Spirit Airlines Modified Its Dress Code for Travelers

As many astute observers of travel culture have noted, there was once a time when air travel was an occasion to dress immaculately. (There’s a memorable Patton Oswalt bit about this, in fact.) Nowadays, though, travel has become a more casual affair — and, with the prospect of taking off shoes, belts and other items when passing through security, it’s not hard to see why.

But there’s casual and then there’s…too casual. And a new policy from Spirit Airlines seeks to find the right middle ground between those two. The airline recently updated its Contract of Carriage with a few clarifications as to what is and is not acceptable to wear when flying on Spirit.

First and foremost, don’t show up barefoot. The airline also bars travelers from wearing “see-through clothing” or clothing that features “exposed breasts, buttocks, or other private parts.” Clothing or tattoos that are “lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature” are also out, and personal hygeine is also up for consideration. If a traveler “has an offensive odor unless caused by a qualified disability,” they will also be barred from boarding.

Writing at The Washington Post, Andrea Sachs assembled more details about the airline’s revised policy. As Sachs points out, these changes come in the wake of a high-profile ejection from a flight last year involving two women wearing crop tops while traveling.

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Travel industry analyst Henry H. Harteveldt offered a good rule of thumb for people considering what to wear on their next flight. “By all means be comfortable, but don’t wear anything that would make someone feel unwelcome, that has a hate message or is vulgar or pornographic,” Harteveldt told the Post. You might not need to wear an immaculately-tailored suit, but there are definitely options to balance both comfort and style.