The golden age of aviation when people would wear their finest dress or suit when flying, are (for some) sadly long gone and buried.

However, I was curious to know if people on this board would still dress a bit up when going flying, and if so; would it depend on the class, airline and/or destination?

Or do you instead dress down, wearing clothes below your usual daily standards?  

I myself dress up a bit, depending on where I'm going. But I usually wear a pair of nice jeans, a shirt (not a t-shirt, but a shirt shirt) and/or a nice pullover.

Something like this: (Air France 744 march 2013)



Perhaps it's a bit absurd stating that I dressed up on the above picture, however I don't wear such clothes every day. I guess it depends on your job and daily life.

Share your stories  

- Philip

Quoting Fallap (Thread starter): However, I was curious to know if people on this board would still dress a bit up when going flying, and if so; would it depend on the class, airline and/or destination?

I usually dress the same as in daily life. I hate suits and never wear them... That would be 'dressing up' for me.

Quoting Fallap (Thread starter): Or do you instead dress down, wearing clothes below your usual daily standards?

Nope. But lots of young people dress badly in general and worse on planes. Especially in the States.

Quoting Fallap (Thread starter): nice jeans

IMO that doesn't exist, but anyway, they're neutral :pp

Pullover+long pants (trousers) in winter.
T-shirt+something else since it's cold on planes+long pants (trousers) in summer.

My ordinary day dress is sometimes a bathrobe, so it would be hard to dress down from that!

But no, I certainly make no effort to dress up for flying. I go for whatever is the most comfortable and will draw the least attention from the TSA gestapo.

It depends what the reason is for my travel.

When I am deadheading and need to have uniform on to get into the country (e.g. India) I put my uniform on. If deadheading without uniform I put on a suit, but leave away the tie.

Private travel: depends on travel class. C class: suit with or without tie. Y-class: jeans, proper shoes and proper shirt.

I try to keep an eye on what I wear during travel.

But interesting what people wear when boarding the plane      

wilco737
  

I mean no disrespect at all when I say that the clothes that you are wearing in the photo are not what I would regard as "dressing up". I guess it is all relative as I don't know how you normally dress. You still appear clean, smart but casual, above all comfortable and that is all that really matters.

As long as what you are wearing is both clean an comfortable it really doesn't matter. Even in First Class no one expects you to be wearing anything other than smart-casual, and most airlines don't expect or care for anything too far different as long you pay the fare and behave yourself. The only possible problems would arise if your clothing is soiled and posed a risk to other passengers or if, in the unlikely event of an emergency, your clothes represented an increased risk of injury.

Changing attitudes to dress are partly due to changing values over time and largely due to the changed nature of air travel. This is observable in every cabin class. The days of graceful flights on a Zeppelin are long gone. In today's environment, the only airline with an onboard shower is Emirates. The only people who might "need" to wear a suit for travel are those flying short haul to a business meeting. For everyone else, dress is optional (apart from flying naked.  )

I usually wear my everyday clothes regardless of the class of travel. I do make sure to wear sweatpants for long haul travel though... Makes a huge difference for me...

Quoting AyostoLeon (Reply 4):

True, however I work monday - friday as an aircraftmechanic student in the RDAF, so at work I wear full-body overalls and is often dirty as a coalminer when the day is up. After working hours in the barracks I wear old clothes because I can't be arsed to put on anything remotely 'pretty'

So the clothes on that picture is for me, dressing up. At least dressing up casually. I have a few suits, however 80% of my money are spend on travelling   But yes I see your point :P

I wear the simplest clothes with minimal pockets and no belt so I can get through security quicker. All clean, of course.

However if I'm getting off the plane and heading straight into a conference for example, then suits.

On longhaul, overnight flights I'll always wear a long-sleeve t-shirt and either jeans or linen pants - light, comfy, and they allow me to adapt to different temperature conditions. Also, they're on the darker side so they don't show dirt, stains, etc. as you can come across during 30 hours of travel.

I am lucky that I rarely have to travel in business attire. I really dislike when I have to.

If I'm flying to a meeting or other work function (which does not happen too often) I would be in a shirt/tie and dress pants, basically what I would wear to work.

If I going on a holiday I would wear jeans, t-shirt or sweater depending in the season.

R

Depends on route, time of day and travelling class.

On KEF-Spain for example I may choose to just wear shorts and a t-shirt.

On night flights such as eastbound TATLs I tend to wear sweatpants which are easy to sleep in.

On 'regular' flights such as London-Frankfurt, KEF-JFK or KEF-LHR I often wear a stylish shirt (Abercrombie and such) along with 'finer jeans' from Levi's or Guess.

When travelling in J I sometimes choose to dress in a 'shirt shirt', especially when stand-bying. Most of the time I just dress like on 'regular' flights though.

regards!
Sveinn  

I wear practical and comfortable clothes that look OK or a bit nice. If I'm going to spend several hours in a cramped economy cabin with little space for my belongings, the worst thing I can do is wear something itchy or overly complicated that'll require careful handling - like a sports jacket. So I usually fly in a polo shirt, a decent pair of long jeans (never shorts), a simple knitted jumper and black leather loafers... I rather enjoy the occasional envious look of someone in a white dress shirt and black suit when I'm a lounge. 

When traveling, I figure I will meet lots of people from many different backgrounds and standards, so I go with simple and inoffensive.

For most travel, a decent pair of jeans and a shirt either with a collar, long sleeves, or both is sufficient. I try to wear shoes that can be kicked off easily for security. I generally try to keep myself covered to the neck, elbows, and all the way down to my feet. Nobody needs to see my armpits or my thighs.

But if I'm on a flight to Hawaii, then I will be in shorts, sandals, and a T-shirt.

I have, on a few occasions, worn a suit on a plane (coming back from an interview, for example) and, contrary to popular opinion, I noticed very little difference in the way that I was treated.

On flights with premium cabins (if I'm not already in there) I would dress smartly i.e. trousers and shirt with shoes/boots therefore increasing my chances of an upgrade at the airport. Once onboard I would change into something more casual.

Quoting baexecutive (Reply 13): On flights with premium cabins (if I'm not already in there) I would dress smartly i.e. trousers and shirt with shoes/boots therefore increasing my chances of an upgrade at the airport.

Ironically, the only time in my life I've ever gotten an upgrade was after a week of camping in Alaska (I'd just barely managed to get Premier status that year). Thankfully Denali National Park has pay showers, so I did manage to at least get a shower the day before my flight home, but otherwise I was dressed for camping -- muddy hiking boots, old jeans, and an old sweatshirt. I felt completely out of place in First Class, but I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity.

Generally, though, I don't dress any differently when I fly than I do any other day. Essentially I dress like I'm going to work, and we dress pretty casually where I work.

Quoting CdnCactus (Reply 7): I wear the simplest clothes with minimal pockets and no belt so I can get through security quicker

Likewise, sometimes I wear flip flops as well. No hassles...

The few times I flew first class, I purposely wore t-shirts and shorts or blue jeans so that they knew I was not a non-revenue passenger.

When I first traveled as a child I remember how excited I was and I dressed up in a full miniature suit I had!

I sometimes have short business trips to ASEAN countries. If it's KUL, it'll usually be a day trip. For these I'd be in executive wear since I'd probably go directly to a meeting.

For holidays I'd usually be in a teeshirt or shirtt and rousers or jeans with empty pockets to pass through security easily. This is what I'd normally wear. Travelling or not, I make it a point to dress tastefully so I reckon I always look sharp when I travel as well!

On another notw I have a phobia of airlines losing my bags. Not that it has happened to me before but the thought of it freaks me out! So I always hand carry.. no check-in baggage. I travel light.. only a few pairs of clothes and it helps that I don't like shopping!

I tend to dress casually but neatly for most flights: a newer pair of jeans, a collared shirt or nice sweater, well-kept athletic shoes, long coat if the weather requires. If I'm flying long-haul, I wear a t-shirt to allow for better temperature control while sleeping.

No holes, no stains, no rips, no sweatpants, but also no very formal apparel. I'm just not really a dressy person.

I dress as comfortably as possible—sweatpants, a light jacket, slip-on/slip-off shoes, and a regular, plain-colored or striped shirt. I appear to be dressed quite formally though—my light sweatpants are black, while most shirts I have are plaid, and my blue jacket nicely complements it all. My shoes are of brown leather-like material, still slip-on/slip-offs though. So it works well in Economy, and on the rare occasions I fly in business or first class.

After all, I am a kid, so people don't care all that much about how I'm dressed.

Most, if not all, people I see have jeans and a regular shirt on, similar to the OP's picture. I cannot remember seeing anyone dressed in a suit or the like.

-Ytraveller  

I always wear the same "uniform" for all flying which is ALL BLACK head-to-toe. I am always in a lightweight wool trouser with a black shirt. In most cases, I fly for pleasure and usually at my destination, I have dinner plans, etc. so I like to keep things simple.

Once, I wore a suit + tie on a flight from LAX to CDG as I had to leave work and go straight to the airport. It wasn't so bad, actually.

And on several occasions, I have been wearing the cabin slippers AT ARRIVAL and in the airport on flights to Tokyo and Seoul (with socks, of course) AND dressed in all black as I have forgotten to change into my "street" shoes. I never realize they are on until I look down when entering a moving walkway and/or escalator.

I really need to pay more attention to my overall appearance for my Asia trips. lol!  

Bon Voyage,

AirAfreak  

I try to always dress up a bit, on intra-europe flights I would wear a good pair of jeans or khakis and a buttoned shirt, add in what I call the ¨Winter Survival Kit¨ of a scarf and jacket when flying to cold weathers during winter.

When flying long haul the same applies, khakis, comfortable shoes, buttoned up shirt and my backpack to carry all my stuff and go thru security quicker.

Only once I stepped onboard an aircraft wearing cargo pants, T-shirt and sandals, but then again I was flying BCN-ATH... in June... hot hot hot!

So yea, I like to slightly dress up for a flight. After all you are visiting another country and I guess you would like to give a good image of yourself.

MIAspotter.

I have a couple of very comfy slacks that I wear with a short-sleeve polo whenever possible. As strange as it may seem, after trials and errors, I have found these slacks to be the most comfortable option, even above tshirt and jeans, especially in hot weather (pj's not an option I am willing to entertain).

If I expect to be outside in cold weather for a significant amount of time (eg boarding through the stairs), a long-sleeve shirt will replace the polo, as I never travel with a coat. I find most airports anywhere to be overheated in the winter and for all of 5 minutes I need a coat, I have to drag it with me without wearing it for the rest of the trip...

If I am traveling directly between the airport and a meeting, it's suit-and-tie, although I will take off the tie in-flight if there is a hook in the seat and hand off the jacket to the flight attendant. Usually, I am able to squeeze in a quick shower at a hotel or arrival lounge (or departure lounge on the way home) though, so it's back to slacks and polo in the plane.

Add a pair of Ecco slip-ons to ease through security and I am set.

a nice collared shirt or polo and dark trousers or dress jeans for me. The ony exception is when I'm island hopping in the tropics, in which case it will be t shirt and boardshorts

I am lucky enough to only travel C or F.
I would say that I dress as smart casual, never been happy in jeans.
The first rule no matter what you wear, it has to be comfortable and loose fitting.  

When I deadhead to work I wear my uniform as per company policy. When I fly stand-by I wear either my uniform or dress pants and dress shirt. Personal travel either nice jeans or kakhi pants.

For domestic in the US I just wear a t-shirt or polo and shorts.

For long haul business class, I wear jeans or slacks with a nice shirt, and change into gym shorts and a t-shirt to sleep.

What a great topic! I have so much to comment!

First of all, there is a huge difference between articles that can be labeled under the same category. Here are a few examples.

Jeans: While I very rarely fly in jeans that are as light coloured as Fallap's in the photo, I think that some jeans are very appropriate to wear on board. I tend to use dark blue, dark grey and black jeans, which in my opinion can look very stylish if combined with the right shirts, jackets and shoes. Another thing is that I in general tend to use more tight/slim pants, which also in my opinion looks much better and neat than very lose clothing. In my opinion, wearing a suit, unless you are going to a meeting, is exagerrating.

Sweatpants: When I was in my early 20s, I sometimes flew longhaul in sports pants (not sweat pants, thinner and different material). I hate myself for doing that! But even then, I chose black sports pants that would match my black/dark non-sports jacket. Nowadays I always enter an airport and a plane in long non-sporting pants, but on long, over 6h flights change into sweatpants after take-off and back out of them prior to landing. I love my slim Abercrombie sweatpants, which look very nice and feel amazing! If you've ever worked out in the sweat pats you're wearing, you shouldn't wear them when flying, even if they are clean.

Shorts, flipflops, sleeveless t-shirts: I hate it when people are flying wearing any of these! It looks awful on anyone! Seriously, has anyone ever been warm on an airplane that is not standing on the ground? It's always freezing, no matter where you fly! Never too hot for thin long pants, a normal t-shirt and some damn socks (get thin short socks)! Even most airports are cold. I'm very proud to say that I've never flown wearing flipflops or sleeveless t-shirts and hopefully never will. Once I flew in shorts, because I was going to SXM from SJU and it felt very appropriate   Even then, the shorts were one of those that you might wear in a city in the summer if it's really hot and not those that you wear on the beach.

No matter what you wear, what really matters is what's underneath your outfit. I always take a shower either on the morning of a flight or the previous evening if flying out early. And I always have a deo stick with me to refresh the armpits either on a layover or during a flight. I hate it when people smell, no matter where the smell comes from - armpits, feet, mouth, general smell. That is one of he reasons why I hate people wearing shorts, flipflops and sleeveless t-shirts. Their smell is way too close to me and way too exposed, cover it up!

Since Fallap shared his photo with us, I think it's ok to write a few comments. Overall, the outfit is neat, but not really stylish. If you sat next to me on a plane, I would be happy, since things could be also much worse. Your photo is dated March 2013, so I assume you are flying to or from CDG. I would not wear pants that light/pale in Europe at that time of year, only in the summer. No matter where I was flying. I agree with AyostoLeon that your outfit can't really be regarded as "dressing up", but unfortunately for the wast majority of young people these days that is the case (not saying that you are necesseraly one of them, Fallap).

Fallap asked us whether we dress up or dress down when flying. I wouldn't say that I dress up, since I always try to look neat and stylish when leaving home. Less of course when going to the supermarket than when going to the city center. But even if I wouldn't call my outfits "dressing up", I always try to make it a little bit special when flying. After all, no matter how many people get to fly these days and how many of them try to make flying soud very "everyday", it is special, no matter if you fly twice a year, about 40 times a year (like me) or hundreds of times a year. It's also what you make out of it. If you dress up, behave a little bit better and polite than usual, the experience becomes much more pleasant than if it's just another way to move from A to B.

[Edited 2013-12-08 03:41:08]

Quoting EricAY05 (Reply 26): Seriously, has anyone ever been warm on an airplane that is not standing on the ground?

Yes indeed. I've been on a couple TATL flights wearing jeans, where I was so hot that I was ready to just take them off.   I think in one case others were also sufficiently uncomfortable that the crew finally turned the temps down, in others getting down to bare feet cooled me off enough to survive the rest of the trip.

Of course there are also the flights where arctic wear would have been appropriate. You can't win.

Quoting PITingres (Reply 27):

That's terrible! I've flown on 301 flights in my life and only one or two times have I hoped I was wearing shorts. Of course I'm probably a minority, since my body fat % is low and I have a habit of always wearing enough clothes when it's cold, like wearing a beanie/other type of hat when the temparature gets below 5 C. But still, I dare to state that the temperature on most flights tends to be closer to chilly than hot, especially if it's a night flight.

Quoting EricAY05 (Reply 28): But still, I dare to state that the temperature on most flights tends to be closer to chilly than hot, especially if it's a night flight.

Interesting, and I wonder if it depends on carrier and/or crew, because my experience is just the opposite. It's as if the night flight crews on my flights turn up the heat, hoping that it will put everyone to sleep. Since I much prefer to sleep in a cool to cold room, all that does for me is keep me awake...

I dress as I would any other day of the week. T-shirt, jeans, light sweatshirt, and a baseball cap. If I am in F or have a shot of an upgrade I will wear a collared shirt. But really nothing more than that. I don't mind wearing a button up and nice pants, but when I'm only going home to see the family I have no real reason to dress up. Plus I'm just more comfortable with some nice loose fitting clothes. One thing I wouldn't do is wear sweatpants. I just feel funny about wearing them out anywhere.

Does remind me of a funny story when I was flying home one time. My roommate and I were flying home to BDL together and booked the same flights. Well he had status on DL that year and got an upgrade. So he boards with First class and I wait for my zone to be called. I walk onboard and you see a bunch of businessmen in suits and there is my roommate with a bright blue sweatshirt and screaming bright red sweatpants. We had to sleep in MSP the night before and that was the first time I had a smile on my face in many hours.
Pat

Quoting PITingres (Reply 29):

I think it also has to depend a lot on the person in question. I've just always thought that the people flying longhaul in shorts and t-shirts are those people who go everywhere in shorts and t-shirts, no matter how cold it is. My gf is even worse than I, she often sleaps with her scarf and gloves on during night flights and wears many layers of clothing.

Nevertheless, there are lots of situations and occasions where you don't wear shorts or any other kind of "exposing" clothing no matter how hot it is and for me flying is one of those occasions.

Quoting PITingres (Reply 29): Interesting, and I wonder if it depends on carrier and/or crew, because my experience is just the opposite. It's as if the night flight crews on my flights turn up the heat, hoping that it will put everyone to sleep. Since I much prefer to sleep in a cool to cold room, all that does for me is keep me awake.

A person after my own heart. It seems that this has grown to be an issue over the last 5yrs, more so on night flights.
There was a theory put forward that a warm cabin on a night flight put people to sleep and less work for the cabin crew.
I am lucky enough to travel in Business Class on TALT trips and have had to ask crew to turn the heat down on several trips, otherwise what is the point of a bed and a blanket?
Rant over, do not mean to hijack thread.