Do you "dress" for the plane?

[RhondaS]

It used to be very inappropriate to dress casually for a plane flight.

Today, most folks I see (my family included) are dressed for comfort.

How do you and your family take to the sky?

 

[NurseKim]

Was it really inappropritate to dress casual on a plane?? How weird!!
I dress casual and comfortable. I usually wear a comfortable summer dress...Florida has been the only place I've flown to!
One time, on a flight home from Florida, there was a man on the plane who did not wear any shoes. It was pretty gross.

 

[JillU-DVC]

When I fly, I dress for two things; comfort and safety.

Comfort - I tend to find the planes very cold, and will always wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt, usually a sweatshirt. If we're going to Disney, I'll make sure I have a short sleeved shirt on underneath, and may pack a pair of shorts to change into once we arrive at Orlando. I'll usually wear comfy jeans or dockers. My feet are always cold, so I always have on heavy socks, and full shoes (not sandals).

Safety - It's a terrible thing to think about, but you do need to consider safety when flying. I always make sure that I'm wearing natural fibers, not synthetics, since they are safer in a fire. I might wear a polar tech jacket over everything else (easier to wear than to pack anyway), but I tend not to wear it actually on the flight, and I'd like to think that I'd take it off if there were any problems on the plane itself.

Once my comfort and safety are taken care of, I try to be sure I don't look terrible; other than the jeans, I dress sort of business casual. I do think you get treated better if you're dressed nicely.

My two cents! Hope I didn't bum anyone out!

Jill Neill

 

[Wendy]

I remember as a young child my mom always made us get dressed up for a plane ride. We're talking dresses, tights, hair fixed, everything. I guess that's still ingrained in me, because I do tend to wear nicer shorts when I fly than I normally would. Seriously, when I fly these days, I fly with comfort in mind. Those plane seats are uncomfortable enough without having the added discomfort of wearing nice clothes.

 

[Momto4]

I also remember dressing up for air travel years ago! Now, however, I would echo what JillU said...

Comfort without being sloppy and,
Travel for safety -
No synthetics ...and I would add, long pants and no shoes with heels.

JillU: Are you, by chance, a flight attandant?

 

[JillU-DVC]

Nope, not a flight attendent, never was. Just someone who has to watch disaster shows when they are on (even though I have to turn them off when my husband comes in the room).

I am a little nervous flying (though not until I'm actually IN the plane), though I hide it well. I'm also the type that absolutely HAS to be prepared for anything.

I feel better if I know that I've done everything I can do to make myself as safe as possible. Then, I trust that everyone else is doing everything THEY can to keep people safe, and I feel much better!

I also think that if I plan and prepare for something, it will never actually happen.

Hope this topic didn't upset anyone too much; remember, you're MUCH safer flying than driving!

Jill Neill

 

[mattjs]

As a child we always dressed up. But really, plane travel is no longer what it once was.

Where it was once a comfortable and pleasant experience, it's really become more of a nuisance we put up with to get to our destinations.

Flights are more often late than not, there's less leg room, your lucky now if you get a bag a peanuts, etc.

All these things have helped keep airtravel affordable but...... I now no longer dress for the plane and go for comfort only.

You never know how long you'll be delayed these days, in a cramped seat, with no water, no snacks and no air. May as well be in a comfortable shirt while you wait

Also, I adhere to the natural fabrics bit as well. JillU-DVC, I think you and I saw the same disaster show

 

[caitycaity]

hee hee... my mom is the worrying type and she engrained in me to ALWAYS wear sneakers when driving long distances or flying in case of emergency. I used to laugh until I got into a serious accident and was stranded in the middle of the NYS thruway in January during a blizzard near Buffalo (-20 windchill, 4 feet of snow) without a coat, gloves, or appropriate shoes. I literally thought I was going to die or at the very least have to have toes/fingers amputated due to the cold - it was so horrible! Now I travel prepared and always wear shoes that I feel comfortable running/climbing in just to be on the safe side.

Depending on where I am going, sometimes I travel dressy and sometimes not. I have also found that you get upgraded to business/first a lot more if you are dressed up.

 

[RLM]

Loose,comfortable,clean clothes!!!!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I like to dress buisness casual for the flights, unless it's a transatlantic, transpacific, or red-eye flight, where I would go entirely for comfort.

 

[aide4]

The more comfortable the better, I say. You never know how long you may actually sit on the plane without going anywhere, so the more comfortable the clothes I wear, the easier it is to deal with whatever may come up!!inkbounc

 

[BobBrazeal]

I dress for comfort. It is part of my process of going on vacation. I often leave right from work on a Friday to head to the airport. Changing into more casual clothes is the point at which work ends and vacation begins!

 

[GrumpyOne]

It isn't an interview or a wedding so it's jeans and sneaks for me!

 

[bicker]

Comfort and safety -- that's my watchwords as well.

 

[Keeker]

Absolute comfort for us! I usually wear a casual pullover dress and flats, and my guys wear jeans and decent shirts.

 

[horseshowmom]

My family goes casual, but we do wear cotton jeans for safety's sake and tennis shoes (not slip on shoes - I almost fell down the steps in some of those today). If it's summer, we don't usually wear long sleeves (although it would be safer in case of a "problem"). My DD thinks I go overboard (she's 13, so I'm sure you understand), but I think it's wise to prepare. (We also make note of emergency doors on the plane and of fire escape routes in hotels. I'd rather know before instead of wishing later!) I'm not the panicky type, I just like to know things. I enjoy flying much more than driving (but it does make my husband a little nervous).

 

[Dodie]

I dress for SAFETY!

All of the advice seems to be that you should wear cotton (not synthetic) clothing because of the chance of fire! (Synthetics can melt.) [You shouldn't wear pantihose for the same reason.] I usually wear jeans or khakis and a t-shirt, cotton button-down shirt, or sweatshirt.

You should wear tennis shoes or comfortable, flat-soled shoes (NOT sandals or high heels) that will allow you to escape easily if you need to and will not damage the inflatable exit slide when you exit.

 

[LMasi]

I can't wait to show this posting to my kids. Every year when we fly, I always tell them to dress up a little, "that's just what you should do when you fly" are my words of wisdom.
Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but I just feel better. Usually we vacation in a warm, beach type fashion, and we will be in shorts and swim suits most of the time, so I feel it doesn't hurt the kids (and my husband) to dress up a little. I'm talking Dockers, sundress, etc. I have also been known to say, "no shorts on the plane"
Oh well, call me a nerd. Now that my kids are 14 and 17, don't know how much longer I can enforce that.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

we used to have to be dressed up to fly non-rev but then they relaxed it so ever since then I do not dress up for flying anymore. comfy is the way to go.

 

[robinb]

I always dress "business casual" for the plane. It's a habit I got into when I flew on non-revenue airline employee companion tickets. I am also very friendly and polite to the gate agents. We travel with a baby and always ask for a seat between us for her car seat even though we don't buy her a seat. The gate agents always bend over backwards to accomodate us. I think part of it is because we don't look like a bunch of schlubs.