EverybodyIsUgly's Chic Blog

I look like I am about ten years old in this photo and am about to go on my first field trip to the zoo. But don’t neg on me: the toothy excitement was due to the fact that this photo was taken ten minutes before I left my house to fly to Madison for Halloween (which you all know is one of my favoritefavoritefavorite things in the entire world).

My overzealous ass got to the airport way too early and I had to camp out in the lobby at SFO for three hours before the security gates were staffed. Luckily, I always dress the same way for airports (“prepared” that is. I’m like a freakin’ boy scout) so I wasn’t too cold when I was bumming in the lobby with the nightshift vacuumer and another sad and cold overzealous traveler. Hey, Bob. Hope Denver was fun.

I fly about fourteen times a year (yikes, I know), so I’ve come up with some pretty hardfast rules about dressing for a flight:

1. Layer, layer layer!
One minute you’re sweating and trying to figure out why the air spigot is broken. The next, you’re so cold you’re finding yourself inadvertently spooning your neighbor. With layers, this problem becomes not-so-big-a-problem.

2. Scarf = your best friend
Planes have the biggest narcotizing effect of me so I always make sure I have something to scrunch up as a makeshift pillow. Even in warmer months, a voluminous and breathable pashmina looks infinitely cooler than your mom’s travel u-pillow, yaddadimean?

3. Speedy check through
Leave your jewelry behind. It’s annoying enough to take your jacket and shoes off and then put them all on without having to worry about all your jewelry.

4. Footwear
My feet get cold on planes (don’t ask why), and I like to wear the clunkiest shoes I pack so they don’t take up suitcase space.

5. Glasses
If you’ve got glasses, wear them. I once woke up from a four hour flight-dry mouthed and dehydrated-and blinked out a contact. I had to navigate the rest of the airport scowling, with one eye shut and bruises from bumping into surfaces (no depth perception, ’kay?)

Need some inspiration? MK&A are always impeccably dressed for flights (although keep in mind the fact that they have bodyguards who are always down to carry them around when their platform heels get too cumbersome—no such luxury for us po’ folk).