‘Asking for ringworm’: Flight attendant reveals what clothes you should ‘never wear’ on a plane. One common outfit has people shook
A flight attendant may have you rethinking your travel fit the next time you fly. Her advice may also give you major icks about planes.
TikTok creator Cheryl Killough (@cherdallas) often shares experiences and observations from her six years as a flight attendant.
She recently offered some dos and don’ts about what to wear when you fly.
Be warned: Many of your summertime favorites are on the list.
What not to wear when you fly
The first item Killough calls out is rompers. The adult onesie is cute, comfortable, and cool—perfect when the weather gets hot.
But what if you need to use the restroom on a flight? As Killough explains, that floral print romper is going to essentially become a sponge.
“That thing is going to end up on the floor, just soaked,” she says. “If you wanna drag your top through that, be my guest.”
Killough says you should never wear shorts for similarly disgusting reasons. Apparently people change dirty diapers on airplane seats all the time.
“Not to mention people vomit,” she adds helpfully.
People themselves can be quite dirty, Killough continues, as if she hadn’t said enough to make you want to fly in a hazmat suit.
“You’re asking for ringworm or a staff infection by wearing shorts,” Killough says.
And forget about sandals. Killough advises people to never touch the “filthy dirty” carpet on planes.
“People vomit on it. People have pets on it.” She continues, “People rub their bare feet on it.”
“I would not want my toes anywhere near the open exposure to that.”
The last items on her list are more about temperature than disease.
Killough says travelers shouldn’t wear tank tops or tube tops, as planes can be very cold.
“I feel like decorum wise it’s also better to err on the side of modesty when it comes to traveling,” Killough says. “Don’t hate me. I’m not a trad wife.”
What *should* you wear on the plane?
Killough finishes her TikTok with a cautionary tale. She says a woman had a heat emergency on a plane once, so they had to take her top off. That was the only shirt she had on.
“She was just having to sit in her bra in the cabin,” Killough says.
For this and the aforementioned reasons, Killough recommends travelers wear layers. Your ideal travel look should include close-toed shoes, socks, long pants or a skirt/dress, and at least one under and one outer layer on top.
Reached via email, Killough told the Mary Sue that her go-to flight look currently “includes the Rag and Bone Sweatpant Jeans, basic quality tops, and sweaters from Quince to throw over my shoulders.”
Dressing for a dirty experience
Killough’s post attracted hundreds of comments. Many shared their favorite outfits for flying.
“Black leggings, tank top, zip up hoody and hey dudes. Easy peasy,” wrote one. Another jested that they “basically fly in a hazmat suit.”
Most described their ideal air travel look as keeping as much skin covered as possible. A few added that they shower the minute they arrive.
Her comments about rompers divided the crowd. Most, but not all, agreed that you shouldn’t wear one while traveling. “I’ve worn rompers before…” said a fan of the onesie. “My clothing has never touched the floor.”
@cherdallas I'd never wear them on the plane but the Haviana's from @Revolve I am probably gonna order tbh #flightattendant #traveloutfit #creatorsearchinsights #greenscreen ♬ sonido original – SONIDOS LARGOS
It’s commonly known that mass transit systems are packed with germs and bacteria. Studies have shown that the dirtiest places on planes include tray tables, bathroom door handles, bathroom sink handles, luggage compartment handles, and the tops of the beverage cans.
This doesn’t mean that you should stop flying. Just keep your hands clean, use sanitizer liberally, and leave the romper in your luggage.
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