The biggest problem: airlines treating passengers like luggage. Ever shrinking economy legroom, flying narrow body planes (I remember flying wide body jets between Houston and San Francisco), bad food (if at all), rude flight attendants (mostly in the US and on European low cost carriers), overcrowded airports. How can you dress nicely for this? Sure you don’t have to be a complete slob but this kind of treatment and environment do not encourage elegance.
It’s true that not all airports/airplanes are created equal, and some are unfortunately the equivalent of hostile architecture towards civilized people.
As airlines try to squeeze more money out of their customers, more of what was once standard is being sectioned off as an add on you can be charged for. The clean, pleasant space in airports is now often reserved to lounge areas, eg.
These days, airport fashion is disgraceful… I don’t even know why it’s become a thing for people to wear pyjamas at the airport. Like, why? I don’t get it. Doesn’t make any sense. The airport is another outside place, isn’t it?
Part of what’s happening is the demotion of airports and airlines from “real” public spaces to liminal ones. It’s a space where you don’t really “go” but merely pass through on your way to another space, and thus for some basic rules of civility may not feel applicable.
During the years my family was stationed overseas in NE Asia, and flying commercial frequently, we kept two outfits each reserved exclusively for the transit days. One for warm weather and the other for cooler temps. Our young daughter was included in this custom. The clothing was elegant yet comfortable and truly did make those long days so often filled with hiccups and mishaps all the more bearable. Years later and my young adult daughter still asks if her outfit is “correct” when she travels by plane.
I love this. Everyone, but especially, frequent flyers would save a lot of time and hassle by adopting this habit and sharing it with their children. Thanks for letting us know!
In Ukraine, we have the concept of a dacha, which is a seasonal or year-round second home outside the city, usually with a vegetable garden. You go there wearing old sports clothes because you’ll probably be working in the garden, picking vegetables, or sitting by the fire.
So when I see people at airports wearing clothes like that, I’m always shocked, especially compared to how the cabin crew looks. They’re on duty and need to be ready to help in case of an emergency, but passengers apparently can’t sit in normal clothes for a few hours.
It’s an interesting point that the cabin crew still dresses professionally while arguably spending more time on planes and in airports than most passengers; looking at photos from the 50s, it’s clear their uniforms haven’t changed much, meanwhile the public standards have lowered to dacha level.
I think we should make exceptions for seniors and people with special needs, because they might have difficulties with certain types of clothing and using the bathroom. I also blame Pinterest for popularizing those “leggings-and-matcha” outfits on the streets. You go to Pilates, then you shower and change clothes. It’s ridiculous and absolutely unhygienic.
For seniors and parents travelling with young children - opt for more relaxed outfits and that’s okay. It baffles me though how people have made travelling in gym clothes okay. I believe Pinterest and some celebrities have popularised this. I read somewhere, apparently it's because these fancy gym outfits cost a lot and buyers are trying to get their money's worth so they are wearing it all the time everywhere.
Bloggers wear those outfits because they get paid to be walking billboards for the brand. People copy bloggers and give the brand free advertising. No one makes the logical connection because of low critical thinking.
Have you looked at flight attendants recently? Mainly the females … although I had men dressed as female flight attendants on a recent flight. These women are generally overweight, without make-up, and bedraggled. Not much difference between them and their unkempt, slobby customers. And these attendants have zero to do other than occasionally deliver drinks on a trolly.
Thank God I mainly travel around Europe. I guess the same applies to Emirates, as far as I know, because they have a strict hiring process. Asian airlines might be on that list too. So statistically, it’s likely that we’re looking at a 70/30 split, with 70% of airlines having strict standards for cabin crew.
I’m anti-pajamas but I hesitate to wear anything particularly nice to the airport because it doesn’t feel like a clean place. It’s not to the extent of a city bus, but it has a similar petri dish-like aura that’s like movie theater seats.
My ideal airport experience is something akin to the film "The V. I. P.s" with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I've been tired of the pajama "trend" for years. Unless you are fleeing from your burning home there is no excuse for pajamas. It takes roughly five minutes to throw on an acceptable outfit to go anywhere. The current societal trend prioritizes comfort and immediacy over decorum and that having a social standard is discriminatory to one's autonomy.
The biggest problem: airlines treating passengers like luggage. Ever shrinking economy legroom, flying narrow body planes (I remember flying wide body jets between Houston and San Francisco), bad food (if at all), rude flight attendants (mostly in the US and on European low cost carriers), overcrowded airports. How can you dress nicely for this? Sure you don’t have to be a complete slob but this kind of treatment and environment do not encourage elegance.
It’s true that not all airports/airplanes are created equal, and some are unfortunately the equivalent of hostile architecture towards civilized people.
As airlines try to squeeze more money out of their customers, more of what was once standard is being sectioned off as an add on you can be charged for. The clean, pleasant space in airports is now often reserved to lounge areas, eg.
These days, airport fashion is disgraceful… I don’t even know why it’s become a thing for people to wear pyjamas at the airport. Like, why? I don’t get it. Doesn’t make any sense. The airport is another outside place, isn’t it?
Part of what’s happening is the demotion of airports and airlines from “real” public spaces to liminal ones. It’s a space where you don’t really “go” but merely pass through on your way to another space, and thus for some basic rules of civility may not feel applicable.
True. I get the sense of that, to be honest.
During the years my family was stationed overseas in NE Asia, and flying commercial frequently, we kept two outfits each reserved exclusively for the transit days. One for warm weather and the other for cooler temps. Our young daughter was included in this custom. The clothing was elegant yet comfortable and truly did make those long days so often filled with hiccups and mishaps all the more bearable. Years later and my young adult daughter still asks if her outfit is “correct” when she travels by plane.
I love this. Everyone, but especially, frequent flyers would save a lot of time and hassle by adopting this habit and sharing it with their children. Thanks for letting us know!
In Ukraine, we have the concept of a dacha, which is a seasonal or year-round second home outside the city, usually with a vegetable garden. You go there wearing old sports clothes because you’ll probably be working in the garden, picking vegetables, or sitting by the fire.
So when I see people at airports wearing clothes like that, I’m always shocked, especially compared to how the cabin crew looks. They’re on duty and need to be ready to help in case of an emergency, but passengers apparently can’t sit in normal clothes for a few hours.
It’s an interesting point that the cabin crew still dresses professionally while arguably spending more time on planes and in airports than most passengers; looking at photos from the 50s, it’s clear their uniforms haven’t changed much, meanwhile the public standards have lowered to dacha level.
I think we should make exceptions for seniors and people with special needs, because they might have difficulties with certain types of clothing and using the bathroom. I also blame Pinterest for popularizing those “leggings-and-matcha” outfits on the streets. You go to Pilates, then you shower and change clothes. It’s ridiculous and absolutely unhygienic.
For seniors and parents travelling with young children - opt for more relaxed outfits and that’s okay. It baffles me though how people have made travelling in gym clothes okay. I believe Pinterest and some celebrities have popularised this. I read somewhere, apparently it's because these fancy gym outfits cost a lot and buyers are trying to get their money's worth so they are wearing it all the time everywhere.
Bloggers wear those outfits because they get paid to be walking billboards for the brand. People copy bloggers and give the brand free advertising. No one makes the logical connection because of low critical thinking.
Have you looked at flight attendants recently? Mainly the females … although I had men dressed as female flight attendants on a recent flight. These women are generally overweight, without make-up, and bedraggled. Not much difference between them and their unkempt, slobby customers. And these attendants have zero to do other than occasionally deliver drinks on a trolly.
Thank God I mainly travel around Europe. I guess the same applies to Emirates, as far as I know, because they have a strict hiring process. Asian airlines might be on that list too. So statistically, it’s likely that we’re looking at a 70/30 split, with 70% of airlines having strict standards for cabin crew.
Great article. It's so depressing watching people walk around public looking like absolute bums.
That’s why a well dressed person in public is such a breath of fresh air these days!
very good read!
I’m anti-pajamas but I hesitate to wear anything particularly nice to the airport because it doesn’t feel like a clean place. It’s not to the extent of a city bus, but it has a similar petri dish-like aura that’s like movie theater seats.
I dress for combat cause that's what flying is like today.
Someone needs to share this wisdom with the shoppers at Walmart.
Yeah, and that guy who was cutting his fingernails in the aisle across from me.....what's next...your toenails?
My ideal airport experience is something akin to the film "The V. I. P.s" with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I've been tired of the pajama "trend" for years. Unless you are fleeing from your burning home there is no excuse for pajamas. It takes roughly five minutes to throw on an acceptable outfit to go anywhere. The current societal trend prioritizes comfort and immediacy over decorum and that having a social standard is discriminatory to one's autonomy.
The race to our bottom standards in the name of misunderstood democratization.
It is concerning when we confuse public decency with elitism.
Look at this article of what even the AI answered on this when it was allowed to speak more freely.
https://angelofreason.substack.com/p/is-our-culture-getting-ghettoized?r=6g2b54&utm_medium=ios