I do so enjoy a news story—”news,” of course, being a relative term—that both evokes my outrage and gives me a chuckle. The following story by Gerry Braun in the San Diego Union-Tribune is a prime example:
Southwest fashion police set no-fly zone
As the mercury climbed over 100 on Labor Day, I called Southwest Airlines with a not entirely hypothetical question:
Could a young woman board a flight to Tucson today wearing a bikini top?
Angelique, the agent who took my call, assured me that a young woman could.
“We don’t have a problem with it if she’s covered up in all the right spots,â€? she said. “We don’t have a dress code.â€?
Tell that to Kyla Ebbert, who was escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight two months ago for wearing an outfit far less revealing than a bikini top.
Ebbert, a Mesa College student and Hooters waitress, was allowed to stay on the plane, but only after she put up a fight and, she says, was lectured on how to dress properly.
I don’t know about you, but one of my big gripes with the airlines is that they just don’t take the time to dispense fashion advice any more.
Southwest explained its treatment of Ebbert in a letter to her mother, saying it could remove any passenger “whose clothing is lewd, obscene or patently offensive� to ensure the comfort of children and “adults with heightened sensitivities.�
Ebbert, 23, says she was judged unfairly by the airline and humiliated by the experience. Who wouldn’t be? [full text]
The full story includes a photo of Ms. Ebbert in the offending outfit. Frankly, I fail to see what is objectionable. Indeed, the airline should have been appreciative of the fact that this lovely young woman was kind enough to dress in a manner that made it abundantly evident she was not smuggling weapons of mass destruction (or even a bottle of water) beneath her clothing.
Kmareka.com 
David, by chance were you able to discover Ms. Ebbert’s flight schedules for the next several months? Indeed, she was not attempting to sequester any WMD, at least not the traditional kinds.
I saw her picture, and if that was the outfit she was wearing I don’t know what the fuss was about. Anyway, it would have made more sense to offer her a jacket than to escort her off the plane. Maybe there is more to this story.
I saw her on the news and I could see when sitting the little bitty Daisy Dukes skirt could be too short and reveal undies should her legs be positioned a certain way.
This just reveals the problem with society and our schools setting standards of pants falling off boys with undies showing; girls showing thongs as “part of their outfit”. I am old fashioned classy gal that does believe in bearin it at the beach or in your home. I do agree with ninjanurse they could have made their point and spoken to her and then gave her a blanket and made her exit the plan last.
It’s unfortunate that it will take an individual to make a company rethink on the spot their toleration policy of dress code. I guess it’s easy when a store plainly states entry only “with shirt and shorts”. But that could be challenged with a teenie skanty shirt. It’s all relative. Our grandparents didn’t need labels on everything like “don’t use hair dryer while in the tub” on the warnings because people didn’t think to SUE over everything. And there was more common sense ~
I think if parents think it’s a fine outfit for public consumption (even though it’s provactative like a street walker in my opinion) then that’s the problem not with the child, young adult. We have to spell it out in school codes and airlines. My company spells out the dress code and is very strict ~ I have a friend who works at Amica Insurance that is also “old fashioned” and doesn’t put up with the new “less is better” trend.
I do agree with David that there are other issues to worry about on the plane, but I think they were just using this as a forum to present the dress code problem they are coming into. That does need to be addressed and rightfully so, not everything can be about the weapons, as dress codes choice by some is something I wish more entities would speak up on. I say bravo, but they should have done it differently and given her a blanket.
That’s my 2 cents
I assume the fuss wasnt the length on the mini skirt but probably coz it was see thru a bit or a lot.
Frankly if people dont want to look at it then dont if it offends yr sensitivities. When is all the BS going to stop. Lets have our global police departments have clothes police divisions and start hauling people in front of judges for some serious jail time!!!!!
Suzanne says she doesnt mind bearing it at home or at the beach well the flight the girl was on was a commercial service that is offered to the public no different from our beaches or sidewalks they are all for the public.
Frankly all flights shud demand we all travel nude and have cavity searches. Its the safest way and then the airline blankets are probably going to be used by all not just a few.
p.s. what an insult offering her a jacket, a blanket, making her leave the plane as the last passenger. I do not believe the mentality of some americans, i guess thats a bigger problem the world has to live with more so than dress code
Bearing it to me means showing your belly (within reason, of course that’s subjective and that’s why we are having this discussion). Tastefully….oh, many young’ins today have no idea of what that means.
Hello….don’t look, I have a 3 and 5 year old and don’t want them or me to see you doing an impression of Paris Filth Hilton or Sharon Stone crossing of the legs. This is not going to be apparent to some, and I know we are going to agree to disagree…because taste is what makes us interesting, but we need to have boundaries.
FYI – her skirt was a daisy duke jean cut off (I’ll say) to be as low on her abdomin and as short as possible….she’s not LLBean model….maybe more http://www.cheezygal.com