It might seem obvious that flying in your priciest Jimmy Choos isn’t the smartest idea, but aviation insiders say there are plenty of other, less apparent outfit choices that can cause problems in the air, too.
If you’re jetting off to somewhere warm, it’s easy to dress for the destination — throwing on a T-shirt, for instance, because it suits the weather you’re about to land in.
But cabin crew have previously warned that light, exposed outfits may not be ideal if an emergency evacuation ever happens.
Andrea Fischbach, a member of American Airlines cabin crew, told WhoWhatWear last year:
“Emergency slides are not fun to go down and hurt – a lot – and it’s not a smooth landing once you reach the end of the slide.
“The more you cover the surface of your skin, the more protection for your largest organ.”
In other words, bare legs and arms can leave you more vulnerable — especially if you ever had to slide down an evacuation chute, where friction can be brutal.
Jeans also get flagged as a poor option by some, and at least one airline has even gone so far as to ask travelers online to reconsider wearing the popular staple.
Travel creator Mitch — a YouTuber who has been sharing his long-term travels with an audience of more than 200,000 subscribers — has also weighed in on what he considers the worst clothing and footwear choices for flying, including sandals.
Even though it’s tempting to arrive “vacation ready,” open footwear can be risky if you have to move quickly, navigate debris, or keep shoes on during an evacuation.
Mitch said:
“The worst clothes for airplane emergencies would be flip flops or sandals that could fall off, shorts or skirts that would make it uncomfortable to slide down the exit slides, or overly bulky clothes that would get caught on stuff.”
He also noted that fabric choice matters when thinking about safety.
“Clothes made of highly flammable materials are also probably not a good idea,” he added.
Mitch describes himself as a “digital nomad,” and he even credits his travels with leading him to his wife.
Sharing how it happened, he explained:
“After a 10-month solo backpacking trip through South America, I stopped in Cali, Colombia, to take salsa dancing classes.
“I only planned to stay for a couple weeks, but God had other plans for me. I met a cute Colombian girl in class, those couple weeks turned into a couple years, and before we knew it… we were married and traveling the world as digital nomads.”
Suddenly, the idea of booking a flight and seeing where the journey leads sounds pretty appealing.