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Rabat – Ukraine’s biggest low-cost airline, SkyUp, announced a recent dress code change for female flight attendants.
The airline company is to divert from the conventional “skirt and heels” uniform of female flight attendants in favor of comfort.
Female flight attendants are to now wear pantsuits and white Nike Air Max sneakers, instead of the customary high heels and skirts.
Uniforms for male flight attendants will remain unchanged, pending any future changes.
The new female staff’s uniform is the result of a collaboration with Ukrainian fashion brand GUDU.
In addition to the sneakers and a loose-fitting tangerine two-piece pantsuit, flight attendants will be given the option to wear a light trench coat or a silk handkerchief.
While make-up will still be mandatory, flight attendants will also have a wider range of choice of hairstyles to wear with their uniforms.
The SkyUp ‘Champions’ uniform concept inspires the idea of comfort and movement, breaking away from conventional norms in the aviation industry.
The Ukrainian airline stated that the change of uniform aims to “embody 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.”
SkyUp further added, “These are clothes for those who are open to new things, those who love travel and life.”
History of Sexism in the Aviation Industry
When commercial flights began in the 1930s, flight attendants played an essential role in the US, when nurses were included among the crew to inspire confidence in case of emergency.
Flight attendants, however, soon evolved into marketing tools. Airlines began requiring very specific profiles for these positions after they became aware that women were an attraction for customers.
Some airline companies even bore sexist slogans such as “if a woman can fly, so can you.”
It was a long-standing requirement that applicants should be single, slim (due to the cabin’s size), under 30 years of age, and not wear glasses.
The word “attractive” was part of the requirements and twins were in high demand.
As men often were the primary earners in most households, and made up the majority of airline customers, these sexist requirements were created to appeal to the male gaze.
Regressive and sexist dress code policies established itselves in the industry, as the flight attendant’s skirts kept getting progressively shorter.
From weight limits, required makeup, and grooming requirements, gender discrimination in the airline industry now extends beyond dress codes.
The advertisements promoted little boys dreaming of being pilots and little girls dreaming of serving drinks to customers on board.
The media, advertisements, and entertainment industry constantly sexualize female flight attendants in addition to the requirements airline companies place on them.
In the 1970s, airlines released an increasingly risque array of advertisements that objectified female flight attendants.
As recently as 2012, Vietnam’s VietJet caused a major social media uproar, following a PR stunt which had the airline’s female flight attendants wear bikinis.
The staff was also made to do a dance mid-flight to celebrate its first flight from Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang.
The airline was subsequently fined, but didn’t prevent the low-cost airline from replicating the stunt again, a few months later.
Following the explosive #MeToo movement, many flight attendants broke their silence, suggesting that media representation of flight attendants contributed greatly to frequent sexual harassment claims.
The role of a flight attendant is definitely less sexualized today than it was 30 years ago. But professionals and victims insist that many customers still perceive flight attendants as a stereotyped object of fantasy.
Additionally, certain airlines’ dress codes and make-up requirements reinforce sexist and discriminatory thinking among customers.
The airline industry must reexamine its policies regarding female staff members across the globe. Giving female flight attendants the freedom to be comfortable while practicing their highly stressful job, is a great place to start.
