I'm going on holiday tomorrow (yay!) and I've known what I was going to wear to the airport for weeks! I planned my outfit in my head perfectly; striped shirt dress, black stud sandals, silver bracelet, no necklace and no earrings, hair up in a top knot and white nails. Done: airport outfit all sorted. But then I started asking myself why? Why do we girls feel the need to dress up when going to the airport? I'm almost certain that I'm not the only one who plans my airport outfit days if not weeks in advance - quite sad isn't it! But, it is the sad truth that for us the airport is quite literally a fashion runway.
However, it's still mind boggling to me to understand the need to look supper stylish to catch an Easyjet plane. Firstly, Gatwick or Heathrow are not the most fashionable of places to want to look good - they're busy, sometimes a little confusing, super organised and the staff work tirelessly to get passengers from A to B without any problems. Most people at the airport are so focused on checking in quickly, getting through security, maybe indulging in some duty free shopping and then rushing to Gate 59 as quickly as possible so as not to miss their flight that they don't even look at other people's outfit of choice. Plus, if you're traveling on BA, Ryan Air, Easyjet etc, nobody is going to care what you look like! Okay, so maybe if you're taking a longer flight to America, the Middle East or Asia you may want to wear comfier clothing but do you still also need to wear your heels, skinny jeans and a silk shirt? Why does the need to look good even matter?!
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| Amal Clooney |
I put my airport theory to the test and asked a number of female friends if when they go on holiday they put more effort into their airport outfit than their entire holiday wardrobe. The verdict: YES! There is something about the airport that makes us want to dress up! One friend explained that it was officially the exciting start of the holiday, so of course you want to feel good and bit special while another admitted that she not only plans her airport departure outfit but also her return outfit weeks in advance. Crazy, right? Even for older women in their 40's/50's, like my mum, owned up to the fact that they love putting on an amazing outfit for the airport as they too like to strut around feeling comfortable and knowing they look nice.
I have been guilty of this for years. Even when I was 12 I would have my entire aeroplane outfit planned out in advance. Maybe it was because I've always been extremely organized or it could be that it was a chance to show off! I have to say celebrities don't help in this matter. We are forever seeing images of the likes of Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Olivia Palermo, Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jennifer Lopez and Gwenyth Paltrow struting their stuff on the way to the VIP departure lounge in a pair of skyscraper heels and expensive sunglasses at LAX. Victoria Beckham is a prime example with her ridiculous mini dresses and 6 inch Louboutains while juggling a baby and a Hermes Birkin. Or what about Kim Kardashian, who likes to wear huge flowing coats, Sergio Rossi heels and a tight midi dress while catching a flight. Do they change on the plane? Because seriously, it can't be comfortable to wear that for a 10 hour flight, can it? Whatever, the reason airport chic has rubbed off on us mere mortals and now we feel the need to turn heads while going through security.
Even back in the day you can find images of Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe all looking fabulous at the airport. So maybe there is just something about the need to look great on a plane! There might not a throng of paparazzi waiting to take your picture, but there are people nonetheless that we feel we need to show off in front of. So tomorrow, when I'm at Gatwick Airport at 4am I will have a look and do a rough tally of the amount of women who have also, like me, put thought into their outfits be it so early in the morning! At least we take pride in our appearance, I guess!
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| Miranda Kerr and Victoria Beckham - look at those heels! |
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| The Kardashians dressing practically for their flight... |
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| Rosie H W and Jennifer Aniston both looking sharp at the airport |
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