Before I started frequent travel for work, flying on an airplane was a stressful experience. If my mother was flying to Ireland (to visit my Nana) she would plan her “plane outfit” months in advance.
Never mind celebs who must impress the paparazzi, my family must impress Nana! One year, my mum spent a small fortune on a safari style Simon Chang suit that she only ever wore on a flight to Belfast and sold at a consignment store the following year.
Nana expects that when you fly into Belfast you arrive fresh, well dressed and ready to be received by family and friends. When the time came for me to travel to Belfast without my mother, I was well informed of the expectation.
There I was at the international gate, 17 years old, decked out in a Nana appropriate outfit: black Club Monaco skirt lined with silk, leopard print; black stockings; fitted red, sleeveless, cable knit Gap turtleneck with a black, t-shirt underneath; knee-high boots; and, coordinating red leather jacket. No way was I going to “let the family down”, as my mother put it.
Nowadays when I travel for work, it’s a luxury to dress casually as opposed to formally. Even though I comfortably rock my Lulu’s, hoody and sneakers (casual yet hip, of course), I am still pretty surprised at the state of some people on an airplane. It doesn’t take much to make an effort and, if you are being received by family and friends on the other end, it’s not about you, it’s about respecting your relationships and putting in the effort.
I won’t mention the time when I was 20, fresh off an alcohol fueled, all-night club hopping fest in Edinburgh, Scotland to catching a 6am flight to Belfast (still half-pissed, okay totally pissed) and being met by my dear Nana in Belfast. Suffice it to say, I am still living that one down.
Heed Nana’s advice when flying and think about who is meeting you at the other end of your transatlantic or cross-country journey and plan accordingly. You never know, you might just get bumped to first class just for looking good!
