A New Survey Ranked America’s Worst-Dressed Flyers — These 5 Cities Came Out on Top
A new 2026 study looked at airport outfits in 30 major U.S. metros, and crowned one city the capital of sweatpants and pajama pants.
Airport fashion used to mean jeans, a blazer, maybe even heels. Now it’s neck pillows, slides, and whatever sweats were clean enough to pass the sniff test before a 6 a.m. boarding call.
A new 2026 study by travel site LocalsInsider looked at how people actually dress to fly in the 30 largest U.S. metro areas, ranking cities by an “Airport Casual Score” based on loungewear, pajama-pant acceptance, and how much effort people say they put into their outfits.
For this ranking, “worst-dressed” doesn’t mean people have bad taste. It means they’re the most likely to show up in sweatpants, prioritize comfort over effort, and say pajamas at the gate are totally fine.
The “Worst-Dressed” Flyers in America, Ranked
1. Portland, Oregon
Portland takes the crown for the most dressed-down airport style in the country. Locals are among the least likely to say making an effort at the airport matters, and more than half say pajama pants are perfectly acceptable on a flight. Sweatpants, hoodies, and other loungewear are the go-to travel uniform here.
2. Denver, Colorado
In Denver, comfort rules at cruising altitude. The city lands at No. 2 thanks to a big chunk of residents who say loungewear is their standard airport outfit. Nearly one-third of respondents report reaching for sweats or similar pieces when they fly, even if they’re not heading out on a red-eye.
3. Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland rounds out the top three, with flyers here leaning heavily toward comfort-first dressing. Nearly 4 in 10 respondents say they explicitly prioritize comfort over style when they travel. If you’re walking through the terminal in jeans and a blazer, you might actually be overdressed by local standards.
4. San Francisco, California
San Francisco may be home to plenty of tech money, but the airport dress code is surprisingly relaxed. Two-thirds of respondents say pajama pants are socially acceptable on a flight, and 58% admit they don’t think it’s important to make much effort with their travel outfits. Think more fleece and joggers than fashion-week street style at SFO.
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia closes out the top five most casual airport cities. More than half of respondents say pajama pants are acceptable in the air, and 45% say their go-to airport look is some form of loungewear. The “City of Brotherly Love” seems to extend that love to elastic waistbands and oversized hoodies.
Where Flyers Still Dress Up (A Little)
The study did find a few metros where people still put effort into what they wear to the airport. Miami ranked as the most polished city overall, with fewer than 3 in 10 respondents defaulting to loungewear and nearly 60% saying effort matters. Dallas and Washington, D.C., followed, with more travelers there saying pajama pants are not acceptable and that looking presentable still counts, even for a 6 a.m. departure.
Across all 30 metros, the big picture is the same: airport outfits are getting more relaxed, and pajama pants are at the center of the debate. I broke down the national numbers around loungewear, dress codes, and how many Americans secretly judge other people’s outfits in a separate deep dive on the survey results.
And if you’re more interested in actual airport upgrades than what people are wearing in the security line, I also looked at the new tech that can get you through the TSA ID check in under 10 seconds.
- Read more: 1 in 4 Americans Think Pajama Pants Should Be Banned on Flights — Apparently Tampa Airport’s Viral Joke Hit a Nerve
- Read more: A U.S. Airport Says It’s “Banning” Pajamas — and the Internet Immediately Lost It
- Read more: People Are Calling This an “Emotional Support Rotisserie Chicken” — and TSA Co-Signed It
- Read more: You Could Get Through the TSA ID Check in Under 10 Seconds Now — Here’s How
