Airlines, these days, release new uniforms to much pomp and ceremony. In a bid to outshine one another, airlines call in fashion designers to create new looks, with Vivienne Westwood behind Virgin’s striking new designs — which for women combine "hot red" skirts with frill-front blouses and oversize collars.
One of the more recent was unveiled by the French airline La Compagnie, which was one of the first to offer staff the option of culottes— the loose-fitting shorts that in 2014 made a fashion comeback.
Handy, you might think, for those who can't decide between wearing skirts and trousers. But actually, for cabin crew, that choice rarely exists.
In recent years there appears to have been a move away from giving female staff members the option to wear trousers.
British Airways employees, for example, are no longer able to wear trousers unless part of the long-haul only team, even though the airline introduced trousers for women in 2004.
A recent report in the Daily Mail said some of BA's employees have complained about this, with a union representing stewards poised to take action, but the airline told us it had not received any complaints.
Etihad's uniform too used to give staff the option of both trousers and skirts, but its new range also allows skirts only, a result, the airline said, of much consultation with crew.
"Don't you think it's a little sexist?" said Heather Poole, an American air flight attendant and the author of "Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers."
Despite wearing a skirt while working, she told Telegraph Travel that at times they could be impractical. "Flight attendants are there for safety," she said. "Pantyhose are highly flammable. If I'm wearing a skirt, I'm also wearing hose — as I fight a fire."
Poole said she chose to wear a skirt however for aesthetic reasons.
"I almost always wear the skirt, but that's because I don't look good in our pants [trousers]. They're not flattering. But when I'm standing outside the Denver airport waiting for the hotel van to take us to the hotel and it's 7 degrees outside, I usually wish I had my pants on. Or when there's a blizzard in New York and I have to work, well, I think I'll wear the pants, regardless of those unflattering pleats."
Lee Cobaj, a Telegraph Travel writer who flew with Thomas Cook as a flight attendant for 18 years, was surprised to hear that airlines were backing away from women in trousers but said that she struggled to remember seeing any female crew members wearing them.
"The uniform is a big part of projecting an airline's image," she said. "The grooming standards that go along with that are extremely stringent too, a certain size of earring, say, and permitted ways to color and wear your hair. High heels still have to be worn outside of the aircraft and Virgin even have specific lipsticks — I can't think of any other industries that would get away with it."
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Sky-high standards
- BA expects cabin crew to wear lipstick and blusher "as a minimum."
- The sarong part of Asian uniforms, including the "Singapore Girl" uniform, worn by Singapore Airlines cabin crew (see above), has been criticized for being impractical.
- Last year, Japan's Skymark Airlines dressed staff in skimpy miniskirts that some said left them open to harassment.
- Virgin's high heels gave employees blisters, according to some reports, and its new collars scratched necks.
British Airways' website makes it clear to prospective cabin crew that tattoos are allowed only if they can be covered up, something which is easier for men, being required to show less flesh. "Gentlemen may have tattoos on their legs as trousers can conceal them," it says.
Women, however, are not allowed tattoos even on their feet, as all female shoes "must be of the classic court style, which leaves the top and side of the foot exposed. The maximum permitted hosiery density is 15 denier and does not cover up tattoos."
The airlines contacted by Telegraph Travel had differing policies regarding trousers for women.
Most however, suggested that their strict uniform standards were an accepted part of the job, with the overwhelming majority of female cabin crew members apparently wanting to wear skirts. Even airlines that do allow trousers as an option said that few cabin crew, if any, take it up.
A uniform should be there to project authority and professionalism, so that passengers feel that they can rely on you in emergency, but not to attract sexual attention.
BA said the management team for its long and short-haul cabin crew had not received a request from female crew members to wear trousers in four years. "Our cabin crew are proud to wear one of the industry’s most iconic uniforms," it said.
Virgin Atlantic, however, does give females a trouser option — Dame Westwood herself was seen sporting a riotous pair at the Virgin uniform's launch party.
"Virgin Atlantic has an iconic look for its crew of which we are extremely proud," a spokesman said, "and the standard uniform includes a skirt. However the comfort of our people is very important to us and therefore trousers can be provided with requests reviewed on a case by case basis."
Emirates refused to comment on the issue, while Etihad Airways told Telegraph Travel its new, skirt-only female uniforms had been "enthusiastically well received by our crew and guests since we launched them in December.”
The female trouser option was dropped after criteria including safety, durability, functionality, and style for a workforce of more than 140 nationalities, were considered.
Etihad's crew were "deeply involved" in the creation of Ettore Bilotta's feminine designs, a spokesman said, and, while previously an option on a few specific flight sectors, "female cabin crew indicated a clear preference against trousers in the new design process."
Trousers are not an issue at EasyJet however. "EasyJet provides all of its female cabin crew with the option of wearing either a dress, skirt, or trousers when on duty," a spokesman said. "The safety and well being of our passengers and crew is EasyJet's highest priority, and we comply with all relevant regulations."
Ryanair however, perhaps unsurprisingly for an airline that published an annual calendar of staff in bikinis until just last year, makes its crew wear skirts.
A Ryanair spokesman said the airline's uniform options were under review, along with all other aspects of the budget airline's operation.
One reason for cabin crew wanting to look glamorous is the feeling that it is important for airline staff stand out, giving employees more authority in the eyes of passengers.
"It's important to convey a somewhat glamorous image — travel should be alluring — but are these airlines trying to say women can't look presentable — even fabulous — in trousers?" Lee Cobaj asked.
"A uniform should be there to project authority and professionalism, so that passengers feel that they can rely on you in emergency, but not to attract sexual attention. There are a lot of crew who like wearing skirts and feeling feminine — and that should be fine, too. But which attire one chooses to wear to work should most definitely be a choice for adults in 2015."
One which the airline industry, compared to other major industries, seems slow to recognize.
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