Perhaps due merely to incidental coincidences, after I had written this article pertaining to whether or not changing into your pajamas in an airport lounge prior to boarding the airplane is okay back on August 19, 2017, at least three sightings of people wearing bathrobes and slippers in public have been reported.
Have Bathrobes and Slippers Become a New Travel Fashion Statement?
“Have just popped into the Hilton Heathrow T5 exec lounge for a few drinks and there are two guests in here wearing bathrobes and slippers!” FlyerTalk member WickedStepMother added “Not sure why I even bothered to press a dress and get changed” to this discussion.
“I was out for breakfast a couple of months ago at a pretty divey place I frequent”, posted FlyerTalk member birdiedouble. “I was sitting at the counter and after about 20 minutes a guy 2 seats down gets up and says he needs to go home a get dressed to go golfing. I looked over at him and he had a bathrobe and slippers on. I guess he can put a collared shirt on to golf but an omelette only requires basic dress.”
FlyerTalk member angra went one step further and posted this photograph of a sighting — prior to flying as a passenger on an airplane operated by Delta Air Lines — in this discussion. “I’m flying MIA-ATL right now, and one of my fellow passengers is wearing a bathrobe, slippers, and a shower cap. Aside from my mild concern that she’s dressed that way due to being sick, I love it.”
People are permitted — for the most part, anyway — to board airplanes in sweatsuits, sandals from which feet overflow out of them, yoga pants, T-shirts with vulgar messages, holes in frayed blue jeans, and leggings. Why not board the airplane or enter a lounge in pajamas or bathrobes — especially as they cover the entire body, unlike shorts which are too short and halter tops — with slippers? Is that not the ultimate in comfort for some people?
Summary
As I first mentioned in the aforementioned article, although I am a firm advocate of being as comfortable as possible when traveling, I personally would not wear pajamas to board an airplane simply out of preference and for no other reason — but I would not outright criticize someone for changing into pajamas in an airport lounge and then boarding an airplane while wearing them…
…and the same is true for wearing bathrobes and slippers — whether the person is in an airport at the gate or in a lounge — but there are some airports and lounges around the world which do require a minimum dress code of sorts; and bathrobes, slippers or pajamas may not meet that minimum dress code.
Has the wearing of bathrobes and slippers — and pajamas — in lounges and airports become a new travel fashion statement?
Some hotel and resort properties provide robes, slippers and shower caps for the use of guests. All photographs ©2014 and ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
