Passengers used to dress up for a flight as much as the crew did, but these times are gone. As we become increasingly familiar with the idea, situating the experience somewhere between a shaking suburban bus and a fast train, dressing up fancy doesn’t match the atmosphere anymore.
One thing we consider when picking apparel for several hours in a plane is temperature. With all the ACs, it’s easy to freeze in a flash. When we prepare for a flight, we’ll typically toss an extra sweater in the hand luggage. It’s observable that people who don’t fly often take it less lightly as if it was a ceremony or meeting-someone-new kind of situation.
Funnily, flying has become so casual that we haven’t noticed that a dress code, different for every airline, is still a thing. This reflection comes up occasionally when someone breaks one of the rules and creates a buzz around the topic.
So, what is there to know about an airline dress code? Dutch KLM, for example, doesn’t let its passengers wear uniforms, while US airlines let commuting employees travel wearing clothing they need for their jobs. USA travelers must maintain a neat appearance. Disrespecting this rule may cause a problem getting on board. The former Miss Universe discovered another point of the airplane dress code when she was asked to cover her chest before checking in.
Moreover, the pandemic got us used to thinking that sweatpants fit every occasion, but Air Canada keeps us decent in this department. They prohibit, allegedly, strictly, any kind of athletic wear such as sweats, yoga pants, running shoes, etc., making exceptions only for children aged 12 and under. Still, even kiddos aren’t permitted to wear leggings. What we wear and how we wear are inseparable from what we want to express. And there is the other side of the coin—if others want us to be a certain way and have power over us, they will first find ways to control our clothing style.
Is it so wrong, though, and is this the reason for creating an airline dress code? To inspire good behavior? The issue here revolves around being locked in a small area and making the experience comfortable. From this point of view, keeping it neat is the best way to tone the atmosphere down.
