pocket square and carried hat for me. Not as comfortable as some, and I certainly don't blend with most, unless I'm in first class. (and even then it's often a stretch) But I do try to look good.


Isen't that like saying, I'm going to dress up in tweeds every time I go for a drive in my Honda, Dongfeng or Geely. To try and go back to the heritage of motoring.

The smartly dressed person may get picked out for extra screening and questioning by the security and customs personnel, for looking out of place and they might be carrying contraband. I've actually seen this happen on a few occasions.


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

Wildblue said:


> When my time comes, I suppose after 6 months I can wait another 6-12 hours for a drink.


Which will be richly deserved. Thanks buddy!


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

Apatheticviews said:


> a) Dress comfortably, in shoes that you can run with. You never know when you will need to.
> b) Carry a jacket. The weather "here" is not the same as the weather "there" and most planes have the AC jacked up to stupid levels. You can use it as a pillow and save yourself $2.
> c) Don't be conspicuous. The safest place you can be is part of a crowd. It's a lot harder to do if you're wearing blaze orange, or something else "eye catching."


+1. I got similar advice in a different branch, always think of it. You never know what you will have to do. Thanks for your service.


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

MikeDT said:


> The smartly dressed person may get picked out for extra screening and questioning by the security and customs personnel, for looking out of place and they might be carrying contraband. I've actually seen this happen on a few occasions.


From what little I know, TSA works in ways a bit more sophisticated than this.


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

And another part of why I find it easier to wear a nice outfit, instead of packing one, is that I can pack slacks and shirts in a suitcase okay, but I've never been able to do that with a dress jacket without either wrinkling the heck out of it, or using a garment hang-up bag. And with today's luggage travel issues, I just don't like packing a garment bag.



Wildblue said:


> Me, I try to go back to the heritage of aviation, and dress up for commercial flights. Full suit and tie with pocket square and carried hat for me. Not as comfortable as some, and I certainly don't blend with most, unless I'm in first class. (and even then it's often a stretch) But I do try to look good.





MikeDT said:


> Isn't that like saying, I'm going to dress up in tweeds every time I go for a drive in my Honda, Dongfeng or Geely. To try and go back to the heritage of motoring.
> 
> The smartly dressed person may get picked out for extra screening and questioning by the security and customs personnel, for looking out of place and they might be carrying contraband. I've actually seen this happen on a few occasions.


Well....... if you go out driving, you're either by yourself, or maybe with family members or something. If you go flying, you're travelling right next to HUNDREDS of other passengers, (in rather closer proximity than it used to be, too!) and thousands more in the terminals you walk through. I don't think I've ever gotten dressed up for myself when sitting around alone at home, but flying commercially is definitely a social occasion, whether we like it or not.

I certainly don't get dressed up to avoid any security, as you suggest. If I get extra screening, I get extra screening. I'm not going to change who I am or how I dress in an attempt to guess who will be picked for extra security scrutiny.


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## 82-Greg (Apr 13, 2008)

Let me preface by saying I hate air travel. People on airlines dress like slobs because they are treated like cattle (or worse).

I work for an employer who insists on flying cheapest way possible. Which means very late booking, so any chance of getting a slightly less uncomfortable seat are nil. Economy seats on airlines today are well suited for small children and no more. By squeezing the extra three seats in and flying most flights full, airlines have successfully ensured that only tiny people can be comfortable in economy (which most people fly). Service is non-existent (remember the baggage fees). If you pay the baggage fees, be prepared to have the airlines loose your luggage (I'm running about 50% now, but I'm also on a run of good luck. Hence, I'm probably cursed for the three trips I need to take this year.) Remember what pillows and blankets used to be handed out before the flight--gone except on international flights. If they serve a meal, it generally it is generally unfit for human consumption.

Putting fresh air into the cabin induces a very small amount of drag on the engines, which slightly increases their fuel costs; hence, the pilots only do it if the customers ask. First thing I do after we are in the air is ask for more fresh air, but frequently they do nothing. The result, I always end up with headaches.

Then there is the TSA--an agency that has an incredibly difficult job and will never completely be successful because the standard of success is zero defects, there is always something new and the volume of air travel is massive. On the other hand, I am not comforted by the fact that the next terrorist TSA catches will be its first. Its success to date have included protecting the public by confiscating two tubes of tooth paste and a small pair of scissors that also held a small (<2 inch) blade.

Given these challenges, I do not find it surprising that the dress standard on airlines has decreased. I find it amazing that people actually take airlines for vacation!


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Flying is so unpleasant nowadays; I do it as little as possible.

My rules-of-thumb are to dress for comfort, but to cover up. I just feel that bare, hairy legs, flip-flops and so on (esp on a beefy, full-grown man) are not the most considerate attire when entering a situation where you're going to be squeezed into close physical proximity with a bunch of strangers for hours.

Moreover, as someone pointed out, it's sometimes necessary to move fast on foot through airports, and sneakers are better for that than flip-flops anyway. For similar reasons, I use a soft knapsack as a carry-on--having had to pull stunts like hiking the entire length of O'Hare to catch a connecting flight, I have found the knapsack a highly practical choice.


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## Top Guns (Apr 29, 2010)

KenCPollock said:


> Air travel these days is not much better than boarding a cattle car going to a concentration camp


Ummm... NO. While there may be some discomfort involved (increasing as time goes by) this is a ridiculous statement. First off, civilian passenger flights are air limousine rides for anybody who has ever been stuffed in a C-141 with an entire battalion of other Soldiers. Ruck sack on your lap, web seating instead of chairs, your knees smashed against the knees of the person across from you, and your left and right limits are non-existent. There is no walkway and a trip to the "lavatory" involves walking across the tops of the seats to get to the "comfort pallet."

And even then I would never DARE to compare that trip to a train trip to the Nazi concentration camps. Unless you were a Nazi-persecuted Jew in the late '30s-early '40s, I don't think you could ever imagine what boarding a cattle car going to a concentration camp would be like.

As for what to wear (the OP), as in all walks of life, one's personal situation dictates. I would not expect anybody who does not normally wear a suit to travel in a suit--that is actually a ridiculous suggestion. And yes--for most people (assuming most people--a fair assumption--do not normally wear suits), a t-shirt is more comfortable than a suit. Same goes with jeans and sneakers/running shoes.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Top Guns said:


> civilian passenger flights are air limousine rides for anybody who has ever been stuffed in a C-141 with an entire battalion of other Soldiers. Ruck sack on your lap, web seating instead of chairs, your knees smashed against the knees of the person across from you, and your left and right limits are non-existent. There is no walkway and a trip to the "lavatory" involves walking across the tops of the seats to get to the "comfort pallet."


It's all relative I guess. I remember flying from California to Florida in 1969 in one of these with the same nylon jump seats and something that I suppose could be called a lavatory. It was much more comfortable to sit or lie on the seabags that were strapped down in the center of the aircraft. To make matters worse we had to fly around the edge of a hurricane. In flight service consisted of a coffee pot in the rear, but it was empty and I had to make a new pot to get some. A commercial DC-8 would have been much nicer. :icon_smile_big:










As for cattle cars, some military bases back in the 60's had trailers that were pulled behind trucks that they used for transportation around the base for servicemen. They were called cattle cars because that's what they resembled. Although they had a roof, they were otherwise open to the elements and you simply sat on a wooden seat while the trailer swayed around as it was pulled about. Even a Southwest Airlines flight would be more comfortable than that. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

I have some fresh experience having just flown to New York City and back. I was the only male on the flights wearing a sport jacket! There were several men in blazers but I'm discounting them since they also wore the ubiquitous jeans with them!

I needed a sport jacket for NYC and had packed two suits in my carry-on. I prefer to look decent for the flight; it seems to help get you though security and the gate agent with more ease! 

But if I was on a trip that didn't require a sport jacket, a dress or sport shirt and a golf jacket would work.

Most wore tee-shirts, jeans or shorts and there was a few flip-flops! I'm not negative, but if I ever have to escape a burning aircraft I do not want to be wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops!


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Smartly dressed men are not all that scant in my experience travelling. At least three others on my flight were wearing a sport coat or suit and tie. I was just wearing a navy blazer, white PPBD, and khakis with oxblood pennies. I was not uncomfortable.


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

Not only is military flight often much worse (you very rarely need to jump out of a civilian flight at the end, for example), but I am guessing if you think U.S. airlines are really bad you have never taken a standing room only flight in Eastern Europe or the third world. Just wow. Nothing like seeing your 'pilot' having a couple drinks before the flight and you can't do anything about it. I assume this has improved alot in the last 20 years, but I haven't been to Africa. Jet flight is just so much nicer than a prop too that it is hard to complain too much.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

My first flight was on Allegheny Alirlines in 1964 from Atlantic City to Philly, then Philly to Boston. I was a college freshman and wore a brown Jacob Reed herringbone tweed jacket over olive whipcord twill pants, Wright penny loafers, a Gant OCBD shirt and a tie I've long forgotten. I remember the clothes so well because my sister (who was already a Barnard grad and the world's authority on what I should eat, read, say, wear, carry etc) went with me when I got them. I also carried a full leather "2 suiter" that I still have but haven't used in 30 years.

Back then, flying was a special and enjoyable treat - and we all responded appropriately. But there were no crowds, even coach seating was comfortable (I was 6'2" then just as I am now and a 40L w/ 33" waist - I've gone up one size to 42L and 1" to 34 in 46 years), food and service were more than passable, and it was just plain fun to fly.

Since then, flying (like everything else we once held dear because it took work to attain and was worth it) has become available to everyone because of compromises made to "grow the business". The first class cabin (especially on US domestic carriers and flights) is no longer the exclusive club it used to be. Most air travel today is a means to an end - most flights no longer provide "il dolce far niente".

I wear jeans, short- or long-sleeved T-shirt or 33ga cashmere pullover (depending on the time of year and destination), a blazer or other casual sport jacket of appropriate weight, and slip-on shoes. I rarely need a suit and tie for anything, from consulting for a client to speaking at a medical meeting - and if I do, I'll wear it on the plane to save room in my carry-on (if I check bags, I pack the suit).

Times change and we have to change with them. As long as they're clean, neat and conservative, casual clothes are fine for travel. Flying demands a suit and tie like going out for dinner demands spats.


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

Like many corporate travelers these days, I'm forced by my employer to fly coach on discount-economy "Q" fares that are very difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade.

These days due to the need for quick turnaround of aircraft, the coach cabin is either not cleaned, or given a perfunctory cleaning. The discount-economy seats are often very dirty and smelly. I used to wear a suit, or at least a jacket and tie, when I flew business/first, but now I wear jeans and a casual shirt or t-shirt because they are less likely to show stains, and can be washed. I've been forced to change clothes after arrival because of this, but I view this as a lesser evil than showing up in a suit with ketchup smeared on the trouser legs, thanks to a sloppy, thoughtless previous passenger who brought his McDonald's meal onto the plane.

I used to be Gold/Platinum/Diamond in several of the major airlines' frequent flyer programs, but these days I avoid domestic flights as much as possible.


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## ilikeyourstyle (Apr 24, 2007)

It's jeans, collared shirt, and sweater for me. There are no wrinkling worries, it's casual without making me a complete slob, and I like the layered effect so I can adjust to the temperature on board the plane. I don't care what anyone else wears as long as they don't smell bad. Airport security should add bad odours to their list of prohibited substances.


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## camorristi (May 9, 2010)

What about performance blazers like BB's Fitzgerald?

BB Fitzgerald Blazer


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

OK, after years and a vast number of flying miles, I have come to the conclusion that this is the right thing to wear on a flight:

1. Shoes - bluchers. Anything else is wrong. Reasons: your feet swell, so if your loafers fit before you get on, they won't by the time you land, and well-fitting bals will also be more difficult to get on. As few of us have problems tying shoe laces, the additional few seconds of lace untying and tying at security are irrelevant.

2. Trousers - relatively inexpensive wrinkle-free chinos. Jeans can get sweaty and inclined to stick, anything which can wrinkle will, and there's also a small risk of catching the pocket of your trousers on an arm rest.

3. Shirt - OCBD (or similar), sufficiently informal, and the sleeves can be rolled up, which is inconvenient with french cuffs, but useful if the cabin gets too warm - and can be made more formal by the addition of a tie. Also, to my observation, you're less likely to get stopped at customs if you're wearing a "real" shirt.

4. Jacket - where normally a synthetic fabric may be looked down on (except in sports events) clothes for flying are the exception. My standard "flying jacket" is a Norm Thompson microfiber blazer, which in addition to being crush proof, washable, etc. has very deep inside pockets which will take the full length of a boarding pass.

5. If you're sensitive to the cold, then a cotton sweater. Any other fabric will probably be too warm and/or bulky. (I wouldn't criticise thin silk, but it's usually too warm for me.)

If you wear the above, particularly if you accessorise with a tie, you'll be comfortable, "flight-proof", and highly presentable (helps with upgrades, stewardesses, attractive young women at the departure lounge bar if you find any, which is rare but not impossible).


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## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

StephenRG said:


> OK, after years and a vast number of flying miles, I have come to the conclusion that this is the right thing to wear on a flight:
> 
> 1. Shoes - bluchers. Anything else is wrong. Reasons: your feet swell, so if your loafers fit before you get on, they won't by the time you land, and well-fitting bals will also be more difficult to get on. As few of us have problems tying shoe laces, the additional few seconds of lace untying and tying at security are irrelevant.


I'm going to have to disagree. My feet don't swell much, and the extra time to untie and tie lace-up shoes is a pain in the butt, especially if you have those waxed string type laces that have to be double-knotted. If your feet swell enough to change your shoe size, you should discuss that with your doctor.



> 4. Jacket - where normally a synthetic fabric may be looked down on (except in sports events) clothes for flying are the exception. My standard "flying jacket" is a Norm Thompson microfiber blazer, which in addition to being crush proof, washable, etc. has very deep inside pockets which will take the full length of a boarding pass.


I like the jacket, too, for its extra pockets. If I need to wear a suit or jacket where I'm going, I wear it on the plane, because I find it actually survives better than in a suitcase. Also, on cross-country flights, I find the plane gets progressively colder, so it's nice to start out in shirt-sleeves, then put the jacket back on around Colorado or so.


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## flylot74 (Jul 26, 2007)

I have to chime in here, because flying is my occupation, and I think I've seen pretty much all there is.

First off, I must respond to Top. Nice try Top, but your off mark about our servicemen and women travelling. No need to come to their aid on this matter. Our men and women in service that travel either in civies or BDU, ALL dress well when travelling. Sure, you won't find them in a suit, but they are clean and sharply presentable, unlike the average self absorbed, ill-mannered, laptop toting slobs that frequent my aircraft! They are usually the most presentable passengers on the aircraft. To finish it off, they are the best behaved as well. I'm so damned proud of them!

Now for my insight on another matter. Andy picked up on it:



Andy said:


> Most wore tee-shirts, jeans or shorts and there was a few flip-flops! I'm not negative, but if I ever have to escape a burning aircraft I do not want to be wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and flip-flops!


Oh, how true. If you ever have to evacuate an aircraft, it will more likely be dark, inverted, either on fire or the cabin filling with smoke. You will probably be exiting into either freezing rain or snow flurries and perhaps into freezing water with the wind blowing at 20 knots gusting to 30. If you make it, you will probably be wandering about in that weather for some time, perhaps an hour or more. I'm not trying to scare you. I want you to think about it. Sorry guys, evacs rarely happen on cool summer morning in San Tropez.

I am in total amazement when I see t-shirts, short and shower shoes on people flying to Chicago or Denver in the winter! I guess you just can't fix stupid.

By the way, while everyone is reading the paper or worse yet, talking while the demo is being played, you might notice something: those that are quietly counting seat backs to an emergency exit. They are usually dead heading pilots, flight attendants, or military.

Just food for thought.....


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## Apatheticviews (Mar 21, 2010)

flylot74 said:


> By the way, while everyone is reading the paper or worse yet, talking while the demo is being played, you might notice something: those that are quietly counting seat backs to an emergency exit. They are usually dead heading pilots, flight attendants, or military.
> 
> Just food for thought.....


From years of flying on helicopters, I'm still trying to find the fluids leak when they are doing the demo. No leak, no fluid, no flight! I also do a quick scan to spot the Air Marshall, or any other Military/Police types. Sure it's a little paranoid, but paranoia doesn't get you killed, it's lack of paranoia that gets you killed.


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

That's kind of funny. As a pilot, I listen for proper engine spool-up, check the wings for icing, etc, even when I'm a passenger. I've never discovered a safety issue that needed highlighting, but I view it as part of Crew Resource Management (something deeply ingrained in me) in addition to my own personal safety preservation.

As for your statement that "it's a little paranoid", that might be. I have a book coming to me from Amazon, though, that was recommended to me. It's pretty highly rated, and seems to address the issue you bring up.


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## ATLien (Jan 6, 2009)

I am in consulting and have the "pleasure" to fly weekly for business. On domestic flights I typically wear what I will wear at the client site which typically means suit and tie. For intercontinental flights I wear jeans, t-shirt, loafers. This is all the elegance I need before turning the seat into a flatbed and sleeping. I change to suit and tie after arrival in the lounge.


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## VictorRomeo (Sep 11, 2009)

The vast majority of my international travel is work related and given that most of that is to the developing world, I dress entirely for comfort and that means I'm a walking advertisment for Patagonia and their likes. 

Long haul to Africa is broadly fine with Virgin and BA to the international hubs in J'burg and Nairobi. It's the connecting flights where the real fun begins. I remember one flight when at baggage claim in Chimoio(Mozambique) that atop my bag was a dead goat - legs sticking out and stiff in the air - badly wrapped in stained brown paper and string and was seeping the most disgusting effluent all over my bag and and the rest of the the... um... I suppose it was a carousel. Luckily the bag I use for that sort of travel is made from rubberised fabric. I've been to most African countries at this stage and a few Asian. I'm travelling to Niger next month, incidentally.

When I'm travelling in the 'developed world'(with my politcally correct bowler hat on), it's to places like London, NYC, Geneva, The Hague etc. with different levels of frequency. If the mood takes me I'll style things up a bit, with perhaps some wool trousers, v neck cashmere and sport coat. Never a suit.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Wildblue said:


> That's kind of funny. As a pilot, I listen for proper engine spool-up, check the wings for icing, etc, even when I'm a passenger. I've never discovered a safety issue that needed highlighting, but I view it as part of Crew Resource Management (something deeply ingrained in me) in addition to my own personal safety preservation.


I like to make sure the flaps are down!!

I wear a blazer, I like the extra pockets, sport shirt no tie, chinos and loafers w/socks.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

People generally look like slobs on planes these days...even in first or business class. I've seen it all (as have most of you). Shorts, flip flops, pajamas, warm-up suits...the list goes on and on.

For me, it depends mostly on if I am going directly to meet a client or to a dinner when I land. I see no problem with wearing jeans on a plane, especially if food (when you can get it!) or beverages get spilled on you...but I always make sure I wear one of my nicest pairs. 

If the situation doesn't permit me to wear jeans, I will generally wear dress slacks, khakis or cords. I never travel without a sports coat or blazer (they're practical and can double for a top coat...when paired with a sweater...in the winter). I always wear loafers and a nice, starched shirt and sometimes a pocket square (even when I am wearing jeans).


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

What an interesting debate and so many different opinions. Some see air travel as a special social occasion and will dress up accordingly, and there are some which see modern air travel as little better than been herded into nazi cattle trucks. I see it as more of the latter. 

I've got to go on a flight in the next few days. I'll be wearing what I feel comfortable in and consider to be practical for the journey, that is jeans, a short sleeved cotton shirt with collar and flip-flops. The weather is expected to be sunny with 35-40C at my departure and destination. From experience China Southern tend to keep their aircraft rather warm during the flights, the seats are quite cramped, often there is spilled drinks and food going astray due to turbulence. I would not be wanting to wearing a suit, tie or even a blazer with dress trousers here.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

VictorRomeo said:


> Long haul to Africa is broadly fine with Virgin and BA to the international hubs in J'burg and Nairobi. It's the connecting flights where the real fun begins. I remember one flight when at baggage claim in Chimoio(Mozambique) that atop my bag was a dead goat - legs sticking out and stiff in the air - badly wrapped in stained brown paper and string and was seeping the most disgusting effluent all over my bag and and the rest of the the... um...


+1

I was at an airport in Hunan province, China during the Spring Festival, there was was a large family with dead poultry(chickens and ducks) as carry-on luggage.



VictorRomeo said:


> Never a suit.


...and neither do I.


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## Racer (Apr 16, 2010)

MikeDT said:


> flip-flops


I flew to Dallas today for business. I was in an aisle seat at the bulkhead. A woman coming down the aisle swung her way-overloaded carry-on bag into my row, got a bit unbalanced, and dropped the bag directly on my foot. If I had been wearing flip-flops or some other open-toed footwear, I would have sustained a nasty injury.

Something to think about.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

^^^^^^

Maybe we should be wearing steel toe capped boots when flying? 

My problem with wearing regular shoes or trainers for flying, is that I find them uncomfortable and extremely difficult to remove them and put them back on when the aircraft is at cruising altitude, due to the fact my feet seem to grow somewhat.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Wildblue said:


> That's kind of funny. As a pilot, I listen for proper engine spool-up, check the wings for icing, etc, even when I'm a passenger. I've never discovered a safety issue that needed highlighting, but I view it as part of Crew Resource Management (something deeply ingrained in me) in addition to my own personal safety preservation.
> 
> As for your statement that "it's a little paranoid", that might be. I have a book coming to me from Amazon, though, that was recommended to me. It's pretty highly rated, and seems to address the issue you bring up.


De Becker's book, The Gift of Fear, is a great read for those with an interest in what they can do personally to enhance their own safety. De Becker subsequently wrote a companion volume entitled, Protecting The Gift. Both books are excellent reads for us all!


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Air travel these days is an ordeal. If the airlines treat us as freight, I think that means we have license to dress for comfort. To me that means relaxed fit jeans, t-shirt, sweat shirt, etc. I also find that crocs and (gasp) socks answer very well given the ability to slip them on and off. I also often travel with my children, which means that there's a very, very good chance I will have some sort of food or drink spilled on me. That said: I recently travelled cross country for business, and United lost my luggage. Which meant I had to turn up for an afternoon meeting in crocs and then spend that evening shopping for a quick wardrobe. I will dress differently the next time I go anywhere for business. And pack differently.

I am old enough to remember when things were different. As I child I flew on Continental's "Pub Flights," which were DC-10s with large lounges and actual bars. I was too young to enjoy the bar, obviously, but I can recall playing a sit-down version of "Pong."

More recently I've flown to and within Africa and found that the flights there are fine. Security was not what I would have liked within the continent. And those were clearly old planes (1980s 737s). But I saw nothing really alarming. It probably depends on the carrier. I'd avoid Nigerian airlines in any circumstances.


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

Racer said:


> I flew to Dallas today for business. I was in an aisle seat at the bulkhead. A woman coming down the aisle swung her way-overloaded carry-on bag into my row, got a bit unbalanced, and dropped the bag directly on my foot.


 Did you grab a beer, activate the emergency slide, and hop out?


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## Peachey Carnehan (Apr 18, 2009)

There was an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry is traveling by plane and the man who is sitting next to him is wearing shorts. The next few minutes is this awkward exchange between Larry and the man about how it is making Larry uncomfortable that the man is wearing shorts.


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## 10gallonhat (Dec 13, 2009)

Apatheticviews said:


> I also do a quick scan to spot the Air Marshall, or any other Military/Police types.


How can you tell?


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

I don't think the poor dressers are doing it for travel comfort after much thought. They always dress that way, because they are always thinking of primal comfort and little else.

It is awful how people think they are dressed adequately in gym shorts all the way from air travel to doctor's office, DMV to birthday parties, grocery shopping to....

I have half a mind to sue Nike. There are so many lawyers who dress well. Should not be difficult to find one who will take my case I guess.  I have suffered enough. Not sure I can take another sighting of a shiny, synthetic pair of shorts. And I understand people actually pay for that stuff.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Is this thread for real? Or are you all sharing some in-joke I'm not aware of?  Are you seriously discussing dressing up for what is the most uncomfortable form of travel and the most restricted (in terms of movement not just in your seat but due to the lack of getting up and walking around, even when flying first or business class) travelling experience?

If I could take boats, trains, and bicycles everywhere I would.

J-P Sartorial said it best in post No. 2 _"Because I hate flights and I am dressing for maximum comfort and practicality."_


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## Top Guns (Apr 29, 2010)

MicTester said:


> I don't think the poor dressers are doing it for travel comfort after much thought. They always dress that way, because they are always thinking of primal comfort and little else.
> 
> It is awful how people think they are dressed adequately in gym shorts all the way from air travel to doctor's office, DMV to birthday parties, grocery shopping to....
> 
> I have half a mind to sue Nike. There are so many lawyers who dress well. Should not be difficult to find one who will take my case I guess.  I have suffered enough. Not sure I can take another sighting of a shiny, synthetic pair of shorts. And I understand people actually pay for that stuff.


Seriously--you get that upset at how others dress? Isn't it enough for you to dress for yourself? Perhaps those gym-shorts wearers dislike the way you dress.


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## MicTester (Oct 8, 2009)

Top Guns said:


> Perhaps those gym-shorts wearers dislike the way you dress.


Of course they do. You should read what they say about me on their forum. Good fun.


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## pseudonym (Aug 1, 2010)

Flying is not that bad. Honestly. It's far from perfect, but it's not horrible, and it certainly isn't akin to being loaded off to a concentration camp. I think that of the three camps visible in this thread, those who've been the most level headed are those who approach the situation practically, not jumping towards the extremes of "COMFORT OR DEATH" and "STYLISHNESS OR DEATH."

I'm a 20 y/o who's been flying to school for the past five years of my life, and I would say I fly ten to twelve times a year - not a whole lot, but more than your average bear. I go back-and-forth to college, and I visit relatives and friends during the holidays. Now, I'm not made of money, so I take the train when I can, but if I have to take an airplane, it's not the end of the world. Trains are nicer on the legs and lungs, but if I have to be somewhere quick, I'm usually on that US Air flight. As a young man of meager means (I'm dishing out enough on airfare, AM I RIGHT?) I fly coach, and I don't have a suit to my name. Naturally, I am a SLOB, and I am to be belittled by internet commenters until I have LEARNED MY LESSON.

What I'm getting at is that while flying might seem inconvenient in comparison to having one's servants carry one about in one's sedan chair, that doesn't mean a t-shirt and sweats are acceptable for a man of "taste" or "style." I agree wholeheartedly with StephenRG's suggestions (though not the bit about slip-ons, I find them quite useful) - on my last flight I wore chinos and an OCBD, with a sweater in easy access in my carry-on, and I was fine. About as comfortable as I could be. In addition, I was treated as a gentleman should be by the flight attendants, without drawing attention to myself as "that guy in the suit on an airplane why are you wearing that on an airplane are you crazy or just an asshole what is the deal with you"

Suck it up, your flight from LaGuardia to O'Hare may dry your sinuses, but you're a grown man. You can deal. 
When you are on an airplane, you are in public.
Comfort and style are not enemies.

So often, it seems, the middle path is the most appropriate...


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

MicTester said:


> Of course they do. You should read what they say about me on their forum. Good fun.


So I took a flight the other day, and some a-hole was whereing a suite and tie! What a idiot. That tie will strangle you if you try to swallow a cheeseburger hole. He wasnt even wearring running shoes, just those old fashioned leather soled shoes my great grand pappy wore back in the 20th century. wha if he wants to shoot some hoops after the flyght? I mean, in a suit, how are you supposed to scratch your belly if it iches? What if someone wants to see the crack in my *ss when I bend over? No such luck in a suit! What if he spills his blue slushy on that suit, he can't just wring out his t-shirt and put it back on like I did the night before I flewed. If he wants to prop his feet up on the seat in front of him, his slippery poly shorts won't slide down his legs and allow his knees to breath, which everyone knows is good for you healthe. Nobody even nose what team he likes without whorearing a logo t. who dose he think he is? George Kloony or sometin? I hate rich people.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

When I fly it's usually a very long flight, often with a lot of time spend in airports for layovers.
I'm very OCD about my clothes and with that in mind I dress for comfort, in something I don't care much about, and that I can immediately throw off upon landing and change into something nice.

Airports are disgusting, airplanes are disgusting, the re-circulated air is disgusting, the fact that you can't really change clothes, and that you sweat and sleep in them makes them disgusting.

This isn't to say I dress sloppily, but upon deplanning the first thing I want to do is change out of my gross plane clothes.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

14 hour early morning flight Hong Kong to London. I'm going to be dressing for comfort and not looks. T-shirt, favourite worn out jeans, flip-flops and a zip-up fleece in case it's cold in London. NO suit, tie, blazer, sport jacket or dress shoes.


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## riyadh552 (Mar 4, 2009)

Getting back to the OP's question: What is ok or not ok to wear on a plane?

We all have our own dress standards and preferences toward comfort and style. I myself would rather not sit next to the guy wearing gym shorts. I don't need his bare skin (leg hairs, and who knows how clean he is?) touching mine. Now, seat me next to the gal in a short and stylish skirt, that's a different story. :biggrin:

I do think, out of courtesy to their fellow fliers, men should at least dress in clean long pants and full-sleeved shirt, simply to avoid subjecting others to one's own skin contact. Then again, I'm borderline OCD...


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

This animosity that "regular people" supposedly have toward suit-wearing passengers is not really accurate. I saw quite a few of them on my last trip. I think most people figure they are traveling for business.


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## turban1 (May 29, 2008)

*what not to wear on airplanes*

balaklavas. afghan or pakistani national dress. turbans or those rolled-up afghan mullah omar caps (pakhouls). waistcoats with visible wiring.


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## AskDandy (Jul 3, 2010)

Thread title should read: _"What is ok or not ok to wear... when you're crammed into an uncomfortable seated position, elbows and legs pressed against complete strangers, in a droning, bumpy, pressurized tube filled with stale, dehydrated air for hours on end?"_


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## Wildblue (Oct 11, 2009)

What a coincidence! I tried to make it that exact title, but it wouldn't fit. Perhaps something original, like "Dr. Strangelove... Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love the Bomb".?


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## jacnyr (Apr 29, 2010)

Last month, I picked my girlfriend up at the airport. One of the girls got off the flight in her pajamas. I don't see how people can go out of the house dressed like that. I see pajamas at the bank, and the store.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

jacnyr said:


> Last month, I picked my girlfriend up at the airport. One of the girls got off the flight in her pajamas. I don't see how people can go out of the house dressed like that. I see pajamas at the bank, and the store.


Was it a red-eye flight? I guess she was wearing what she felt comfortable with and convenient for the flight. BTW in China it's perfectly normal to be wearing pyjamas at the bank, supermarket, restaurant, street, etc.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

I did observe a young Chinese guy sat near to me on the flight from Hong Kong to London, was wearing a *black* pinstripe suit, with a 'ZEGNA' sleeve label still attached and vents still stitched closed, complete with white Nike trainers, no tie.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Okay, we get it, suits are stupid and we should cater to what you think is appropriate. Am I on target? :icon_smile_big:


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

I have never, ever understood people who say they wear something particular because of a need to be "comfortable." If you buy clothes that fit, you can be comfortable in anything.

When travelling by air, I usually wear a sportcoat and dress slacks. On a weekday flight, I'll usually wear a tie. 

On an overnight flight (US to Europe), I would change into pajamas. I've got an eight hour flight, and I will spend about five and a half of that sleeping. If it's a situation where the airline serves dinner prior to departure, I'll get even more sleep.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Jovan said:


> Okay, we get it, suits are stupid and we should cater to what you think is appropriate. Am I on target? :icon_smile_big:


I would say that wearing a suit or dress trousers and blazer wasn't the most suitable or comfortable attire for the particular flight I was on, given that it was an almost *30 hour long-haul* from New Zealand to the United Kingdom, with a 2 hour refuelling stopover in Hong Kong. I remember the previously mentioned guy's Zegna suit been very wrinkled when we arrived at Heathrow, it would probably need a *dry-clean* and a *good pressing* before been worn again.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> I have never, ever understood people who say they wear something particular because of a need to be "comfortable." If you buy clothes that fit, you can be comfortable in anything.


The concept of "comfort" is more than simply how one's clothing feels. It's just as much how one feels while wearing the clothing.

For example, I can be "comfortable" in terms of feel while changing a tire on my car in a dress shirt and dress pants, but my actual comfort level would be much higher if I had on a pair of old jeans and an old shirt. I can be "comfortable" crawling around under my desk hooking up computer cables in suit pants, dress shirt, and tie; but I think that my comfort level would be greater doing this in a pair of khakis or jeans.

On a different level, I can feel "comfortable" eating at Burger King in my tuxedo because it fits well; however, I would be much more comfortable overall in something less conspicuous. At the same time I wouldn't be "comfortable" in a formal business meeting wearing jeans and a tee shirt, but my discomfort would have nothing to do with how my clothes feel. Comfortable is as much a psychological concept as it is physical.

Each person has his/her own comfort level in any given situation and when it comes to clothing it is almost always based on more than merely the physical "feel" of the clothes.

Cruiser


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

MikeDT said:


> I would say that wearing a suit or dress trousers and blazer wasn't the most suitable or comfortable attire for the particular flight I was on, given that it was an almost *30 hour long-haul* from New Zealand to the United Kingdom, with a 2 hour refuelling stopover in Hong Kong. I remember the previously mentioned guy's Zegna suit been very wrinkled when we arrived at Heathrow, it would probably need a *dry-clean* and a *good pressing* before been worn again.


 I won't disagree with you in this case. However, in many of your posts you surreptitiously look down on those who wear a suit or strive to dress well.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Jovan said:


> I won't disagree with you in this case. However, in many of your posts you surreptitiously look down on those who wear a suit or strive to dress well.


Apologies Jovan if I give that impression. But I'm not really anti-suit or have anything against people who chose to dress well. However my year spent in China made me seriously think about the practicalities of *dry clean only* tailored garments. A few months ago someone posted on these fora about having their expensive Gieves & Hawkes blazer been washed in a bucket by hotel staff, along with references to radioactive isotopes been used for 'dry cleaning'.

Hmmmm..Marks & Spencer's machine washable suits may just be the ticket here.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Yes, you CAN dry clean them... if you don't own a clothes brush, spot cleaner (Dry Cleaner's Secret etc.), or cedar hangers. If they just get soiled or perspired on in a few spots, dry cleaning isn't worth the cost or stress on your garments. Saving it for only the most dire situations can extend the life of them greatly.

I've heard similar horror stories about hotel staff in China. Surely you've picked up some Chinese and can write a note saying, "Stay the hell away from my clothes." 

The disdain you had for a coworker who was dressed to the nines -- who you asserted was a "douche bag" because of that -- plus several other off-hand comments you've made about people who wear suits to everyday functions gave me that impression. Maybe I'm wrong. It seems sometimes like you only come here to rile up the crowd who enjoy wearing nice clothes.


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## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

I have no problems at all with people who dress nicely actually. I've got some smart tailored clothes myself, shirts, dress trousers and a couple of blazers. Again apologies if people take my comments and postings the wrong way. Myself, I never take offence from things I read on message boards. 

BTW that unusually well dressed co-worker turned out to be a real 'douche bag' and is no longer employed by the school, he got fired for flirting with and screwing the students. I smelled a rat when I first met the guy.


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## icky thump (Feb 2, 2008)

If I am taking a one-day trip and need to impress (often) I wear a PS silky powder suit. Never wrinkles, even on a cross country flight. 

If I am traveling casually, I always wear a OCBD shirt. I habitually put my boarding pass and passport into the breast pocket and couldn't travel without.


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## BrassGuru (Dec 22, 2008)

I'm usually not in a suit, but I enjoy dressing up in a OCBD and wool trousers for my business trips. If I'm on a family trip then maybe a polo with khakis.


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