As Thanksgiving travel surged across the United States in late November 2025, a surprising fashion trend swept the nation’s airports: pajamas, slippers, and loungewear became the unofficial uniform of defiant travelers. The movement, which has since gone viral on social media, began as a pointed response to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s campaign urging Americans to “dress a little better” while flying. Instead of heeding his advice, many passengers chose to double down on comfort, sparking a wider debate about class, civility, and the realities of modern air travel.
The controversy began when Secretary Duffy, representing the Trump administration, launched a new initiative titled “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.” At a press conference just before Thanksgiving, Duffy called on travelers to restore “courtesy and class” to the skies by dressing more formally. “Whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt,” he said, “I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which maybe encourages us to maybe behave all a little better. Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.” According to The Washington Post, Duffy’s remarks were intended to address what the Transportation Department described as a dramatic rise in unruly passenger incidents—nearly 14,000 in the past four years, a 400 percent increase since 2019.
But if the administration hoped for a return to the tailored glamour of aviation’s past, the public had other ideas. Almost immediately, travelers took to TikTok, Instagram, and X to post videos and photos of themselves flaunting the very sleepwear Duffy had discouraged. Democratic activist Johnny Palmadessa, for example, posted a video days after Duffy’s announcement, striding through an airport in pajama bottoms while a sound bite of the secretary’s advice played in the background. “Triggering Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy,” read the caption on his TikTok, as reported by The Independent. In an interview, Palmadessa was blunt: “The priorities of this administration are so not straight.” He argued that the government should focus on making travel more affordable for families, not policing their wardrobes.
Other travelers joined the so-called #pajamaresistance, using humor and “malicious compliance” to lampoon the new etiquette campaign. Cat Sullivan, a Los Angeles-based TV producer and internet comedian, found herself debating whether to wear a satiny white gown, a Barbie-pink power suit, or a feathery green cocktail dress for her Thanksgiving journey. Ultimately, she opted for an Old Hollywood-style long dress paired with sneakers, documenting her experience in a series of videos. “I never bail on a bit,” Sullivan wrote, even as she shivered in the 30-degree cold upon landing in Wyoming. In an interview, she reflected on the absurdity of the situation: “The dress was incredibly impractical; I think it was like 30 degrees when I landed. It was definitely not the right thing to be wearing. My experiences illustrate how insane this directive is.”
Comedian Michelle Wolf, known for her sharp wit, chimed in on Instagram with a dose of reality. “I should wear my nicest suit so I can sit in someone else’s Biscoff crumbs,” she quipped, listing the indignities of air travel—delays, fees, barebones amenities—that make the notion of dressing up seem laughable. “We’re not dressing for the air travel we want, we’re dressing for the air travel we have,” Wolf concluded, echoing the sentiments of countless frustrated flyers.
Indeed, many social media users pointed out that the conditions of modern air travel—crowded terminals, long delays, and minimal service—are hardly conducive to high fashion. One TikToker, responding to Duffy’s plea, showed off her sweatsuit at the airport with the caption, “Well now I absolutely must wear my pajamas to the airport!” Another filmed herself striding through the concourse in a matching pajama set and slippers, declaring, “Me on the way to the airport after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told us to ‘dress with some respect.’”
While some commentators and publications supported Duffy’s push for more polished attire, others saw it as a distraction from more pressing issues. A New York Post opinion piece lamented the prevalence of “stained Garfield pajama pants” and pillow-dragging travelers, but for many, the debate was less about decorum and more about comfort, affordability, and the right to choose. “You already spent so much money on the tickets and the whole process of traveling,” lifestyle creator and life coach Sammy Knight told The Washington Post. “It’s never bothered me to see someone comfortable before. I think it’s absurd.” Knight, who lives in Rhode Island, admitted she usually opts for sweatpants, leggings, or jeans with a sweatshirt—“something comfortable,” as she put it.
For some, the choice of attire became a form of political resistance, with travelers using loungewear as a symbol of protest against what they viewed as misplaced government priorities. The hashtag #pajamaresistance quickly gained traction, with users sharing photos and videos of their coziest airport outfits. “Civility starts with being a good human and leading by example,” wrote Robyn Iacona, an administrative assistant from Louisiana who wore jogger-style pajama pants, a T-shirt, and compression socks for her return flight from Dublin on December 5, 2025. “And not with whether or not one wears pajama pants and slippers on a long haul flight.”
Even those within the aviation industry weighed in. Benét J. Wilson, a veteran aviation journalist, faced a sartorial dilemma before a marathon day of travel: dress up in a black velvet dress or embrace comfort in pajamas. She settled the issue with a coin toss—pajamas won. After enduring multiple flight delays, Wilson posted on social media, “Good thing I decided to wear pajamas and slippers. This may be my new travel uniform.” In her view, the government has “bigger fish to fry” than worrying about what people wear on planes.
Despite the backlash, the Transportation Department has stood by its campaign, citing the spike in unruly passenger behavior as justification for its etiquette push. According to agency data, unruly incidents have soared by 400 percent since 2019, with nearly 14,000 cases reported in the past four years. The department argues that fostering a culture of civility—starting with how travelers present themselves—could help reverse this troubling trend.
Yet for many Americans, the pajama protest has become about more than just fashion. It’s a statement about personal autonomy, economic realities, and the evolving norms of public life. As one TikTok user put it, “We’re good,” rejecting the notion that comfort and respect are mutually exclusive. In an era when air travel often feels more like endurance than escapade, perhaps it’s no surprise that travelers are choosing to prioritize their own comfort, one pair of pajamas at a time.
As the debate continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the nation’s airports have become an unlikely stage for a broader conversation about civility, class, and the right to dress as one pleases—even at 30,000 feet.
