Fly Me To The Moon

There was a time when flying the friendly skies meant more than endless layovers and the option to purchase stale turkey sandwiches for 10 bucks. Back in the day of Pan Am and TWA----when flight attendants were called stewardesses------air travel was an event. Boarding passengers took Polaroid’s as mementos, and celebrities like Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra strolled across the tarmac in impeccable two-button grey suits.

Fast-forward to 2009 and scan any departure lounge at any major US airport today and you would think everyone was headed to the same amateur golf tournament. Americans dress the same for international business travel as they do for the International House of Pancakes, and it’s not a good look. Nothing says, I’m a middle manager from Phoenix and drive a Saturn” like the baggy polo shirt. Contrast this with the men at Milan’s Linate airport or London’s Heathrow, who understand that business travel requires business attire. Weather you’re off to sign an important deal or signing off for the week, your clothing should reflect the possibilities that lie at the other end of the trip---not look like what’s lying on your bedroom floor. And it’s not just air bound executives; sports figures are some of the worst offenders. Unlike their European counterparts, who travel in custom-made suits, top US athletes typically emerge from the jetway looking like they’re ready to grill sausages at a tailgate party.

Travel may be more frequent and infuriating than ever before, but that doesn’t give you license to abandon good taste. As a seasoned traveler I prefer to wear driving moccasins rather than sneakers, and silk-cashmere sweaters—which adjust to body temperature—rather than sweatshirts. I am very comfortable when it’s hot or cold on a plane. When you dress to be taken seriously, you may find that it leads to other benefits. Who do you think has a better chance of scoring an upgrade (or , for that mater, a comely flight attendant), you dressed like a grown up, or the shlub at check in wearing drawstring pants and fluorescent Crocs.