Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ruffled some feathers when he pleaded with US air travelers to smarten up their wardrobes when flying the friendly skies, but he also found some kindred spirits among passengers at New York-area airports.
“I think it’s great advice, because when you feel good about how you look, you’re treated better and you treat people better,” traveler Tamaya Garcia, 48, said, agreeing with Duffy who begged travelers on Monday from Newark Liberty International Airport, “Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come here.”
Garcia got the memo — she was decked out in a stylish wool tan coat, white body suit, tan cashmere pants and Nike sneakers while jetting into of JFK Airport in Queens.
Fox News
For many passengers, throwing on the comfiest clothes in their wardrobe is a must for modern-day plane travel. But others still long for the bygone days of jet-setting around dressed to the nines like Don Draper.
“I always have my makeup on, always have a cute outfit on. I always make sure my hair is clean and done,” said Garcia, a San Francisco resident who traveled to New York to spend Thanksgiving with her 20-year-old college student son.
She even said she refused to let her 16-year-old daughter get on a plane back home to California looking sloppy.
“She wanted to go to the airport without her hair washed, no make-up, literal pajama pants, and a hooded pullover. And I said, ‘No, absolutely not!’”
Duffy also found a sartorial ally in Melanie Cox, 21, a senior at the University of Toledo who flew into Newark Liberty International Airport from Michigan to celebrate the holidays with her Big Apple friends.
“People should dress up for the airport, it’s fun. I like waking up early, getting myself ready. It’s a long day and I like to feel put together — and you really never know who you’re going to meet,” she said, sporting a matching set from White Fox.
Kim and Tommy Scarpati from Monmouth County, New Jersey, had their two young daughters, Nia and Evie, in tow for their voyage, mom and kids wearing matching hot-pink attire with their initials ironed onto their sweatshirts.
Kim also agreed with Duffy’s sentiment on slovenly flyers, saying, “You’re not moving into the airport,” and even going so far as to say she would be wearing a dress if not for the “tactical clothing” needed for traveling with youngsters.
“I’m a girly girl,” she told The Post, adding she likes to feel “feminine and pretty” on her flights.
The matching neon clothing has the additional benefit of making her kids easy to spot in a crowd, allowing for “safety and ease” on travel days.
Another traveler, who gave her name only as Elizabeth, had on white pants and a tan sweater as she was about take off to Florida with her family for Thanksgiving.
“I always dress like this. My father used to only fly with a jacket,” she said.
She agreed when asked whether her father’s high-flying fashion choices rubbed off on her, but added, “I like not to leave the house looking like I’m in my pajamas.”
Even during a long and uncomfortable flight, she said, “I still make an effort to look good and be coordinated.”
Jillian Carter, 32, from Brooklyn, was dressed in all black on her way from JFK to Atlanta to see family for Thanksgiving, clad in dress pants, a blouse and leather jacket — and even silver-colored sneakers.
“My mom told me it’s important to look your best when you’re out and about, especially at the airport,” she said.
“You never know who you’re gonna see, who you’re gonna meet — comfy is my go-to, it doesn’t hurt to put a little effort into it.”
Other passengers, however, strongly disagreed with Duffy’s call to make air travel spiffy again.
Mashenka “Dip” Clapp, 28, said the secretary needs to “touch grass” and that he’s “lost the plot” with his suggestion.
“He needs to mind his own business and let people be comfortable and find their own right way to do things that work for them and their lifestyle,” she said, adding that, “If people have long international flights where they’re going to be sleeping the whole time, wouldn’t it be logical to be wearing PJs?”
Clapp was especially grateful for her comfortable choice of wardrobe after missing her Tuesday morning flight on her way back from New York to Savannah, Georgia, saying she’s planning to “bum it out” at Newark Airport for the rest of the day and night.
“Plus, who cares? Who are you trying to impress? The guards? The other travelers? The person who gives your boarding pass? They don’t care.”
Prince Green, on his way to the Dominican Republic where he runs a coffee shop, was wearing a black t-shirt, a maroon-colored hoodie, gray sweatpants and black socks and slippers. He said he had no hang-ups whatsoever about his clothing choices.
Source : https://nypost.com/2025/11/25/us-news/fliers-praise-sean-duffys-tip-to-dress-better-at-airports/
