I wear a sage green flight suit when I fly a Cessna, and soon a Army Cub I
hope. I try to remember to put some gloves on as well.
Reason? A pilot from the RNoAF once showed me the results of a flash fire in the cockpit of a Saab Safari. Crisp is the operative word.
Ahh, and it doesn't matter if it gets oily or dirty when shifting rusty, oily hangar doors about.
About 50% of the frequent fliers in my club use a suit. Either a navy blue. (Norway aero club issue) or the sage green air force model. (We are based at a MIL airfield, and the local stores dept. can arrange a swap when your issue suit gets to nasty!)
We try to get the members to dress a bit sensibly, especially since we reside in alpine terrain at 69N. Is it smart to go flying in shorts and a t-shirt over the mountains just because it's 20C at the airfield? You will feel pretty stupid if you survive a forced landing at 3500ft msl just to freeze to death trying to wade trough 1 meter of snow in your flip flops.
(Both our 172 and A Cub carry a 8kg survival pack, supplied by friends at the air force rescue equipment shop
)
As for style/looks? I could not care less. I have eaten to many pies to be stylish anyway!
White shirts with epaulettes, now that's ridiculous! The German that visited the field earlier this month emerged from his Archer in blue slacks and white shirt with epaulettes (4 stripes!!!!).
Kinda ironic really, since he was rubbish on the R/T, and clearly had no knowledge of the airspace he was flying through, hardly in character for a captain??
(Worked in the TWR that day)