This is one of the busiest travel weeks of the year and many of you, I’m sure, are finding yourselves rubbing shoulders with fellow travelers at one of America’s finest airports.
But have you ever taken a moment to see what’s on those shoulders? According to you Essential California readers, it could be a cozy sweatshirt, fancy sport coat or anything in between.
You’re reading the Essential California newsletter
My colleague Gavin J. Quinton recently reported on U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s November video urging travelers to dress nicely and mind their manners in hopes of returning to a “golden age” of flying.
So we asked readers what they wear to the airport. And boy, did you deliver — not just with opinions about what you wear, but also what you think other people should. Here are some of the main takeaways:
Airport attire is free game
Trips up in the sky have changed over the years, and with them, expectations for attire.
As Gavin writes, “Flying was endowed with a sense of occasion, if only for wealthy passengers and businessmen,” and many dressed the part. Now, while air travel is more inclusive and accommodating, the “golden age” Duffy speaks of is no more.
People are corralled into shrinking airplane seats, while paying more.
Considering the downgraded experience, several readers expressed disdain for any mention of rules for how they dress — their loungewear amounts to a cozy act of defiance.
“Unless you can get and afford first class, you’re basically in a bus and I’m certainly not going to let anyone in the tRUMP world dictate to me what I can and can’t wear,” wrote Mike Barnes of San Diego.
Some of our respondents simply long for the days when basics like in-flight meals and checked baggage weren’t behind a paywall.
“Passengers showing up in leisurewear like me are pulling money from our 401k just to afford all the fees tacked onto our already high ‘budget’ flight price, let alone access to ‘extras’ like food or WiFi during the duration of our trip,” wrote SoCal author and artist Jaime Townzen.
Comfort reigns supreme in the sky
Red-eyes, early morning takeoffs, long hauls — the modern American flying experience often leaves travelers longing to be anywhere else. The last thing they want is to be in uncomfortable clothing. For readers who have strong opinions about what to wear, it boils down to this: Practicality and comfort reign supreme.
When thinking about airport outfits, Cheri Wilder’s head isn’t in the clouds. It’s in the arrival terminal. Wilder, a bidding producer, is thinking ahead and planning for “whatever is most comfortable and will be easy to wear in the climate where/when I land.”
While everyone would welcome a little extra legroom on flights, Polly Drown said she gets resourceful and wears “comfortable walking shoes because I’ll be taking the long way in the airport to get some steps in!”
Looking good is feeling good
Traveling means crossing paths with countless people you don’t know and probably never will, so some seize the chance not to worry about their appearance. But for San Juan Island, Wash., resident Eric Lucas, making a good impression could land some extra legroom.
According to Lucas, wearing a jacket and slacks “gets me much better treatment at the airport, on the plane, at the hotel, in restaurants. Is that elitist? Maybe. Please go ahead and slop around in PJs, I’m laughing all the way up in first class.”
Valerie Elaine Cannon also shuns sweatsuits when it comes to dressing for the airport. Bur for her, it’s less about aiming for first class and more about a “throwback to the 40s.”
Cannon’s formula? “Comfortable walking suit (no jeans) and shoes (not sneakers), minimum make up, purse and, sometimes gloves (if it’s cold).” According to Cannon, “most think I’m some kind of famous person (don’t know why). You can be comfortable and stylish.”
When it comes to manners, one size fits all
At the end of the day, people will wear what they please, and opinions vary on what that should be. But several of our readers did agree that the most luxurious thing to wear is manners.
“Do I think people should wear clean clothes and be freshly bathed? You bet,” wrote Jean W. from Chicago. “Beyond that, I don’t care what they look like, only that they don’t act like a loud mouthed jerk to crew or other passengers.”
Hear, hear, Jean!
The week’s biggest stories 
Susan Orozco, 70, cleans up damage to her frontyard on Lee Street two days after a tornado touched down in Boyle Heights. “I’ve now been through a tornado. I don’t think I want to go through a hurricane,” said Orozco, a 40-year resident of the neighborhood.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Climate and weatherCalifornia firesPoliticsWhat else is going onMust readsOther meaty readsFor your downtime 
Fried chicken kimbap at Super Peach, the modern American restaurant from David Chang’s Momofuku Group.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Going outStaying inL.A. Affairs
Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.