My family owns a travel agency so you could say that I’ve been on an airplane more times than I can count on my two hands. Therefore, I know a little something about airport etiquette. I would like to bequeath this knowledge to my readers after this last holiday season, while going through airport security before boarding my flight to LAX, I’ve come to find that there seems to be a great deal of people who don’t know how to dress at an airport.

There was this woman in front of me, holding up the line as she took her sweet time taking off her excessive amount of jewelry, tugging off her knee-high boots, unbuttoning her coat and unraveling her scarf. And there I was, blazer over my arm, my TOMS cradled in the other, holding my laptop out of its bag all before I even reached the baskets to put them in!

I understand that life is a runway, but come on people! It’s like she didn’t even know she was about to board a plane until that moment!

So you don’t be THAT jerk that holds up the line, here are some tips on what to wear to the airport:

1. H&M Sweatpants, hm.com, $20; 2. Fleece Zip Up Hoodie, forever21.com, $14; 3. Madewell Minnetonka Kitty Suede Moccasins, madewell.com, $40; 4. HUE Hidden Cotton Liner, lorisshoes.com, $6.50; 5. Washed Out Skinny Jeans, forever21.com, $25; 6. BKE Mini Backpack, buckle.com, $36; 7. Grey Hummingbird Sweat Top, dorothyperkins.com, $39; 8. Large Snow Leopard Bangle Watch, betseyjohnson.com, $125; 9. TOMS Glitter Black Slip-On Classic Women, toms.com, $54

1. Be comfy

Airlines are overbooking themselves these days due to the economy. This means that the plane will more than likely be crowded and you have a great chance of getting the middle seat. You do not want to wear a tight pencil skirt and heels when you are sitting in the middle seat. Trust me!

Instead wear some nice worn in jeans or jeggings. Something you can cross your legs in! However, if you are about to board a plane for more than 6 hours, I would opt for a pair of cute sweats or yoga pants. Something you feel comfortable walking through an airport in as well as sleeping in.

Also, if you’re going to wear a hoodie, wear a zip-up or a loungy shirt that can stand alone as a sweater. If you wear a sweatshirt, you might as well just wear a coat with a million buttons. It’s a real hassle going through security with one: you have to pull it over your head and you’ll mess up your hair and make-up. The cabin could get a little stuffy as well, and you might want to take off your sweater without elbowing the person’s head next you.

I admire people with good intentions who wear sandals to the airport. However, when you think about how many other people wore sandals to the airport and the amount of germs that are on that floor, it doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore. Instead, go for a pair of slip-on shoes that you can wear shoe-liners with. You’ll still be able to speed through security without getting your feet dirty!

2. Keep it simple

Leave your dangling earrings, thousands of bangles, and bulky necklaces in your checked luggage. You will have to take them off before going through the metal detector and you will hold up the line and people will glare at you.

My suggestion is to wear a cute watch such as the one pictured above. It’s not a regular watch, it doubles as a snap on bracelet so you can snap it off easily before going through security! It’s cute and useful. Betsey Johnson has a really good selection of them and you can usually get them extremely discounted at places such as Nordstrom Rack.

I also suggest that you use a backpack and a duffle bag as your carry-ons so that you can pack more. You can use your cute backpack to store make-up wipes, hand sanitizer, chapstick (in a quart sized bag of course), a book, iPod, Kindle, portable DVD player, magazines, etc. rather than stuffing all that in a purse.

You know those romance movies, where the couple meets at the airport or on the plane and then they fall madly in love and live happily ever after? Well that won’t happen if you’re late for your flight because you’re still sliding the thousands of bangles off your arm and untying your shoe laces at security.

Believe me, this guide will make you seem less of a jerk which in result may even lead you to make new friends!

Happy travels!

1. Blazer:

Blazers are so versatile and you can wear them in so many ways. You can wear them to work, to an interview, to go shopping, to hang out with friends and even to go out for a night on the town.

They are also great for every season of the year! In the summer just wear it with a light tank top or bandeau and a pair of shorts. In the fall, a blazer will look good with jeans, a light blouse and a pair of cute flats. During the winter months, wear your blazer with a pair of dark jeans, boots and a scarf to keep you nice and warm. In the spring, your blazer will look good with a cute sundress with a nice floral print to match the blooming flowers. There are just so many ways to wear boots; the combinations are limitless!

I think of blazers like jeans: a true necessity and there’s a fit for every body type. Taller, more lean, girls should wear a long “boyfriend” blazer because it will elongate their body and emphasize curves in all the right places. For shorter girls there is a cropped blazer. It will polish your look and create an illusion of a longer torso.

Personally, my favorite types of blazers to wear are black with a pattern on the inside so that when I roll the sleeves a little, there is a pop of color. Right now, I’m also in love with natural colored blazers; white, nude and brown. Colorful bottoms, maybe some teal or pink tapered trousers, will make a blazer more fun and refreshing!

Theory Khaki Stretch Twill Blazer, nordstrom.com, $485

2. Knee-high boots:

Where I’m from (Northern Orange County area), torrential rain is only a bit more than a light drizzle, so I never really got a chance to see how useful my brown, leather, knee-high boots were until I moved to the bay area.

Knee-high boots are a must because they elongate your legs and make them look slimmer. I also feel like they make “lazy” looks put more together. During my early morning classes, I usually just crawl out of bed and pull over a sweatshirt. So I don’t look a sloppy mess, I add my boots and my green button up coat and layer it over my sweatshirt. It’s comfy but it also looks like I put some effort into my appearance that morning.

Brown “riding” boots are my favorite this season. They will look good in jeans and tights, during the winter, and in dresses and skirts, during the spring.

Good boots are a quality investment because they will last a long time and can be used during the rainy season.

Johnston & Murphy Virginia Tall Boot, zappos.com, $328

3. Leather jacket:

We’ve touched on a little bit of business, a little bit of country, now for a little bit of rock-and-roll! A leather jacket could give your look just the edge it needs. Just pair it with some “spiky” jewelry, some dark skinny jeans and maybe some cool black pumps, and you’ll look like you belong in a classy bike gang!

However, if you want something more practical, you can layer the jacket over a hoodie, with some jeans and boots, and it will create the perfect, casual winter look. To dress it up more, you could wear it over your favorite LBD, if you’re going out on a cold night!

My favorite part about my leather jacket is that it is water repellent! I don’t have to wear an obnoxious rain jacket when I think it’s going to rain and then it doesn’t (because San Francisco weather is very unpredictable like that). I just wear my leather jacket if I think it’s going to rain, and if it doesn’t it still looks natural!

Faux Leather Bomber, Forever 21 (sold out)

3. Oxford Button-Up

Don’t leave the snazzy button-ups for the boys to wear on special occasions! Steal that style and make it your own. The oxford button-up is great because you can wear it to work, tucked into your pencil skirt, with a few nice accessories, and then you can just slip on a pair of jeans and roll up the sleeves and it’s instantly a casual look.

I love wearing my button-up over t-shirts or tucked into flowy skirts or with colorful pants. I honestly wear my button-up once a week because it’s so versatile.

My favorite things to wear my button-up with when I’m going out with my friends are my dark skinny jeans, black boots and black leather jacket. I just put on a few sparkly accessories to make it the perfect “night” look!

Pinpoint Oxford Button-Up Shirt