Transportation secretary says flyers should ‘dress up.’ Here’s what people wore to the Philly airport 50 years ago

myphillyconnectionDecember 1, 2025015 views

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched considerable chatter when he suggested that air travel would improve if people put on a smile and dressed up for their flights. Civility and "class," he said in a release and subsequent interviews, were the solution to the reported 400% increase in in-flight outbursts since 2019.

MORE: By the end of January, over 80% of Philly's libraries will be open on Saturdays

To hammer home the point, the Transportation Department released a PSA scored to Frank Sinatra's classic "Come Fly With Me" with vintage footage of travelers in suits and dresses walking through airport terminals. The music turns ominous when the video pivots to more recent clips of flyers settling into their seats with bare feet.

"I think — again, I call this — just maybe dressing with some respect, you know, whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt," Duffy said at a Monday news conference. "And I would encourage people, maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave all a little better."

Many have been quick to counter that frequent flight cancellations, the ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers and disappearing consumer protections might be bigger hurdles to smooth travel. But just how different was airport fashion decades ago? We combed the special collections at Temple University for images of people on the tarmac and terminals of Philadelphia International Airport from the 1950s through the 1970s. The pictures reveal a lot more heels, ties and skirts, but some sneakers and bell bottoms, too.