Southwest Dress Code Debacle

There seems to be quite a bit a controversy twirling around Southwest Airlines and their recent "dress code" drama. If you have been living under a rock (since Miss Ebbert has run to practically every media outlet imaginable ), the basic idea is that a Kyla Ebbert was escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight because her attire was deemed inappropriate. In the end Miss Ebbert was allowed to stay on the flight, but she claims it was a humiliating experience. I'm not doubting that it was, but there seems to be some controversy on whether or not Southwest had a right to do so. My worry is what this says about our society as a whole.

I have seen the pictures of the offending outfit. It isn't scandalous per se, but it does leave very little to the imagination. I do believe that Kyla Ebbert has the right to dress however she pleases. She is a very thin and pretty girl, and if she chooses to flaunt what she has, she can. However, what she chooses to wear and how she chooses to wear it may not always be appropriate for all situations. Sadly, the culture we live in does not put too much emphasis on appropriateness.

Southwest does not have a stated dress code for passengers. That means there isn't a list of acceptable and unacceptable attire for flights. From what I have read, Southwest's policy on passenger attire is much like the one at my place of work. I work for a Community College. We do not have a dress code for our students. We expect our students to use good judgment and common sense in choosing their attire. However, as an instructor, I can ask a student to leave class if their outfit is offensive or inappropriate for class. The individual employee is the one determining what is and what isn't appropriate for that setting. What I deem appropriate may be too lax or too strict in comparison to my co-workers. Some people think as long as all the appropriate parts are covered, no harm is done. Others think the bare minimum is not enough to make an outfit decent. If the flight attendant received several complaints or decided that the outfit was not appropriate, he or she was well within his/her bounds to say something to the passenger.

One thing I keep reading is that Southwest is in the wrong because "people dress like this or wear less all the time." Okay, just because "everyone is doing it" doesn't make it okay. Just because people usually get away with it doesn't make it okay either. I'm all for dressing to make yourself feel more attractive. I am not saying it is bad to dress "provocatively." However, I do think that it isn't always appropriate at all times. People need to be aware of their body type and the situation. It goes back to people need to use good judgment and common sense when picking their outfits. Many times people do not apply either of these concepts.

Okay if good judgment and common sense do not seem to work, maybe ask yourself if the outfit is functional. Seriously, if you are going to be on a plane, and your skirt is so short you are showing your panties (or lack there of) every time you sit down, that means your outfit is not functional. Apparently while on the Today Show, Ebbert did in fact have this issue. If you are going to create a floor show as you fight to get your carry on into an overhead bin, maybe another outfit is in order. This was the scenario on a recent Northwest flight. There was a woman, probably in her late thirties or early forties on our flight. My issue wasn't with the fact her one size too small, short, white skirt with some word stretched across her backside was not age or body type appropriate. My issue was with the fact her skirt was way too short and her lack of underpants. This was one of those she went to put her carry on in the overhead bin and gave the rest of us on the plane more than we ever wanted to see. I'm not sure if anything was said to her by the flight crew, but you have to wonder what made her think that was good idea.

We have all seen the offending outfit. Ebbert has taken photos, and she has worn it on TV several times. However, we do not know how she was wearing it at the time of the incident. I have tops I worry about wearing to work. The tops can cover everything appropriately, but they have a bad habit of "migrating" south. It is not indecent by any stretch of the meaning, but it is not appropriate for work. Skirt lengths can fluctuate due to "ride up." Yes, we know what the outfit looks like, but we weren't there to see what it looked like at that moment.

So yes, no one told Ebbert, or any other passenger what is appropriate attire for a flight. Unfortunately she had a run in with the bad luck fairy. Either other passengers made numerous complaints against her or the flight attendant deciding her outfit was not appropriate. Had she been on other flight, chances are good there would not have been an issue. I am not saying that is wasn't embarrassing for her. Being escorted off the plane was probably bad enough. If the attendant in question did in fact treat Miss Ebbert the way she is claiming, that would be insult to injury.

What worries me more is what this story says about society. It tells me that we may have reached a point where airlines might have to institute dress code policies for passengers. If our society is not instilling the use of good judgment and common sense in regard to appropriateness, then companies like airlines are going to have to make rules. It is like you shouldn't have to tell someone that ratty low slung jeans and a crop top are not acceptable in the work place (even on casual Friday), but still companies have had to write detailed dress code policies to stop people from doing so. Yes, it is crazy that an airline would have to spell out something that people should just know. Sadly that is where our culture is. Basic rules of appropriateness are not being taught, and the standards are not being upheld. Emphasis on personal responsibility has been so neglected, things that should be no brainers now have to be explained.