CH: Don Draper. You can get away with a lot more if you look amazing. You might be inclined to behave better, but if you don’t you’ll get away with it.
PK: I do think you get treated better the more put together you are. And I’ve also heard that if they’re giving an upgrade they won’t give it to you if you look like a slob.
HT: For US airlines, at least, that’s not the case anymore. They have a very set list that you can see on the app of who gets upgraded, whereas international carriers get more subjectivity.
I will say, I flew JSX to Miami recently for a conference. It’s a semi-private line, meaning you book per seat, and I’ve never seen passengers dressed worse. These are people paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for their kids, these huge families, and it was a parade of spandex and Crocs.
MS: I’m hearing the Countess Luann song, “Money can’t buy you class.”
HT: Matt, you fly first and business more than the rest of us—do you dress especially well when you’re in a higher cabin?
MO: I do feel excited to look good, and I also like to feign wealth. Because the surroundings are so polished and refined, it’s nice to match them. The environment so influences and dictates how you behave, look, and act.
HT: One thing I’ve been hearing about more is a plane uniform, where you just have one outfit that you can always wear to the airport.
CH: Let’s close with that, let’s go around and hear everybody’s plane uniforms.
What Megan wears on the plane
MS: I pack for the trip, and then I choose an outfit that I’m going to wear later on the plane. Often the cowboy boots.
What Matt wears on the plane
MO: I wear Uniqlo trousers that are a little bit looser than I normally would wear because, especially when I fly business or first, I’ll eat a lot. The food is so good. And I’ll drink a lot because the wine is a great thing. These pants so soft and comfortable. I trust Uniqlo is for these kinds of things and then also a Uniqlo white polo shirt and matching blazer.
What Pallavi wears on the plane
PK: I think what also helps in feeling good on the plane, feeling fresh, is that I’ll always be sure to bring like skincare. I’ll do my care on the plane. It’s nice to take a moment to pamper myself while in true Limbo and can’t go anywhere. I’m too scared to do a full mask. That would look crazy.
Then, I usually take the heavier items—if I have a leather jacket or boots, just because it’s easier not to pack that stuff. I will do usually a t-shirt as well. Again from my dad, so much about my dad, but the blazer is always a thing for me. It’s just so comfortable. And if you have some slacks you just look put together.
What Hannah wears on the plane
HT: I have these Vuori leggings that have pockets, so they feel more substantial than a legging. I really enjoy the pockets because I can put my phone or my passport there. I usually wear my big black boots. And then a nice sweater or sweatshirt. I did that a lot this winter. Summer is a little more difficult for me, but I do get really cold on the plane, so having lots of layers is necessary.
What Jessica wears on the plane
JC: I really do the same as Megan. It. depends on on where I’m going—like if I have a fun little accessory that’s place-specific. A red beret if I’m going to Paris, for example, I’ll wear it on the plane to get me in the mood. The go-go boots are another example of that.
What Charlie wears on the plane
CH: I sweat a lot on the plane, so I like layers and I like things that are loose. Wearing black is good for me. I have these Acne wide, wide jeans that I got secondhand that are perfect because they are so comfortable. And then I’ve found that boat shoes are like a covert slipper that look quite nice poking out.