I just wanna fly...

I was at the gym yesterday (yes, I do go to the gym. Just not as much as I should) and forced to watch whatever happened to be on the nearest TV. Which, unfortunatly, was Oprah. She had some fashion guy on lamenting the state of American fashion. When asked by Oprah what he disliked about current fashion, he complained about the fact that people at airports "wear shorts and flip flops. Flip flops everywhere. You used to get dressed up to fly. Now everyone wears flip-flops".

The nerve of people, dressing comfortably when they are going on vacation, and when they are going to spend a couple hours sitting crammed into a tight space next to someone they don't know.

Casual dress on planes is a good sign - it means that 1) people are flying for leisure - they are flying because they want to, not because they have to and 2) flying has become affordable enough that everyone can do it. It's not reserved for people who are rich to do every now and then. The working people, the middle class, the proletariat, can take a week off, throw on some shorts and flip flops, and visit another part of the country or a even another country. They can visit places they would never have been able to see 50 or 75 years ago - places that would have required a trip of days or months. Remember, 125 years ago going around the world in 80 days was tough.

People wearing flip-flops to the airport is a sign of prosperity. It's a symbol of the success of American capitalism.

Now, Mad Anthony hasn't flown in years, because he doesn't really have anywhere to go. But it's nice to know that I can afford to if I want to.

And as far as dressing up, it's become something I'm a strong opponent of me. If it was up to me, gym shorts, t-shirts, and sandels would be acceptable workwear. One of the things I like about my current job is it's lack of any kind of dress code. I usually dress in a style I would call "overgrown skater" - baggy jeans or cargo pants, untucked button-down shirt, and sneakers or skate shoes. It's comfortable, and helps hide my ample waistline. I think people should be as comfortable, and I don't think too many people are very comfortable in a suit and tie.

I know some people like dressing up (including a certain coworker who is a regular reader of this blog), and if that's what you like - if that's you - then by all means rock the suit and tie. And I realize that there are certain times where dressing up is necessary - job interviews, weddings, funerals. But wearing comfy clothes to go on vacation is not something people should feel bad about, even if it makes fashionistas cry.