A Scandinavian Stewardess examines a new uniform proposal for Scandinavian Airlines in 1958, strangely enough it wasn’t approved
In the years since aviation was in its infancy, the outfits that stewardesses were expected to wear have come quite a long way. In the 1950s and ’60s, airline attendants were meant to be the embodiment of a man’s dream while onboard a plane. They were expected to remove every bit of their personality and be in service to the customer.
This kind of in the air servitude began with racy outfits (although they were never quite as racy as this) and extended to the way they were expected to speak with their patrons.
Throughout the mid-century the outfits went from pillbox hats and mod looks to the psychedelic patterns and bright colors of the ’70s – which was kind of the platonic ideal of the sexy air lady and women’s lib. The form fitting outfits changed completely in the ’80s, as airlines changed course to a job that welcomed everyone.
