Shockingly horrid attire

[Braxton36]

I was on a flight to California late last week and I was completely appalled by the travel attire of nearly everyone on board. I would barely wear flip-flops out in my yard and cannot fathom what goes through someone's mind when they slip them on their feet in preparation for a flight across the country.

Why would any female - who can read - wear a t-shirt that says "First Class Bitch" across the chest?

Whoever suggested to the 20-something-year-old male that ripped (and I do mean really ripped) jeans belonged anywhere other than the trash can?

When did grandmothers decide that worn and stained velour warm-up suits were attractive enough to travel around the world?

I guess I just don't get it. Maybe that's why I read this board.

 

[Mojave Jack]

I guess I just don't get it. Maybe that's why I read this board.

Hear, Hear! To echo LizzieMaine's statement in a similar thread, there is a place for such attire. Ripped jeans are great for painting the house or working on a car. Flip-flops are great for the pool or the hot tub. "First Class Bitch" t-shirts and old velour warm-up suits? Well, Those, I'm afraid, don't really belong anywhere except the aforementioned trash can! lol

And that's definately why I'm here!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

The other sad thing about this attire, is that it's expensive!
Those ripped jeans are probably designer jeans, costing upwards of $175, and those stupid t-shirts are around $50.
I think that money would be much better spent on a pretty dress or nice slacks. Dare I say, they'd be just as comfortable.

 

[Atomic Glee]

The other sad thing about this attire, is that it's expensive!
Those ripped jeans are probably designer jeans, costing upwards of $175, and those stupid t-shirts are around $50.
I think that money would be much better spent on a pretty dress or nice slacks. Dare I say, they'd be just as comfortable.

Speaking as somebody who has never found jeans to be comfortable at all (and who hasn't owned a pair in years), I think a good pair of khakis or dress trousers are *far* more comfy than jeans.

 

[Vanessa]

Why would any female - who can read - wear a t-shirt that says "First Class Bitch" across the chest?

Perhaps she was emphasizing the irony of her seat in Coach?

 

[Paisley]

On another practical note, what if there is an emergency during the flight? The flip-flops are likely to come off during an exit via the wing. Now you're barefoot in a field. And if I announced I was a "first class b----," I wouldn't expect chivalrous assistance.

Airline passengers should also avoid nylon because it melts and sticks to the skin if it gets hot enough. Natural fiber, which most vintage clothes are made of, is a better choice.

 

[Senator Jack]

Okay, as a man with punk roots - played in punk bands - I have to defend the ripped jeans look. When only the punks were wearing them, it was a statement, and now of course it means nothing. As a kid trapped in John Travolta/Sergio Valente Brooklyn, the guidos would laugh at us in our ripped jeans, but it didn't take long for them to become fashionable and the laughing to stop. That's about the time I was rushing headlong into mod style.

As I've noted before, I can appreciate anyone who conciously puts together pieces to create a style, and that's whether they're classic, biker, metal, or even hiphop. (I've even stopped hiphop guys on the street to tell them they had it right.) Ordinary people who have put some thought into their image seem to also be conscious of the world around them. Uninspired corporate Armani suit guy is more likely to annoy me on the plane than hiphop guy. He's the one that will be clipping his nails, sitting with his legs too far apart, have his briefcase on the arm of the chair, etc.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Lauren]

I have ripped jeans. And I love them

There actually is a quality issue with them- that is that if you want the regular holey jeans- yes, they'll fall apart. The ones that are more expensive are like an art form- they have perfected it to have the appearance of distressing without the possibility of them coming apart. Think of it like wearable art. I personally rather like it when it's done well, but like most things, the better the effect when done with the artisian. I know that Diesel are hand done and the detailing is rather iteresting as far as the construction. The T-shirts as well- they were once rather expensive, but now they're available for under $20. I don't personally like the ones that have profanity or sexual innuendo and don't think they should be printed, but I own up to owning rather a few silly t shirts (I'm actually wearing one with Jack Sparrow on it right now... with flip flops.. at work... but I also work at an off-road wheel manufacturer).

(In which Lauren goes to hide under the nearest rock in order to protect herself from flying objects)

 

[Rosie]

Items like that when worn by young people are not so bad. They are still going through a stage where they are finding themselves, seeing which style suits them best. The "First Class Bitch" shirt is a bit much, if it's on a teenager, it shouldn't be worn by her and if it's on a grown woman [huh]. This weekend, I saw a young girl wearing a t-shirt with the words "GOLD DIGGER" emblazoned across her chest. That to me was a bit inappropriate and kind of sad.

On a side note, I traveled this weekend and was complimented by many on my clothing because as you said, people just don't dress well anymore when traveling. On the way back, my two nieces, INSISTED on wearing a skirt and top along with sandals because they wanted to look more like me.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the whole ripped jeans look must be a generational thing -- I'm just old and creaky enough that I can remember when the only people I saw wearing them were grizzly old lobstermen who'd wear their worst clothes to scour out their boats. And to this day, that's the image that comes to mind for me when I see them on someone.

"Dungarees" weren't allowed in my school except on gym day (it wasn't until 1971 or so that girls were even allowed to wear pants at all in our district, and they had to be *nice* pants), so I never really got into the habit of wearing them. I do own a couple of pairs, which I'll wear if it's really cold out and I need to shovel the driveway, but like Atomic Glee, I've just never found them all that comfortable.

At the same time, though, I can understand the idea of being young and rebellious and wanting to wear something as a statement -- after all, when I was going around as a teenager in forties yard-sale clothes and saddle shoes, I was doing the same thing in my own way. Kids'll be kids, and more power to them.

But when you see some fortysomething guy desperately trying to look like a teenager, in baggy shorts and an oversize sports jersey and a backwards ballcap, well, that's just sad. And no matter how old she is, any woman going around with the B-word on her chest probably needs to work on her self-esteem.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I refused to follow such silly trends even when I was a teenager (though I wasn't dressing in other attire to make any statement at all.) Did not appeal to me then, and I certainly wouldn't be caught dead in them now.

On a side note, I traveled this weekend and was complimented by many on my clothing because as you said, people just don't dress well anymore when traveling.

The last time I traveled I wore a dressy day dress, wedges, and bakelite jewelry. The entire flight crew, including the pilots, commented on how much they liked my attire

 

[TwoToneDeuce]

I agree with you for the most part. People today dress horrid. But there are times where I am less concerned with it than others. One of those is when traveling long distances. I fly quite a bit and I find that a "nice" warmup suit and tennis shoes (not torn or ragged and usually only worn for travel) are great for trips. My girl often flies in a track suit and sometimes even a velour one *gasp* But she and I have the bodies that say we see the gym enough that she looks like a pinup and is cute in her attire and I might actually pass for an athlete.

When on a plane, the person next to you one one side or the other is always too hot or too cold and has the air on. I find that a "track suit" keeps me about the right tempature so that I am not too hot nor too cold. Besides, I hate putting my fedoras in the overhead without a hat box and there is no room under the seat after my laptop case is there.

-D

 

[Mojave Jack]

Perhaps she was emphasizing the irony of her seat in Coach?

lol

Speaking as somebody who has never found jeans to be comfortable at all (and who hasn't owned a pair in years), I think a good pair of khakis or dress trousers are *far* more comfy than jeans.

I don't own any jeans, either. My yard work pants are old khakis or painter's pants.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

In regards to planes, I think that a part of the reason why everyone dresses down and so far down, is the way they are treated by the airlines. In the golden age of travel, you had comfort and room. Now, they are jamming as many seats in as possible. Flying is no longer considered glamorous. It is about as romantic as taking a city bus.

Now, that is not to say that I condone how people dress. There will always be those sheep who follow the fashion trends, and that is their right to do so, as it is anyone else's not to.

I travel dressed in what would be popularly considered as "business casual." I am usually in one of my signature blazers, because I don't want to have to change at the room before going out to dinner, or museum, our whatever else I have planned for when I land.

Also, I have learned that you get far more respect and can get much more accomplished, when you look respectable. If you want to upgrade a seat on a flight, you'll have a much better chance in a suit than in a sweat-suit. Believe me.

But, I think we should all be patient with those we disagree with, including how they dress. It is a fun topic for conversation here at the Lounge, but when I encounter them in public, I don't cast dispersions, and hope for the same courtesy, though it is rarely, if ever, reciprocated.

I dream of a world where everyone dresses appropriately, with respect for themselves and those that they are around. I don't want my eight year-old hypothetical daughter reading that woman's shirt and asking me what it means, or seeing someone's undergarments through the holes in their jeans. This is rude and offensive.

I rather wish this great land of rugged individuals would start expressing themselves as such. It’s this steady attrition to the least common standards that concerns me, as I stand astride the tracks of the Great Clattering Train of Progress with my palm extended yelling, “Stop!” over the great rattle of the cars, the couplings, and the falling pistons.

 

[Vanessa]

I agree with you for the most part. People today dress horrid. But there are times where I am less concerned with it than others. One of those is when traveling long distances. I fly quite a bit and I find that a "nice" warmup suit and tennis shoes (not torn or ragged and usually only worn for travel) are great for trips.

Total agreement. If I'm on a flight that's over 5 hours, they're lucky if I'm not wheeled on in pajamas & fuzzy slippers.

 

[TwoToneDeuce]

I find that a "Jackson" handshake, always works regardless of dress.

"Jackson" handshake = a $20 dollar bill slipped quitely during a handshake to a Head waiter (or in this case a Stewardess)

I agree with you. I wish we as a people decided that the people on TV do not set fashion or morals for the rest of us.

-D

 

[Matt Deckard]

It's one thing to wear the shirt, it's another to be the bitch.

I dress for who I want to be, whether it be a striped suit or a khaki work outfit. I admire those that knew who they were and dressed suitably enough for their true character to ring through. Dressing for your environment, Exempli Gratia, Tuxedo at a classic night club with a big band is ideal to many, though to the owner of the club, making it dress code would be death for business -- especially in LA.

We can look back and hark on with glee (at least I can) to the fields of men and women dressed to immaculate distraction in a bygone era. Though trends and styles and comfort beliefs change. Don't wear flip flops to the night club... I ask you this. It might not win my favor. Though wearing the flip flops and the tattered jeans and the shirt that says "Surf Niqaragua" is not wron, and to say it is is not the way I roll with my homies.

I like the idea of dressing for your environment. Though if that were he case I'm continuously overdressed. I wore a suit and tie on my last plane trip... got some glances, some compliments. Some said yay, some said uncomfortable. I was comfortable, though that's me. Please don't wear the flip flops to the night club or the T-shirt to the Opera... though if it is in your heart and your blood I'm not going to chastize you for doing so. I'll open your doors and flatter you with conversation. In my mind I will be thinking how grand it would be if more people took the time and had the same style sense that they did in the old day. Fact is they don't. I'll wear the suit. you can wear the shirt that says I heart toxic waste. It's okay.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Sure they cram you in, but in my personal experience it is not any more uncomfortable to ride on a plane for four hours (or even on a long road trip) in a dress than it is in jeans. I guess I am just used to dressing for the occasion; since I never got into the whole “pajamas for outer wear” trend I don’t feel I am missing out on any ‘necessary comforts’, either.

Also, I have learned that you get far more respect and can get much more accomplished, when you look respectable. If you want to upgrade a seat on a flight, you'll have a much better chance in a suit than in a sweat-suit. Believe me.

This is very, very true. If you waltz around looking like something the cat dragged in, people will pass subconscious judgments.

I went to a nice restaurant yesterday evening to see a show, and I dressed in a nice dress, stockings, and heels. While waiting for the show to start, I saw a woman wearing a midriff top with all of her belly hanging out (and it needed some serious foundation garments to contain it) and low-waisted jeans walk in to the restaurant. I thought to myself, “What a tacky outfit.”

 

[TwoToneDeuce]

Total agreement. If I'm on a flight that's over 5 hours, they're lucky if I'm not wheeled on in pajamas & fuzzy slippers.

LOL. Especially with security and everything we have to go through now I want to be comfortable. I carry a pocket watch, pocket knife, a money clip, flask and wallet on me when I am really dressed. That's a lot to take on and off, not to mention the knife and flask. The first time I had a flask on me as I went through security, I thought I was going to get a cavity search. Now they just make me take a drink of it before I can leave security. Which is not too bad, unless it is an early morning flight.

-D

 

[Lauren]

I think it's about knowing one's body and how to dress for one's body that's the important part. There were plenty of poorly dressed people in the golden era as well.

I'm with you guys on the shirt and the underwear thing. That's just crude and innapropriate. But I'm also with the people here on the comfort thing. We live in a society which lets us wear what we choose to wear. That's a good thing- but it can be abused in many circumstances by people who are continually unaware of what flatters their figure. It is possible to wear jeans and a t shirt and look good- but you have to have it a) in the correct size b) in a style flattering to your figure c) covering enough skin to make it appropriate.

All throughout history these are the same problems that arose. I am currently listening to an audiobook from 1811 on Ettiquette and the woman speaks of all the same things- lack of undergarments, showing of skin, inappropriate dress.