by Say what you like about Farage’s politics, but the man can dress. Tweed and wax jackets are the norm. But this week at Heathrow, and he is back from his era I am a Famous person, he cut something of an elegant dash in a strawberry-sorbet blazer and linen shirt. Okay, so style is subjective, but for a man his age, the options are limited. I thought it looked good (boat shoes notwithstanding).
The most remarkable thing about his sprezzatura, however, was that it was worn for a long-haul flight. It reminded me that many of us now fly in our clothes from nappies to low-rent leisure. In a word, “comfies” a person. Indeed, 6am (or pm) at Gatwick is like a teenage sleepover sponsored by Sports Direct.
I find it a bit sad. You get excited about escaping on vacation to somewhere historic or exotic and any romantic thoughts of travel are dashed by the hordes of zombies wearing fake fleece hoodies covered in writing and needles. As a geriatric millennial whose style preferences are rapidly narrowing, I’ve channeled my inner Farage, turning to smart suits and hats and minimal accoutrements. A chatterbox that lifts my spirits and helps immerse me in the theater of traveling to a distant land. Or France.
The golden age of fashion at 35,000 feet
As your (grand)parents will tell you, there was a time when the Nige and I would be out of nowhere. The “golden age of travel” of the fifties to the seventies is fondly remembered (by the few who could afford it) as a time of glamour: Krug and caviar, smoking and legroom.
It coincided with the dawn of the jet age, ushered in by aircraft such as the de Havilland Comet, which took to the highway and across the Atlantic for the first time. The airlines were competing with cruise lines and therefore focused more on amenities than extra seats. At one point, Air France stewards were dressed in Chanel and Dior. Turning up in long johns or flesh-colored lycra might seem a little scary.
So when did dressing up for a nose flight take place? My uncle, a long-serving British Airways captain, tells me there was no defining moment. Although the harbinger can point: “When the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet arrived in 1970, it tripled the number of people you could get on a plane,” he says. So, although there were still ice swans and foie gras in first class, hundreds of seats were now reserved for economy travellers.
“The price of the flight went up and everyone started going abroad on holiday. In some ways it was great – but not so good for fashion,” he says. Multiplicity and glamour, as ever, were inversely proportional and the extra seats crammed into these bulbous ferries were smaller and less comfortable. A new sound tone was set and the price of the ticket – together with low levels of comfort – did not justify the barrier that he had to wear happy rags. “It would be like getting dressed to catch a bus.”
But we hadn’t gone from ball gowns to Birkenstocks yet. The coup de grâce for mile-high glitz would be introduced with the advent of low-cost air travel. But long before Easyjet and Ryanair whisked us off to Crete for a tenner, a British entrepreneur called Freddie Laker set the standard. His Skytrain – which first crossed the Atlantic in 1977 – did not offer free meals, drinks or frills. Laker Airways fares – Gatwick to Miami for £99 return – were a fraction of those charged by major American carriers.
“For the first time, people would come up to fly in swimming shorts and sombreros,” my uncle remembers.
The last fashionistas of the first class
Bucking the trend up until the early nineties was Concorde, a first-class supersonic jet. The high glamor herself, Joan Collins, was a regular, and there are many photographs of her sitting at the front with a glass of champagne grafted to her hand. When Concorde cut its wings in 2003, she said it was a “traveist of civilization”. Fast forward 20 years and you realize she may have had a point.
Of course, you know what a low-cost flight looks and feels like. Early vertical initiation, purgative terminals, osteopathy-stimulating seats. It makes sense that one might want to wear comfortable self-swaddling clothes.
But what about those people who avoid the farrago by flying first class? So many couture labels now collaborating with sportswear brands (à la Gucci x Northface) give a glimpse into generally mundane trends. But a theory that lies – mentioned by my other uncle, who was also a captain of British Airways – has to do with the explosion of celebrity culture in the early days.
“Smartphones and selfies increased the need to go incognito so the stars wore the most negative clothes possible – complete with the obligatory cap,” he says. “Their acolytes copied them and so a new type of functional flight emerged – even in the beginning of the airplane.” Kanye West’s ‘airport sweater’ is a case in point.
For some airlines, formality of any kind is actively advertised: Virgin Atlantic’s latest ad campaign promotes the pierced and tattooed individuality of its staff. Of course, it also means that our choice of clothing is related to the new reasons we travel now. As Uncle number two says: “You won’t be spending your Sunday best if you’re hiking in the Alps – especially with today’s luggage restrictions.”
“Aren’t you?” I replied. Although the trend of flying in your jam jam shows no sign of abating, I’m staying on the side of Nige: swering the weak and flying in something snazzer. Mainly because it adds excitement to events. And, well, as Victoria Beckham once said: “The airport is your runway.”
Chic travel companions: for her
Smart apartments
Once upon a time, it was customary to wear high heels on a flight. There are more safety rules these days – we’ve all seen the poster warning that your shoes could pull the emergency slide. Instead, go for supple leather pumps – still smart, but totally comfortable.
Pumps, £350, daorfrances.com
The dress without rise
Some traditionally smart fabrics, like linen, will deteriorate over time. Brands like Cefinn specialize in fabrics that are just as cool to wear, and give the same look, without any creasing. Layer up with jackets and cardigans.
Dress, £216, Cefinn at net-a-porter.com
The structured bag
Don’t be the person with a full and spilled canvas tote. Keep your carry-on neatly zipped and structured – but don’t forget to check the size against your chosen airline’s requirements, as a solid bag can’t be squeezed so easily into an EasyJet measuring box.
Midori bag, £105, charlesandkeith.com
Chic travel companions: him
Soft structured blazer
The traveling man’s best friend, a blazer in a more fluid cut marries comfort material with a sense of height. Forget straight fit types and opt for a knit or sweater version; The shape looks smart but the fabric is easy for long haul.
Harris Wharf jumper blazer, £171, yoox.com
Driving shoes
If you’re a gym wearer with trainers, the driving shoe is a nice place to be, especially when you’re flying. Exude a certain Italian sprezzatura style, but can slide on land and with ease.
Pierson suede loafers, £49, jonesbootmaker.com
A collapsible hat
If you’re more Savile Row than Stansted Express, a great hat evokes the golden age of travel. Express a first-class position, even on Ryanair, with a narrow Panama, but crucially choose one that is designed to be folded and folded when the overhead situation becomes a bit much.
The Folder hat, £84.95, borgesandscott.com
By Caroline Leaper
