The lead story in this week’s edition of our e-newsletter is on the kerfuffle Green Day’s front man caused when he tried to board a Southwestern flight wearing saggy, baggy pants. Two profoundly harebrained notions immediately sprang to mind when I read this story. First, Green Day is a band that I’m not particularly fond of, but it has always “kicked it old-school” regarding the band members’ punk stylings, and that I respect. So what’s with the baggy pants? Tight leather. Ripped, TIGHT jeans. Those are the hallmarks of “old-school.” Is Billie Joe Armstrong going through some sort of midlife M.C. Hammer crisis? Second, some days I secretly long for the prehistoric age when Don Drapers roamed the earth. When men wouldn’t leave their houses without a smart-looking hat. When women wore dresses regularly. I spent a lot of time stuck in the Phoenix airport recently, and although I have the utmost respect for dressing comfortably (I haven’t worn a pair of high heels in two decades), I don’t always understand why people choose to travel in clothing that would look shabby even when worn to a gym. In fact, I don’t quite understand how a culture so preoccupied with physical appearance has de-emphasized the art of style when it comes to daily dress. I’m a weirdo, but I’m almost always a slightly overdressed weirdo. I like to wear nice clothing. And I feel more comfortable in my own skin when I don’t look like a slob. I’ve worked on the Internet side of publishing since the mid-90s, and although I appreciate the perks associated with “new media” gigs (flexible hours, being able to work from home, etc.), I’ve always resented the casual dress perk. Even when I worked for a suit-and-tie publisher, the company’s Internet department was the sole exception to the formal dress code. In truth, I have never worked at a company where I had to adhere to a dress code. But even when I was starting off in publishing, it was very apparent that people treat you with more respect when you dress the part, and I think that idea is becoming a best-kept secret in American business culture. In case you’re curious, the GT staff is a naturally stylish bunch. Anyhow, look for our newsletter in your inbox tomorrow. And if you’d like to sound off about what’s appropriate to wear when traveling, shoot us an email. — Patty Mahlon, director of digital media