Women told to cover up on planes as Southwest cracks down on dress code

Circus: Jacy says her clothes were appropriate for the sweltering heat on the Southwest plane. Photo / TikTok; @maybejacy

A woman has shared her outrage and the outfit that almost got her booted from a busy US flight.

Influencer Jacy shared the revealing outfit with her 2.7 million TikTok followers that she claims got her ‘dress-coded’ on a Southwest plane.

“Are we in high school? It’s 102 degrees [38C]” complained the social media star, saying she was dressed entirely appropriately for the weather.

In the video, she claims she was told by cabin crewher outfit was inappropriate.

“Some lady taps on my shoulder and asks, ‘Do you have a jacket or something? You need to cover up’,” she said.

In the clip, filmed from her plane seat, the influencer claims she was handed a shirt to wear over her exposed shoulders.

Another passenger stepped up to defend Jacy’s outfit when she refused to change her clothes.

When the cabin crew member was challenged on what rules or terms of carriage Jacy’s outfit was breaking, the other passenger was also threatened with being bumped from the plane.

“Today has been a circus,” said the social media creator in an update to her TikTok account @maybejacy.

She says she had been “shamed in front of everybody”.

@maybejacy

give me my money back smelly hoes @Southwest Airlines or send me a bottle of expensive champagne 😘 #fyp

♬ life support mashup by mvlfoy - toukass

The Southwest Airlines website says that its dress code is “relaxed and casual”, but that travellers are expected to have “a clean, well-groomed, and tasteful appearance”.

However, the carrier is anything but “relaxed” about enforcing it.

The month prior, Southwest was accused of threatening to deplane TV star and athlete Maggi Thorne over her crop top and jogging bottoms.

The champion of television programme Ninja Warrior tweeted photos to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) from flight WN1039 to Dallas, saying: “Attendant just shamed me in front of passengers, saying my attire wasn’t appropriate.”

Athlete Maggi Thorne claims she got "dress-coded" for wearing a crop top on a Southwest plane. Photo / Twitter; @Nvr_GvUp

Failure to follow the loose guidelines risks passengers violating the terms of carriage and can result in them being deplaned.

“The carrier may, in its sole discretion, refuse to transport, or may remove from an aircraft at any point, any passenger,” read’s the airline’s passenger contract.

Descriptions of violations of this include “wearing clothes that are lewd, obscene, or patently offensive”.

The airline’s recent crackdown has launched a fierce debate over passenger attire.

“It’s a plane, not a gym,” was one person’s take, with them telling the shamed celebrities to “put some clothes on”.

Others asked why it was only ever female travellers who were called out over “inappropriate” outfits.

The enforcement of the dress code was “INSANE”, read another comment, “considering Southwest planes are a million degrees before takeoff and after landing”.

Southwest were contacted for comment.