September 6, 2007

Oh, come on!

I have always liked Southwest Airlines, but trying to kick a woman off the plane for wearing a short skirt seems ridiculous. The woman is clearly attractive (nothing wrong with that), but also fully clothed. Not sure what she did wrong.
Yet even wearing the clothes that scandalized Southwest, she did not attract attention beyond some lingering glances.

My fashion advisers were baffled, saying they saw nothing you don't see on a college campus or in Pacific Beach.

“I was expecting to be shocked, and I was shocked the other way,” Pascual told me.

“It wasn't a big deal,” Garin said. “Her skirt was a bit short, which was only accented by her heels. If she had been wearing flip-flops it wouldn't have mattered.”
Good to know in these scary days that flight attendants are on the lookout for such behavior.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty silly, but then I got to the part about the airline explaining their policies to her mother?!? I think that at 23, she is capable of fighting her own battles. I must live a sheltered life here in the midwest, because 99% of 23 year olds don't dress quite this way.

Streak said...

I am not sure the key issue here is her mother's involvement. I am sure she is capable of fighting her own battles or not, but the outrage of the mother is justifiable, it seems to me.

I am on a college campus all the time, so I see all manners of dress, and I actually suspect that you are sheltered Steve, because I sincerely doubt that many 23old women, and perhaps especially those who are also waitresses at Hooters dress in similar fashion. The difference, perhaps, is that you live in Michigan where summer is a three week period between the Spring thaw and the onset of the August snows. Oh wait, that is Laramie, Wyoming.

Bootleg Blogger said...

Streak- Irony is so available now in the days of video archives! A friend of mine who flew SW airlines in its early days once told me that one of their early marketing strategies was very short skirts on attractive flight attendants. This was fairly industry wide in the 70's but he said it was particularly so with SW. A quick internet search turned up this early SW commercial: YouTube - Southwest Airlines commercial circa 1972. Check it out in the current context.
Later-BB

Anonymous said...

Hah, that is very ironic. My 99% comment was in regard to one of mom's comments:

“My daughter is young, tall, blond and beautiful,” Michele Ebbert told me, “and she is both envied and complimented on her appearance. She dresses provocatively, as do 99 percent of 23-year-old girls who can. But they were out of line.”

If you got it, flaunt it. I hope I can say the same thing about my daughter when she is 23. I guess her 'provocation' didn't get quite the reaction she was hoping for.

Students here certainly dress lightly, but I'd have to say that Ms. Ebbert's clothes would gather some second glances around here. In the end, what does mom and Michelle expect. SW is a private company.

Streak said...

read BB's comment, Steve. they certainly are not going to make friends by deciding that being attractive, or even sexy, is a bad thing.

Anonymous said...

Considering that travelers put up with annoying TSA policies, long waits, and cramped seating, I doubt that this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Maybe they think they will get the modestly dressed vacationers, while losing the Hooter's waitresses.

While some opinions may differ, I believe they were saying that her attire was 'trampy' or inappropriate. Personally, it wouldn't offend me (even if my family was with me), but it isn't my airline.

Streak said...

Actually, my point, and BB's was that it is largely hypocritical for SW to complain about a trampy passenger when they have been more than willing to use tramp to sell tickets.

Anonymous said...

Is there anything more recent than an ad campaign from 1972? Are they currently using sexy in their ads. I was under the impression that 'sexy' stewardesses haven't been around since the 70's or early 80's. I have never seen one except in the movies.

Bootleg Blogger said...

I definitely don't think the 70's and now are comparable, just thought it was funny that their history included the "sexy stewardess" marketing. Definitely not earth shattering stuff, but kind of ironic nonetheless. Later- BB

Anonymous said...

The real question is what Southwest's policy in acceptable passenger dress and whether this employee acted in accordance with it. From other accounts that I have read, there is indeed a dress code (business casual) for passengers only if and when those passengers are airline employees and their families traveling under a specific set of programs. Generally speaking, this employee violated policy. It ain't his airline either.