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Instead of Mame’s pearls,I wear a neck pillow (only when the lights go out,never at the airport.) I wear compression socks,not silk stockings,and sensible sneakers instead of high heels. Instead of a fur wrap,I carry a blanket (cashmere admittedly).

Years of experience have taught me this works for me. But I might as well be going to the gym (where I never go,actually) as Istanbul or Paris.

Modern air travel is a real style thwarter. It’s not hard to understand why people choose to wear their pyjamas to the airport,although that’s one fleece garment too far for me. A plane is like a crowded,noisy dorm where we’re all trying to get some sleep,and rarely do,so you might as well dress for it.

Still,when I see travellers turning up at the airport in shorts and T-shirts and Crocs on their feet,I do wonder – has the sense of occasion disappeared from travel all together? (Apart from the fact I worry about them – don’t they realise howcold it gets on a plane?)

It’s not a class thing. These days,if Mame waltzed onto the pointy end of QF1 in a fur cape and feathered hat,jaws would drop.

That’s because in the front of the plane people wear pretty much the same “athleisure” gear as we do in the back – T-shirts,shorts,tracksuit pants,sneakers,hoodies. You won’t find Audrey Hepburn up there either.

The lack of glamour is one thing,but even just dressing nicely seems a bridge too far for many. I know that the idea of looking nice seems like a throw-back to the 1950s,but being comfortable and dressing smartly (another 50s term) aren’t mutually exclusive. Elegance didn’t go out the window with the invention of Lycra.

An overseas trip is something to plan for,anticipate,celebrate,get excited about when the time comes. Why head off from home looking like you’re going to the bus stop? You only live once. Make the best of it and feel good about yourself.

Another upside – if things go wrong,sometimes looking smart is your ticket to being treated with more respect by border police,officials and ground staff. Whether you like it or not,they’re trained to make instant assessments of you based on appearance.

I accept we need to be comfortable when we fly (that doesn’t mean scruffy),but what really irks me is what happens on the ground.

Thousands of people shuffle around gorgeous cities like Rome,Florence and Venice in shorts and Hawaiian shirts and,worse,those fluoro tracksuits,seemingly unaware of the aesthetics that surround them. They’re a blight on a visual landscape,ruining the work of centuries of artists and architects for others. It’s disrespectful.

It’s time for the style police. Perhaps the introduction of a style tax along with the bed tax and day tripper tax that they’re now charging in Venice?

Comfortable,neutral,neat clothing will be allowed. But there will be a list of forbidden items,such as Hawaiian shirts,that are deemed to clash with the Brunelleschi and Palladio facades,with the Michelangelos and Donatellos,with the Doges Palace and the tranquil beauty of the Roman Forum.

Ballgowns,tuxedos and jewelled saris will be permitted so long as they contribute to the aesthetic.

Venice already has a style code during Carnivale – masks,cloaks,gowns. They could just extend it to most of the year.

Let’sreally bring the sense of occasion back to travel.

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