Do you have a dress code when you fly?

[9V-SIA]

I didn't want to take this thread further OT...

vandalised seat

So I'm starting a new one here.

How do you dress for a flight?
I would describe my dress as smart casual. Definitely for comfort.
Jeans with shirt, polo or rugby shirt. Tending to wear slip on shoes now because of security checks. And no belt!!
And this is already dressing down!! People used to wear suits when they travel!

It still is an occasion to fly for me because I grew up in an era when flying was glamorous.
Pilots and flight attendants were respected & highly coveted jobs. Think Leo in "Catch Me If You Can".
Now airlines treat them like glorified bus drivers.

With LCCs forcing air fares down, certainly more people can fly. But the glamour is gone.
In it's place is travel for everyone. And everyone do not know what air travel was like "in the good old days". I have no problem with that.

My problem is that dress code is but one symptom of a bigger problem.
The air travel experience is on a downward spiral.. which will end where?
Standing room / pay for toilet usage only as proposed by FR?

While certainly no rules exist regarding dress code, perhaps the younger members of this forum can see my point.
Imagine in your lifetime, it became OK to wear shorts, T-shirt and slippers to an occasion like a wedding, a 3 star Michelin restaurant or a funeral.
Is it OK with you?

Times change, but I don't have to like it

[Savage25]

I generally try to wear clothes when I fly.

[N_Architect]

- Jeans w/ polo or long/short sleeved T-shirt (long/short depends on origin of departure). Never a suit or tie.

- Wool (light) or cotton sweater w/ zipper in the carry-on bag (dress in layers, it's always cold up there).

- Never slip on or sports shoes (hate taking my shoes off while on the go and sports shoes are for ...sports). Usually 'walk-friendly' shoes, e.g. Ecco type. Wore my U.S.$600 handmade Churchs on the last trip and after the first 3 hr flight they never saw the streets again till I came back from Asia for the return leg...

- Usually never sunglasses (though for many people necessary).

- Usually a wristwatch on and sometimes a ring as well (the latter of which leads everybody in thinking I am married).

- Nothing in the pockets, everything in the manbag.

- The air travel experience will end when long-haul flights (i.e. >3hrs) end (and I hope this time never comes).

- One of the things that is not ok with me is like the other day when the lady sitting at 02A of the QR A321 (in front of me) had taken off her shoes for the 4 1/2 hr flight and instead of wearing the supplied socks, the J cabin was smelling like... (I better say not much more here).

- Times indeed change and occasionally I don't like it either.

[mhadian]

my dress code when i'm going to summer place:

- thong/flip flop/sandals
- shorts
- t shirt
- watch
- sunglasses

funny is people always gave me "that" look if I'm in F/J cabin, and no one care if I'm in Y

dress code for cold destination:
- jeans
- t shirt
- watch
- jacket (sport jacket)
- shoes (onitsuka tiger type)
- sunglasses

Never:
- suit
- ties
- formal shoes

[Singapore Sling]

I generally try to wear clothes when I fly.

I don`t think they would let you board wearing no clothes.

I always wear smart casual, you want to be comfort onboard, but show some respect for other PAX and filght crew. But on a total personal level I don`t care what another PAX wears or doesn`t wear.

In the old days when traveling Y I would wear shirt and tie. The crew would always come and talk to me and ask why I was wearing a tie in Y class. (A great way to get dates with female FA`s)

[jjpb3]

The only time I wear a suit is when I travel for business. The main reason is that wearing the outfit allows me to worry less about how to pack it properly.

Mostly, it's casual wear (jeans + collared shirt + sweater if the weather is cool) -- definitely geared for comfort rather than for making an impression.

My problem is that dress code is but one symptom of a bigger problem.
The air travel experience is on a downward spiral.. which will end where?
Standing room / pay for toilet usage only as proposed by FR?

While certainly no rules exist regarding dress code, perhaps the younger members of this forum can see my point.
Imagine in your lifetime, it became OK to wear shorts, T-shirt and slippers to an occasion like a wedding, a 3 star Michelin restaurant or a funeral.
Is it OK with you?

Times change, but I don't have to like it

I do understand your lament about lost glamour, 9V-SIA, (and I'm not even one of the younger members ) but I think the comparison of air travel to those special occasions is misplaced. I don't think weddings, funerals and 3-star restaurants are trying to maximize some measure of market size. For the first two, at least I hope not.

I agree there is a downward spiral, but I don't think the dress code contributes much to it. It has a lot more to do with airlines' unwillingness and/or inability to adopt a premium positioning. Giving 31"-32" pitch in economy and serving food no one would pay £10 for on the ground won't exactly encourage people to dress up to soak in the experience.

[FN-GM]

Shirt with smart jeans.

[kris]

Shirt with smart jeans.

+1

5chars

[SilverChris]

For F and J, I prefer smart casual. In Y, anything that is comfy and stylish.

[9V-SIA]

I think smart casual should be the way to go.

Not only out of consideration for your fellow passengers, but let's try to make flying an occasion to look forward to.

What would you think if these people turned up on your flight?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...-excesses.html





.... the guys, I mean

[milehighj]

My problem is that dress code is but one symptom of a bigger problem.
The air travel experience is on a downward spiral.. which will end where?
Standing room / pay for toilet usage only as proposed by FR?

Quite frankly I totally disagree with this whole "downward spiral" theory.

Budget carriers represent progress cos they've brought the possibility to travel to more people. If you don't like this mass market product (which I don't particularly, myself), then avoid budget carriers!

Coming back then to our favourite premium carrier, SQ... I'd be the first to agree that their soft product has declined significantly: overall on-board service quality, food and beverage, the absolute joke of the "loyalty recognition"....

BUT: I also sit in the new(-ish) J seat on the new(-ish) A380 thinking that - in terms of hard product - business class pax have never had it this good.

I was there in the '80s and '90s when the standard business class hard product was 38" pitch, 2-4-2, on a 747 lower deck. First was better but still 2-2-2 and no flat bed.

I'm pissed as anyone that SQ has cut so many corners on their service and soft product. Yet whenever I sit in the latest seats (blue ink scratchings notwithstanding), I know that J comfort in 2010 is better than F in 1990, and most certainly don't see the "downward spiral" of my premium travel experience.

[starrynight000]

The only time I wear a suit is when I travel for business. The main reason is that wearing the outfit allows me to worry less about how to pack it properly.

Same for me - I wear a suit during most overseas meetings, so out of laziness, I wear the suit onto the aeroplane even if the meeting is not on the same day.

That said, I have to fly Y sometimes these days, and I notice that if you don't ask them, the SQ flight crew often no longer ask if you want them to "check your coat". Somehow on the tarmac Y class feels more (literally) stuffy than C, and it can get a little unpleasant.

I'm not a fan of ties, so I don't wear them unless I have to.

As for leisure travel, usually polo shirt and jeans, though one day I will show up in first class in bermudas and flip flops just to see what it feels like

[9V-SIA]

milehighj I agree with your post

I don't want air travel in Asia to be like US domestic flying. .. a glorified bus ride

It's happening already. I have to fly MI A320s to PEN & KUL instead of SQ 772.

Other destinations are affected.

I don't want to one day fly A320 / 737 all over Asia.

That is my fear! I will have no choice

[sqdazz]

For me wearing shorts on international flights, and thongs... are both no-no's. But I could kind of understand this for short domestic flights to or from warm beach type destinations. (like the Gold Coast in Australia)

Jeans and proper shoes please.

[Kyo]

I'm guilty of shorts and slippers on SQ F btw SIN-BKK (also LX F, but that was on an op-up)... what can I say, I'll try harder next time. On other occasions, once airborne I'll switch to something more comfortable especially on longhauls (on almost all occasions, longhaul flights mean I'm going somewhere cold so I'll board with a huge jacket/trenchcoat and I cannot wait to switch to cabin shorts/provided slippers).

I think a good dress code is using the products given to you in premium classes. TG F pyjamas being the true exception... (anyone who's had to wear one will know how stylish those are)

Sorry to disappoint everyone here... but I'm reminded of a useful example when it comes to dress codes... if Donald Trump can turn up to a 5-star New York restaurant in a tennis outfit and not be turned away, I'd like to think that you can wear whatever you want as long as you've found the means whether you bought/redeemed/been op up-ed or what have you into J or F...

Kyo+ is pro-choice with regards to clothing

Yes, I realise the above may not be the most popular thing to say on this forum, but I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say I haven't done slipppers in F... it was actually rather amusing, for a bit... I don't make a habit out of it, is all