When planning a trip and preparing for a journey in the sky, passengers often focus entirely on style and comfort without considering safety implications. However, flight cabin crew members and aviation experts have issued clear warnings regarding what never to wear on a plane. Whether the goal is protecting overall health during a long journey or ensuring preparedness during an unexpected onboard emergency, avoiding specific wardrobe choices can prevent injuries, illnesses, and discomfort. From footwear options that hinder quick evacuations to synthetic fabrics and restrictive garments, understanding these guidelines helps travellers make informed decisions before heading to the airport.
Flip Flops And High Heels
A number of flight attendants have warned against wearing flip flops on flights as they do not provide your feet with any comfort. Plus, other passengers do not want to see your toes, or smell your feet. More importantly, flip flops are not good in an emergency. If you need to get off the plane in the dark, people might slip on loose flip flops. Plus, they are not practical for when you are off the plane. The same goes for high heels, and instead, you should wear comfortable and practical shoes.
Jewellery Risks During Flights
Another item you should avoid wearing on a flight is jewellery. This is because it can snag on items and possibly even puncture an emergency slide. Also, you would not want to lose valuable jewellery, so it is better to keep jewellery safe in your luggage or even at home.
Constricting Clothing And Circulation
You want to be comfortable on a flight, so wearing tight clothing is already a bad idea. But it is actually bad for you as well. Tight clothing can restrict blood circulation, which is vital for avoiding deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in a vein, usually in the legs, hence why the only constricting item you should wear on a flight is compression socks. This also includes tight underwear, as it could dig into your skin. Dr Rachel Ward previously told The Sun that the main blood vessels supplying and draining our legs pass together in the groin area. She explained that if you have tight underwear, when in a sitting position for a prolonged period, it will add extra pressure to these vessels and worsen leg swelling and leg numbness and tingling.
Leggings And Synthetic Fibres
Christine Negroni, who released a book on the world's most mysterious air disasters, previously told Sun Travel that when it comes to fires onboard a flight, leggings could leave you with terrible scars. She stated that everyone is wearing yoga pants on planes now, but she avoids all artificial fibres because they are more likely to burn and stick to you if there is a fire. She advised wearing cotton clothes or anything made of natural fibres.
Contact Lenses In Dry Cabin Air
If you are used to wearing contact lenses, you might not realise that you should stick to your glasses for a flight. The dry environment in a plane cabin isn't great for your eyes, and if you are wearing contact lenses, they will become dry. On the London Vision Clinic website, it states that with the average humidity on planes coming in as low as 20 per cent, our skin and eyes can dry out pretty quickly. Combining this with the moisture-sapping effects of contact lenses can create a real recipe for disaster. As a result, keeping your contact lenses in could cause you to have itchy or irritated eyes and could result in distorted vision.
Shorts And Short Skirts
If you are travelling somewhere warm, there is the temptation to wear shorts or a skirt. However, TikTok user Tommy Cimato has warned against wearing bottoms that end above the knee in a viral video. This is because the chairs on planes aren't regularly cleaned. He advised trying not to wear shorts when you are on a plane because you never know how clean it is going to be, so wearing trousers ensures you come into contact with fewer germs.
Background
Commercial aviation has evolved significantly over the decades since the mid-20th century, transitioning from an exclusive luxury experience into mass global transportation. In the early days of commercial flight, passengers routinely dressed in formal attire, including suits, dresses, and hats, reflecting societal norms of the era. As air travel expanded and ticket prices became more accessible, passenger priorities shifted dramatically toward personal comfort, especially on long-haul international routes lasting ten hours or more.
Cabin environments inside modern commercial aircraft, such as Boeing and Airbus wide-body jets, are carefully engineered to maintain pressurized air at altitudes typically ranging between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. This artificial pressurization, combined with the continuous operation of environmental control systems and high-efficiency particulate air filters, results in exceptionally low humidity levels inside the cabin. Maintaining low moisture helps prevent structural corrosion on the aircraft frame and reduces microbial growth, but it directly impacts the human body by accelerating dehydration across skin surfaces, mucous membranes, and eyes.
Deep vein thrombosis, a medical condition frequently discussed in relation to long-distance travel, occurs when blood flow slows down significantly within the deep veins of the body, most commonly in the lower extremities. Prolonged periods of physical inactivity combined with cramped seating arrangements can elevate this physiological risk. Medical professionals have long studied the correlation between restricted posture, tight garments pressing against major vascular pathways, and reduced venous return, prompting continuous public health awareness campaigns across major international airlines and aviation regulatory bodies.
