Travel Tuesdays: what not to wear
I just got back from visiting family in the Midwest, and I have two questions about the brilliant sartorial parade that is an airport at peak travel season.
First, rubber flip-flops are just this side of barefoot. Is it really necessary to make people take them off to go through security?
And second, when did rubber flip-flops — not to mention pajama pants, backless sequinned halter tops, and t-shirts with blatantly misogynist slogans — become appropriate travel attire?
It’s possible to be comfortable and still look at least somewhat put together and appropriate for public viewing — and no, you don’t have to buy special clothes from travel catalogs. I certainly like my simple cotton tank dress with the secret passport pocket hidden in the hem and my microfiber pants that can be washed in a hotel sink at night and dry by morning, but those are for major trips, not quick jaunts to see the relatives or hang out with friends. For those trips, I get on the plane wearing what I’ve come to think of as my personal uniform:
- a plain t-shirt (not crewneck!), short-sleeved except in the dead of winter, preferably in a dark color to hide the inevitable in-flight spills
- jeans or pants with a little stretch, not too tight but not loose enough to require a belt, again in a dark color
- a cardigan sweater (lightweight in summer, heavier the rest of the year) that I can wear on the plane if I’m cold and remove if I’m warm, because I’m often both in the space of a single flight
- low-heeled but polished or at least quirky shoes that slip on and off easily at security (i.e. no laces!)
No sweats, no (oh heavens no) sandals with socks, no clothing with an offensive punchline. Just simple, flattering basics chosen because they’re comfortable enough for the carrying, standing, sitting, and waiting that modern air travel has become.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for a return to the days when flying was such a special occasion that it called for dressing in one’s Sunday best; let’s face it, seats were bigger and more comfortable then, and four hours in coach weren’t likely to turn a tailored jacket or well-pressed shirt into a rumpled, sweaty mess. I’m also not willing to traipse through the terminal in heels, especially given my preference for traveling carry-on only. But neither do I believe travel is an excuse to dress like you’re planning to spend the day lying on your couch (or someone else’s). Clothing makes a statement, and I’m not convinced “I’m a slob” or “I hate women” or “I’m not wearing a bra” are good statements to make in transit from point A to point B.
What do you wear when you travel, and why?
