Southwest Worker Asks Woman To ‘Cover Up’ Before Boarding Her Flight In Oakland. So She Asks The Internet Whether Her Outfit Is Too Much: ‘The Worker Is Jealous And Out Of Line’

Airplane attire is a personal choice. Some dress for comfort, some for style, others a little bit of both. One woman says her in-flight outfit drew some highly unexpected and unwanted feedback from a Southwest Airlines employee. Now she’s asking if her outfit really was problematic.

Carolina Rodriguez (@carolnotbaskin) recently posted a video that received more than 51,800 views in the span of days. In it, Rodriguez explains that she was flying from the Oakland International Airport to San Diego, California. She claims a Southwest employee approached her in the bathroom before she boarded and asked if she could cover up. Rodriguez said the employee mentioned that there were children in the area.

In Rodriguez’s viral clip, she asks if her outfit is “too much.”

“ Personally, I thought it was cute and comfy, but I guess it’s too [expletive] much. I’m in public,” Rodriguez says toward the end of her video.

She pans down to show that she was wearing—gray sweatpants, a gray jacket and a low-cut white tank top.

Do Airports Have Dress Codes?

Airlines do have dress codes, which passengers are expected to follow. Each airline has individual expectations and policies, although most establish that passengers should dress appropriately.

Southwest Airlines prohibits passengers from “engaging in lewd, obscene, or patently offensive behavior, including wearing clothes that are lewd, obscene, or patently offensive,” according to the company’s contract of carriage. In comparison, American Airlines states that customers should “dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”

Overly revealing clothing is discouraged. An etiquette expert told Travel + Leisure that “excessively revealing, sheer, or [clothing] better suited for the beach or nightlife” can lead to conversations with airline staff.

Travel + Leisure noted that airline policies can feel ambiguous. Point.me founder Tiffany Funk explained to the publication that it “leaves a lot up to interpretation.” Previous incidents, such as when an American Ninja Warrior contestant, Maggi Thorne was “shamed” for her outfit choice on a Southwest flight in 2023, can leave passengers “in disbelief.”

Southwest Airlines did not respond to an email requesting comment. 

Did People Think Her Outfit Was Acceptable?

Rodriguez gives more information in her video’s description.

“Nobody has ever told me that so I was caught off guard” the TikToker writes. “I didn’t think what I was wearing was inappropriate and also find it inappropriate of the worker to comment on the proportion of my body.”

Several commenters discussed Rodriguez herself rather than the outfit, although a few weighed in on her clothing. Commenters were divided as to whether the outfit was appropriate for an airport.

“A bit much,” one person said. 

Another added, “No, your outfit is completely fine. The worker is jealous and out of line.”

Rodriguez didn’t respond to Instagram and TikTok direct messages seeking comment.

@carolnotbaskins Nobody has ever told me that so I was caught off guard and a lady was blow drying her hair in the bathroom but genuinely I didn’t think what I was wearing was inappropriate and also find it inappropriate of the worker to comment on the proportion of my body I’m comfy as hell and where else am I gonna put my big girls??!!! @Southwest Airlines #fyppppppppppppppppppp #traveltok #southwestairlines ♬ original sound – Carolina 🙂