People who have never even stepped foot in a plane know how female flight attendants look. We’ve seen it in movies and on social media so we have an understanding of what their image consists of. They are always in a uniform that is a two-piece suit with a tight blazer and a short pencil skirt. They often wear a scarf around their necks and a pilot cap. And for shoes, they have to wear heels.
Flight attendant uniforms are constantly criticized for being uncomfortable, sexualizing and painful. They are not safe to wear in planes having in mind that sometimes accidents do happen and in a case of an emergency, high heels and tight skirts would definitely be an obstacle.
So Ukrainian airlines SkyUp decided they will be the first to update this image and designed a uniform that is still a two-piece suit, but the pencil skirt is substituted by loose pants and the heels are swapped for sneakers.
More info: SkyUp
Ukrainian budget airline SkyUp is changing the female flight attendant image by introducing pant-suits and sneakers as their uniform
Image credits: MIKI Yoshihito
Being a flight attendant is not an easy job. You have to be on your feet for long hours on a not-so-stable surface as you are in the air. Flight attendants have to deal with emergencies and try to control the passengers in accordance with the safety protocols. For women to have to do that in a tight skirt constricting movement and painful high heels would seem very unreasonable; however, it’s a reality in most airlines.
Image credits: skyup.aero
SkyUp is a young but huge company, so it's no wonder they are the ones who are initiating the change in the uncomfortable flight attendant attire
Image credits: ERIC SALARD
But the young budget airline company SkyUp is not afraid to get rid of the classical image of a female flight attendant. In their July news release, the company introduced what the new uniforms symbolize to them: “The uniform embodies the idea of movement. The form is created for active, bold, bright; those who do not like superfluous officialdom, but appreciate style; reacts quickly, acts in a balanced manner, accepts challenges and finds a way out of any situation. These are clothes for those who are open to new things, those who love travel and life.”
Image credits: skyup.aero
Image credits: skyup.aero
The new uniform consists of a bright orange blazer, loose high-waisted pants, Nike sneakers and the iconic flight attentant scarf pinned on the shoulder
Image credits: skyup.aero
Passengers will be met by flight attendants with the new uniform beginning on October 22, 2021. What they will see is a look created by Ukrainian fashion designers. The GUDU brand developed the bright orange suit which reflects the main color of the airline and the GUNIA PROJECT perfected the print for the silk scarf, which is symbolic for flight attendants.
The suit is loose-fitting, the pants are high-waisted, and the sneakers are the Nike Air Max 720, which are known to be comfortable. Also, the flight attendants will not be required to wear tight buns, which, as most of us have experienced, can cause scalp pains, but instead, the company suggests a variety of other hairstyles.
Image credits: skyup.aero
The new uniform represents movement and is created for active and bold people, ditching the sexualized image of a female flight attendant
Image credits: skyup.aero
Marianna Grigorash, Head of SkyUp Airlines Marketing Department, said “Times have changed, women have changed, so in contrast to the conservative classics, heels, red lipstick and a bun, a new, more modern and comfortable image of a 'champion' has appeared. Freedom, natural beauty, individuality, no patterns and sneakers in which everyone ‘would like to fly.’”
Image credits: skyup.aero
The new uniform will be launched on October 22 and there are plans to update the men's uniform too
Image credits: skyup.aero
It is no secret that flight companies benefited from their flight attendants being beautiful and showing off their figure. They often must wear makeup and their hair has to be pristine. But Marianna Grigorash claims, “We realized that our female flight attendants didn’t want to be seen as ‘sexualized and playful.’”
This is a huge change not only in how flight attendants will be viewed from now on, but it is a big shift in mentality as Eastern European countries like Ukraine put a lot of emphasis on women’s appearance and how it should be, so this drastic switch is very impressive.
Image credits: skyup.aero
People who have seen the new uniforms were applauding the airlines for taking care of their female employees; however, not everyone thought that the suit was so stylish. In matters of taste, there can be no disputes, as they say, but what is your verdict? Would you be happy to wear such a uniform and do you think that more companies should follow SkyUp's example? Let us know in the comments!
People were loving the idea of changing the uniform to a more comfortable one, but not all agreed on if they like the design too much
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