For me, going to the airport is as much of an experience as the holiday itself, and making sure I have a cute but comfortable outfit on is key. That’s why tracksuits are the best thing, in my opinion, for the journey out.
On the way back, I genuinely don’t care what I look like (it’s usually a leggings and a t-shirt situation after I’ve been chilling in swimwear all day), but there’s something about the way there that’s so full of hope and possibility that gets me really excited – and I want to look nice too.
So, that’s why, when I flew from Manchester Airport to Palma last month, I knew my Juicy Couture tracksuit was a must-wear. It ticks all the boxes of comfort, cuteness, bling on the top and the bottom, and Y2K having its moment again, as a Zillennial, really means a lot to me. Of course, for maximum comfort, I paired it with my Uggs. Yes, I was flying to a hot country, but we were arriving at night, and the transfer had air conditioning, so it was fine.
We dropped our bags off and made our way to security, breathing a sigh of relief that the queue wasn’t long, despite the fact that we’d accidentally booked a holiday during half term (our adults-only hotel was uncharacteristically cheap, and we didn’t ask questions).
We were told at security that we could keep our jackets on and liquids in our bags, which is fantastic, but I’d already taken my jacket off and put it into the tray.
The person handling the trays then asked me, “are your pants the same as this?” as they gestured to the diamante ‘Juicy’ on the back of my tracksuit top.
“Yes,” I said, as I turned around, and they could see it for themselves. They chuckled to themselves and said that I’d definitely be getting stopped when I passed through the scanners.
Lo and behold, when I went through the scanner, something flagged, and it was my tracksuit. I was asked whether I had anything in my pocket, which I didn’t, and then I was sent for my shoes to be checked.
When I was walking away, the person working for security advised me not to wear my Juicy tracksuit to the airport again if I didn’t want to be stopped. I must admit, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this advice, but it’s too comfy and cute.
To be honest, I’ve been stopped and searched to some extent at security every single time I go through – usually because of jewellery – so I think I would’ve set it off anyway. But I assumed that there wasn’t any metal with the diamantes on the tracksuit and that it was all just plastic, but who knows.
Anyway, I really don’t mind being stopped at the airport when the person searching me is polite and friendly. I’ve definitely had some vile experiences with security staff at various airports across the world, but thankfully, when flying out of Manchester, they’re usually pretty jovial and are just there to do their jobs, rather than behave like jobsworths.
Someone on X referred to airport security as a “humiliation ritual,” and while I have been made to feel like this in the past, it’s definitely not commonplace. Although I can’t lie, when waiting for security, I do get a little bit nervous to see how the person will treat me.
I’m not the only person who has experienced this at an airport, either. Several women have taken to X to share their experiences of wearing Juicy Couture diamante items at the airport.
One woman wrote: “My bedazzled Juicy Couture track pants set off the airport security scanner and I had to get a pat down and an explosives test”.
Someone else shared: “I went through airport security in my Juicy Couture pants and the bum got flagged,” followed by a crying with laughter emoji.
Manchester Airport has been contacted for comment.