I think practical should be the deciding factor for travel clothes.

I don't disagree but I'm really tired of all those women wearing tight powder blue velour tracksuits. All ages. Please, make it stop.

Before you leave for the airport, look at yourself in the mirror, and think: Could I meet and IMPRESS someone who would change my life while wearing this? And if the answer is "No," change.

Screw that. I'll dress appropriately, but dressing to impress any passing Djinn seems a bit much. If the way I'm dressed fails to inspire passing strangers to befriend me, good, because that sounds like a nightmare.

The idea of dressing to impress anyone whilst traveling was knocked unconscious the minute we had to start taking off our damned shoes to go through security.

The airlines and TSA treat us like cattle (and I've got "elite" status with United; so don't even want to think about how it is for the non-business travelers). When we're treated as such, it's hard to get motivated to dress like a movie star.

ETA: Unless that "movie star" is an Olsen twin. 'cause I can rock the homeless look while traveling if I must.

I wear yoga pants and a t-shirt on airplanes. No way am I wearing anything with an actual waistband when I'm going to have to sit in an airplane seat for a few hours.

Yeah, maybe my jeans are too tight, but I don't actually find them all that comfortable on a plane.

I wear slippers on the plane when I take red-eyes home. I just keep a pair of sneakers in the front pocket of my carry-on for when I get back into the airport.

I almost always wear a knee- or full-length skirt, dressy t-shirt, jacket, pashmina-style scarf, and zip-up boots when flying (all in black, naturally). Multiple layers, comfy, still useful when in a survival situation, and I look nice enough that I've gotten upgraded a few times (not in the past 2 years, though. That seems to have gone by the wayside).

Complications ensue when I forget and put on all of my jewelry pre-airport, but the security line is usually long enough that I have time to take all of it off again and stow it in my bag.

The idea of dressing to impress anyone whilst traveling was knocked unconscious the minute we had to start taking off our damned shoes to go through security.

I dress for myself when I travel. Which means I wear regular JilliClothes, and occasionally have random strangers ask me if they can take my picture. Or break into a strange dance routine in the hopes that I will respond in kind.

The airlines and TSA treat us like cattle (and I've got "elite" status with United; so don't even want to think about how it is for the non-business travelers). When we're treated as such, it's hard to get motivated to dress like a movie star.

I have to admit, my wardrobe has never caused me any problems with TSA. They usually smile at me and say things like "Nice hat".

I do not think erin meant dress like a movie star when she asked the question. I like to wear comfortable clothes while traveling and slip on/off shoes, but I am pretty sure that does not exclude me from looking good enough to impress someone. Now my non-make-upped face or crazy un-done hair might.

In my twenties, when I spent a lot of time traveling to see my friends around the country, I always made sure I dressed snazzy because when I got off the plane I wanted to make that favorable first impression again, of "Wow, you look great!"

Which may just be vanity but it always seemed to get the visit off to a better start than, "Jesus, you look like a bag of farts."

But I do think there's a kind of mental audit that friends/family make when they see you again after long time apart. New hairstyle, weight gain or loss, cool new leather jacket, National Health glasses etc.

It's not always a judgmental impulse, but just reconciling the image they had of you with what you look like now.