GIVE A SHOUT TO WORD UP! wordup@papermag.com
Entries tagged with 'Airports'
Posted Jul. 24, 2008,
Scout About Town: Airport Style, a Revision
By Scout LaRrue
I recently returned from a trip I took with my family to Guatemala. As we checked our luggage, took off our shoes to walk on the grimy floor, and eventually found our gate surrounded by Taco Bells, Starbuckses and Brookstones, I was reminded of my great distaste for the phenomenon that is Airport Style.
As I sat in the terminal immersed in a culture so particular and distinct from the outside world, I wondered why the airport is not viewed as a destination in itself. People seem inclined to ask themselves, “Will I be more comfortable in my skanky college sweatpants, or my old faded leggings with the elastic coming out of the waistband? Should I don my Uggs or my plastic flip flops?”
Yet the most common complaint after a trip comes from feeling disgusting after a long flight. Well, when dressed so sloppily, that feeling of ickiness is inevitable. I myself have been faced with this situation, and sadly enough there were many times when I took the route of the sweats and the soft T-shirt. As I walked out of the airport after said trips, I felt ridiculous; I would never wish to be seen on the street in those clothes! So why on earth did I feel it was all right to wear them to the airport??? From then on I resolved that going to the airport should be just as important as going anywhere else -- if not a fancier locale. This is why I so desperately cry for a return to a time when going to the airport meant dressing up, making an effort to look your best. Travel used to have sex appeal!
