Stylish ensembles of slanted lapels and silky neck ties parade down a carpeted aisle. Some are finished with gilt buttons, others with a shiny brooch. A deft hand has moulded each outfit to its wearer: darts and seams are exact, and cuffs sit neatly around wrists. These garments are the work of expert fashion designers, but instead of heading down a catwalk, they debut at 35,000 feet.
Travel by plane today and you could be in the presence of some of fashion's best talent, with cabin crew done-up in Vivienne Westwood, Pierre Balmain or with tailoring by Savile Row's Ozwald Boateng - but why is fashion and aviation so entwined?
ALTITUDE WITH ATTITUDE
Turning the aisle into the FROW (the prestigious front row at fashion shows) is nothing new. Airlines have been working with fashion houses since the 1950s. Part of the reason stems from the romance of the Golden Age of travel. Working as an air stewardess (as they were called at the time) was considered an impossibly glamorous profession - so, naturally, the outfits had to match.
Air France was the first to put its fashion foot forward. Parisian fashion house, Georgette de Trèze, created a brand new uniform for the Air France crew in 1951. Inspired by Christian Dior's 1947 New Look collection, the fresh ensemble had a nipped waist and form-fitting skirt, which was revolutionary at the time for its celebration of femininity.
Pan Am attendants also got a glamorous wardrobe update in 1959 from famed Beverly Hills couturier Don Loper. The sharp-shouldered military styles were replaced with a fitted jacket and cropped sleeves that revealed the wrist.
Of course, there was a reason why airlines were prepared to invest huge sums of money in dressing their cabin crew in the latest threads. What could be better marketing than these stylish, smiling ambassadors? As travel ramped up during the 60s and 70s, airlines increasingly looked for ways to distinguish themselves.
United Airlines, for example, turned to Hollywood costumer Jean Louis in 1968 for a uniform revamp. It was the first time the carrier had worked with a top designer, and was the largest contract awarded in the airline industry to date at US$3 million. Under Louis' direction, hemlines were brought up and a variety of fun-coloured A-line dresses were issued. The coral-red "Hawaiian Sunset" dress featured in a number of amusing advertising campaigns - with flight attendants playing golf and even surfing in the short orange number.
Air France upped its game once again, commissioning Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga for a new uniform in 1969. Like sugar plum fairies, its team emerged in pastel shades with a silky ribbon (known as a hatter's tie) fastened in a bow at their neck. An alternative navy suit for winter came with a stylish bomber jacket, hat and headscarf.
Male uniforms however remained much the same: double-breasted and rigid. Airlines had worked out that it was the female attendants who had the most star power, and focused their efforts accordingly.
BEAUTY STANDARDS
Of course, there was much more to the presentation of cabin crew than their clothing. In 1936, The New York Times painted the ideal air hostess as: "Petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years."
Trainee air hostesses were put through their paces at airline school. On the agenda were posture and make-up lessons, alongside learning how to serve drinks and deal with inebriated passengers. Some carriers even required women to pass a personality test - peppy, educated candidates were preferred. Standards didn't let up once you were hired: weigh-ins were carried out routinely, and archive images from McConnell Air Hostess School, which trained hostesses for TWA in the 40s, show ladies chewing gum to reduce their double chin.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/pT_O1Szvw1737715368194.jpg]
FUNCTIONAL FASHION
In 1978, airlines were deregulated, meaning carriers were free to offer lower, more competitive fares and relax their marketing campaigns. Female flight attendants were off the hook, and uniform designs became more sensible and practical.
Amy Seadon, head of collections, learning and interpretation at Aerospace Bristol, who worked on the recent The Fashion of Flight exhibition, explained that in the 1980s, airlines such as British Airways “wanted uniforms to be as easy to look after and as easy to wear as they could, as well as being fashionable at the time.”
Synthetic materials that were easy to care for were chosen over natural fibres. Outfits still moved with the times though: shoulder pads and big ties were rife in the 80s.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/2077337077.jpg]
Collaborations with fashion designers have also continued, from the classic military ensemble Julien Macdonald created for BA in 2004 to the latest British Airways outfits from Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/2173001113.jpg]
But if the 60s were all about glamour, then the 2020s are a time for functionality. (Love it or hate it, athleisure has influenced airline fashion.) Increasingly, airlines are considering their crews' comfort as well as style. Female cabin crew at airlines such as Bangkok Airways, ITA Airways, KLM and Japan Airlines can now opt to wear trousers over a skirt, and KLM updated its policy in 2024 to allow staff to wear specially designed trainers by Dutch footwear brand Filling Pieces. Delta meanwhile has released a modern set of uniform prototypes with GPS Apparel, a division under high-street brand Gap Inc.
British Airways' new uniform also offers female staffers trousers and a stylish jumpsuit among an expansive collection of 96 individual pieces.
Virgin Atlantic is a trailblazer in the modern fashion scene of airlines, and an advocate for individuality at work. In 2022, it became the first UK carrier to allow cabin crew to show tattoos (previously airlines had only hired those who could conceal ink under clothing) and launched a gender-neutral uniform policy. Under the new rule book, crew members can choose whichever uniform version they feel most comfortable in, no matter their gender identity. Crew now have the option of a dramatic red two-piece designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood, complete with a rippling frill-front shirt, or a burgundy suit. All Westwood garments also feature a small hand-drawn wing.
Nichola Feakins, uniforms manager at Virgin Atlantic, said: "Diversity is something we really want to champion at Virgin Atlantic. [The gender-neutral uniform rules] bring a sense of belonging and inclusion, and connect people with our brand... We are now able to recruit from a wider pool and have some fantastic people that come and work for us."
She continued: "I think the passengers have welcome...
Travel by plane today and you could be in the presence of some of fashion's best talent, with cabin crew done-up in Vivienne Westwood, Pierre Balmain or with tailoring by Savile Row's Ozwald Boateng - but why is fashion and aviation so entwined?
ALTITUDE WITH ATTITUDE
Turning the aisle into the FROW (the prestigious front row at fashion shows) is nothing new. Airlines have been working with fashion houses since the 1950s. Part of the reason stems from the romance of the Golden Age of travel. Working as an air stewardess (as they were called at the time) was considered an impossibly glamorous profession - so, naturally, the outfits had to match.
Air France was the first to put its fashion foot forward. Parisian fashion house, Georgette de Trèze, created a brand new uniform for the Air France crew in 1951. Inspired by Christian Dior's 1947 New Look collection, the fresh ensemble had a nipped waist and form-fitting skirt, which was revolutionary at the time for its celebration of femininity.
Pan Am attendants also got a glamorous wardrobe update in 1959 from famed Beverly Hills couturier Don Loper. The sharp-shouldered military styles were replaced with a fitted jacket and cropped sleeves that revealed the wrist.
Of course, there was a reason why airlines were prepared to invest huge sums of money in dressing their cabin crew in the latest threads. What could be better marketing than these stylish, smiling ambassadors? As travel ramped up during the 60s and 70s, airlines increasingly looked for ways to distinguish themselves.
United Airlines, for example, turned to Hollywood costumer Jean Louis in 1968 for a uniform revamp. It was the first time the carrier had worked with a top designer, and was the largest contract awarded in the airline industry to date at US$3 million. Under Louis' direction, hemlines were brought up and a variety of fun-coloured A-line dresses were issued. The coral-red "Hawaiian Sunset" dress featured in a number of amusing advertising campaigns - with flight attendants playing golf and even surfing in the short orange number.
Air France upped its game once again, commissioning Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga for a new uniform in 1969. Like sugar plum fairies, its team emerged in pastel shades with a silky ribbon (known as a hatter's tie) fastened in a bow at their neck. An alternative navy suit for winter came with a stylish bomber jacket, hat and headscarf.
Male uniforms however remained much the same: double-breasted and rigid. Airlines had worked out that it was the female attendants who had the most star power, and focused their efforts accordingly.
BEAUTY STANDARDS
Of course, there was much more to the presentation of cabin crew than their clothing. In 1936, The New York Times painted the ideal air hostess as: "Petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years."
Trainee air hostesses were put through their paces at airline school. On the agenda were posture and make-up lessons, alongside learning how to serve drinks and deal with inebriated passengers. Some carriers even required women to pass a personality test - peppy, educated candidates were preferred. Standards didn't let up once you were hired: weigh-ins were carried out routinely, and archive images from McConnell Air Hostess School, which trained hostesses for TWA in the 40s, show ladies chewing gum to reduce their double chin.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/pT_O1Szvw1737715368194.jpg]
FUNCTIONAL FASHION
In 1978, airlines were deregulated, meaning carriers were free to offer lower, more competitive fares and relax their marketing campaigns. Female flight attendants were off the hook, and uniform designs became more sensible and practical.
Amy Seadon, head of collections, learning and interpretation at Aerospace Bristol, who worked on the recent The Fashion of Flight exhibition, explained that in the 1980s, airlines such as British Airways “wanted uniforms to be as easy to look after and as easy to wear as they could, as well as being fashionable at the time.”
Synthetic materials that were easy to care for were chosen over natural fibres. Outfits still moved with the times though: shoulder pads and big ties were rife in the 80s.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/2077337077.jpg]
Collaborations with fashion designers have also continued, from the classic military ensemble Julien Macdonald created for BA in 2004 to the latest British Airways outfits from Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1737482156/articles/5I9p27ICI1737715149948/2173001113.jpg]
But if the 60s were all about glamour, then the 2020s are a time for functionality. (Love it or hate it, athleisure has influenced airline fashion.) Increasingly, airlines are considering their crews' comfort as well as style. Female cabin crew at airlines such as Bangkok Airways, ITA Airways, KLM and Japan Airlines can now opt to wear trousers over a skirt, and KLM updated its policy in 2024 to allow staff to wear specially designed trainers by Dutch footwear brand Filling Pieces. Delta meanwhile has released a modern set of uniform prototypes with GPS Apparel, a division under high-street brand Gap Inc.
British Airways' new uniform also offers female staffers trousers and a stylish jumpsuit among an expansive collection of 96 individual pieces.
Virgin Atlantic is a trailblazer in the modern fashion scene of airlines, and an advocate for individuality at work. In 2022, it became the first UK carrier to allow cabin crew to show tattoos (previously airlines had only hired those who could conceal ink under clothing) and launched a gender-neutral uniform policy. Under the new rule book, crew members can choose whichever uniform version they feel most comfortable in, no matter their gender identity. Crew now have the option of a dramatic red two-piece designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood, complete with a rippling frill-front shirt, or a burgundy suit. All Westwood garments also feature a small hand-drawn wing.
Nichola Feakins, uniforms manager at Virgin Atlantic, said: "Diversity is something we really want to champion at Virgin Atlantic. [The gender-neutral uniform rules] bring a sense of belonging and inclusion, and connect people with our brand... We are now able to recruit from a wider pool and have some fantastic people that come and work for us."
She continued: "I think the passengers have welcome...
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Business Traveller Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2025