This post is mainly for the ladies…we will talk about general flight attire at a later date….

Trust me when I say I like all the girly “stuff.” It may have hit me a little later in life, but I have boxes of accessories, a walk-in closet that is bursting at the seams, more shoes than I can count and love to do fun and creative things with my hair and make-up. All of that said, the rules change when trying to get through the security line with our friends at TSA. I am in no way suggesting completely slumming it (as I am a firm believer of dressing nicely to fly) BUT a few things to keep in mind:

1.) Jewelry is fabulous. I love my big rings, necklaces, earrings and watches as much as the next shopaholic, BUT all of that non-sense will light up like the Fourth of July in any metal detector or x-ray machine. Clearly you are going to either need to take it all of either before you go through (which standing behind “that” girl is a nightmare) or you are going to have to take it off after the molestation that ensues with the standard pat down. So do yourself (and the frustrated Road Warrior behind you) a favor and either a.) leave it off  OR b.) put whatever accessories you want to bedazzle yourself with in your purse and put it on during your hour long wait at the gate.

2.) Shoes. You are going to HAVE to take them off, go through security and then put them back on. So let’s consider this one for a moment…. all those super cute heels that have a million straps, those fun sandals that take the artistry of an Egyptian Power Loomist to secure on your feet or any shoes with laces for that matter are probably not great options to wear to the airport. Wear easy, comfortable slip-ons. Trust me when I say that it will save you minutes in the day and stress off your life. Not only that, but at some point, you will probably have a distance to walk, so a low heel with a soft sole is critical (especially if you are traversing through a major airport at some point along your journey).  These are the ones that I wear…

3.) Hair. Trust me, I have a lot of it and have made the mistake of wearing my hair up, especially on the way home from work where I am rocking the professional up-do and about a million bobby pins. Not only does hair accoutrement also trigger the metal detector, but when I have had anything going on upstairs that reflects any kind of bulges, the plastic gloves end up poking and prodding my coif for that elusive hair bomb. Do yourself a favor, keep it simple….wear it down, in a pony tail or braid…otherwise you can bet you’re going to get a not so friendly scalp examination.  

Just these three simple tricks will get you through the cattle call with much more speed and much less stress!