Above the clouds: Part II.

We shall begin the overview of the 60s by outlining the brief history of the House of Dior. Upon Christian Dior’s death in 1957, Yves Saint Laurent took over the couture house, then Marc Bohan stepped in to replace him in 1960. Dior designer Marc Bohan created Air France’s new uniforms in 1962. The suits were elegant and modest. The uniform of summer can be seen on the left and the winter suit made of a heavier fabric in the right of the picture.

Air France uniform from 1962 (resource: pinterest)

 Sweeping changes reshaped the airline industry in the 1960s, marking the beginning of the Jet Age. Jet airliners were able to fly much higher, faster and farther and could travel longer distances without a stopover. Falling fares allowed members of the middle class to fly, which had been a privilege enjoyed by only the upper class.

Cathay Pacific Airways uniform of 1962 may also be noted. The fabulous red suit was the right mix of elegant, demure and feminine. The design had a traditional Chinese cheongsam skirt and a blouse with mandarin collar.

Cathay Pacific Airlines (resource: SFO Museum)

The next couturier to be mentioned is Pierre Balmain who created a uniform that projected a stylish look, conveying the classic Parisian chic and charm, in 1965 to dress TWA’s air hostesses. The thinner fabric of the suit made it a summer outfit.

TWA Uniform (resource: SFO Museum)

 The uniform was worn by 2,400 air hostesses who, barely more than a year after the new uniform roll-out, indicated that even though the suit was stunning, it was uncomfortable to wear on long-haul flights. Hence, in 1966, minor adjustments were made to the ensemble, and the jacket was replaced with a uniform jacket designed by Don Loper.

 In the mid-1960s, the popularity of space themes, such as space exploration and access to space, expanded into a cultural obsession. Jets cut significant time off of flights, space-age fashions and astronaut-inspired flight attendant uniforms were all about space travel: fashion designers created brightly coloured, patterned and futuristic outfits.

 For instance, fashion designer Emilio Pucci designed the following airline uniform with an extreme accessory, matching hat, for Braniff flight attendants:

Braniff Airlines

 Another Emilio Pucci creation for the same airline can be seen in the following picture. The press of the time labelled the space bubble helmet inspired by astronaut’s helmet as practical, designed to protect stewardesses’ perfect coiffure from wind and rain.

Emilio Puccio design (resource: Barniff Archives)

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, further social changes transformed air travel and fashion. These changes made the matter of gender equality topical, airlines thus began hiring male cabin crewmembers. However, the changes that were in full swing did not relegate female flight attendants to the background at all. In fact, due to the centrally controlled rates, airlines had to come up with some new and creative ways to attract passengers, in particular male business travellers. 

So it was the reason why flight attendants were dressed in less classy and more revealing uniforms, though for just a few years and by some airlines. It was considered that revealing and sexy uniforms would make flying more pleasant and enjoyable for passengers. Texas airline led the race to the bottom by dressing its stewardesses in hot pants and boots. 

Texas Airlines (resource: pinterest)

 Another example was American Airlines stewardess uniform in use from 1967 (see picture below), which was white, lovely and tight-fitting, matched with a curve-emphasising belt.  

American Airlines uniform (resource: Pinterest)

 Nevertheless, if you take a look at the portrait of a stewardess posing in the same uniform as part of a provocative ad campaign for the airline, the message is framed in a completely different perspective.

American Airlines uniform (resource: pinterest)

Fortunately, the mid-1970s put an end to flight attendants’ objectification. This was due to the fact that women expressed their righteous indignation by refusing to be forced into such a role and protested strict requirements and rigorous demands expected of them. Indeed, female flight attendants were required to have college education, to be tall and slender, and to fit corporate standards of beauty, women were thus screened out by an interview committee in a humiliating manner. Furthermore, stewardesses were not allowed to marry or to have children while they worked for an airline, and most airlines grounded them once they reached their 30s. Indignation and demand for change were therefore quite reasonable and righteous. The other reason was the profound transformation of the aviation industry. The abolishing of price regulation enabled airlines to attract passengers by offering cheap airfares and not by exploiting sexy stewardesses.

We conclude this article with the story of a Hollywood costume designer, Parisian by birth. Jean Louis helped establish the style of several actresses, including Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich. He designed the iconic skin-tight dress that Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday, Mr. President for President John F. Kennedy at a celebration of his birthday. Jean Louis received thirteen Academy Award nominations throughout his life and won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1957. He created a wardrobe of A-line uniforms in different colours such as red, dark blue and white fitting of the airline’s palette, for the female flight attendants of United Airlines in 1968. About 4,500 stewardesses wore the outfits.

United Airlines uniforms