Fashion designers have long been making forays into uniform design but few professions have drawn the creative interest of fashion designers as much as flight attendants.
Originally, flight attendants were on-board nurses. Flying for civilian purposes was still very new in the 1930’s and people were very nervous about the safety of this new technology. Boeing Air Transport, now known as United Airlines, hired nurses who wore traditional nursing outfits, to give its passengers reassurance. During the Second World War, a nursing degree was no longer required. While flight attendants no longer looked like Florence Nightingale, they still took their work very seriously and this was reflected in the solid, dark colors and long hemlines of the uniforms.
As the world changed in the 1960’s, so did in-flight fashion. Also, many more people, especially men, were traveling for business and the airlines realized that attractive, sexy flight attendants were good for business. Oleg Cassini designed one and two piece uniforms with space suit looking tops and an above the knee hemline for Lufthansa and Air West, which serviced the west coast of the United States. Around the same time, Pucci turned the flight attendants’ styles of the early days on its head with short hemlines, pants and colorful prints for Braniff Airlines.
From 1974 – 1985, Pucci created shirtdresses for Quantas but also paid homage to classic 40’s fashion for women. In the early 70’s, Southwest Airlines had its flight attendants wearing pink and red mini dresses. However, by the 80’s, flight attendants uniforms started reversing course, going back to the solid colors and longer lengths. This was not only a reflection of the time but also a growing concern among women, and women who worked as flight attendants, that the uniforms were demeaning and exploitive.
Today, there is a wide range of uniforms worn by in-flight crewmembers. Southwest has sure come a long way, now sporting khaki shorts and polo shirts, a look that reminds me of “Jake, from State Farm.” Austrian Airways has a classically tailored, fire hydrant red uniform but others such as Air New Zealand and Singapore have incorporated traditional patterns and cuts into their garbs. As one might expect, Air France has a timeless look of a navy dress hemmed right above the knee with a red bow tie at the waste and a matching cape. Designed by Christian LaCroix, it is sexy and classy.
No matter what the industry, pride should be taken in its uniforms. It is part of a company’s branding so while I get that Southwest is appealing to the more casual traveler, often in warmer climates, this look would hardly work for a trans Atlantic flight. As a uniform designer, I applaud the efforts the airlines have gone to over the decades to dress their employees in cleverly chosen, custom clothes, and choosing fashion designers who have given importance to flight attendants. While they may no longer be nurses, they certainly can impact your experience at 30,000 feet. The better you look, the better you feel and that usually translates into better customer service.
