Fall break is right around the corner, and for many of us this means gearing up to head home. Between home and the Dome, we encounter the inevitably tiring and unpleasant airport struggles. They leave us considering the advantages of taking the next homeward trek by foot.
After suffering through the classic luggage-repacking-meets-behind-schedule-dash, you end up questioning whether you bought a plane ticket or an all-day obstacle course pass. The thought of dressing wisely is tossed into a dusty corner in the back of your mind, along with all the school material that you crammed into your brain a few days before.
As your personal Notre Dame fashion advisor, I'm telling you to reach into that corner and reclaim your fashion logic. Looking good and maintaining your sanity while you're traveling is indeed possible, even with all the chaos that develops along the way. Steer clear of these airport fashion don'ts, and you'll be well on your way to creating looks that fit your fashion wants and travel needs.
What to avoid:
Accessories - Jewelry and belts are so cute and on most occasions, I would say go for it, but not today. When traveling through security, just about anything can set a metal detector off resulting in a potential additional screening for you and delays for everyone else in line. Now don't get me wrong, some accessories pass through the machine with no problem. If you know that certain pieces you have are safe, then wear away! However, if you're unsure, then for the sake of time and convenience, I would advise that you pack them and wait until you get to your destination. If you really want to wear them, try packing them somewhere that's easy to access and then putting them on on the other side of the security checkpoint.
Shoes that are hard to remove --- Let's be honest: If you're choosing between two security lines, one with a family of five children and another with a group of businessmen, then choosing line number two is a no-brainer. Why is that? Well, because businessmen appear simple and efficient, and children fall on the ground and throw endless hissy fits. We all want to move through security as quickly as possible and with the least amount of trouble. Although this seems obvious, what oftentimes is not is the concept of wearing simple shoes. You may have 90 percent of the security equation down (laptop out, jacket off and all), but the minute you bend down to unlace that pair of Doc Marten high tops, you're going to realize that you've just tacked five to 10 minutes on to your routine. This struggle will result in rushing, and you'll come out on the other side with a broken nail and your sweatshirt on backwards. Yikes! Try shoes that are easy to slide on and off like flats, zip or slide-on boots, or loose sneakers.
Shoes that are worn without socks - Yes, I did state that keeping it simple is the way to go. However, be forewarned that when you get to the security checkpoint, taking off your shoes is mandatory. In other words, walking on the floor with no shoes on is mandatory. Walking on the same floor that thousands of different people walk on everyday, shoes or not, is mandatory. Choosing a shoe that you don't wear socks with will leave you in germ-paradise and susceptible to all kinds of foot problems. I haven't looked into the horror stories, but I know they're out there, and you don't want to be one of them. Steer clear of sandals, and if you want to wear flats or low-top sneakers then try footie socks. This goes out to you boys as well! I don't want to hear your excuses, they sell a unisex pair at Nike, and your clean feet will thank you.
Hair Accessories - Now here's something that you may not have considered. As of late, airport security has been cracking down on various types of hair accessories. Reports of hairpins, bands, and clips setting off the machine have been growing more and more common. I myself heard a TSA security agent tell a girl that she had to be screened separately for wearing clip-in extensions, and I was mortified for her. False hair and pinned up-do's may be totally cute, but they're no longer a smart choice for airport travel. Try looks that require fewer hair accessories, and headbands and hair ties with no metal connectors.
Too many hard-to-remove layers - Tank tops, t-shirts, sweaters, vests, sweatshirts and jackets galore! Boxers, spandex, shorts, sweats, tights, pants, and more! I'm warning you now that if you're wearing more than two items from either of these lists, then your time at the airport will be nowhere near as enjoyable as it was for you to read that little jingle. Sometimes if you're lucky, you'll run into a lenient TSA agent who will let you through, wearing a light sweater. More likely, chances are that you'll have to take off everything except for your shirt and any extra bottom layers. My advice would be to wear one layer, covered by a zip-up sweater, jacket or sweatshirt of some sort. Unzipping will be easy enough and you won't find yourself lugging 10 pounds of clothing to the nearest bench when you emerge on the other end.
Contact Jessie Christian at
jchrist7@nd.edu.
