33 photos of flight attendants' uniforms that show how much they've changed

Lucy Yang,Talia LakritzJan 14, 2024, 04:53 IST

A United flight attendant wears the airline's coral-red uniform in May 1968.Dean Conger/Corbis via Getty Images

Flight-attendant uniforms have evolved alongside fashion trends.
In the '50s, most cabin crew members wore fitted blazers and modest, knee-length skirts.

Today, flight attendants often wear business-casual designs in classic color combinations of navy blue, red, black, and white.

But over the past century, uniforms for cabin crew members have evolved alongside fashion trends. In the '60s, for example, many airlines rolled out garments inspired by stylish mod designs, like sheath minidresses with stand-away collars and go-go boots.

By the 2000s, flight-attendant uniforms were more simple and streamlined, with some airlines prioritizing comfort over flair.

Below, see the evolution of flight-attendant uniforms at some of today's biggest airlines.

In the 1950s, flight attendants for American Airlines wore crisp navy-blue blazers and skirts.

A 1958 photo shows an American Airlines flight attendant serving food.Peter Stackpole/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

The airline's uniform got a trendy update in the late '60s.

American Airlines flight attendant outfits in 1967.Susan Wood/Getty Images

Currently, American Airlines flight attendants wear simple black dresses or suits with red and blue accents.

Two flight attendants show off American Airlines' current uniforms.American Airlines

In 1959, Qantas flight attendants wore belted short-sleeved dresses.

A Qantas flight attendant wears the airline's uniform in June 1959.Barry Newberry/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

From 1971 to 1974, the airline's uniforms were bright blue.

Two Qantas flight attendants model the airline's uniforms in August 1971.Trevor James Robert Dallen/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Today, Qantas flight attendants wear belted navy-blue dresses with ruby-red and fuchsia stripes.

Two women wear Qantas' modern uniforms in November 2013.James D. Morgan/Getty Images

In the late 1950s, Delta flight attendants wore fitted navy-blue blazers with large round buttons.

A Delta flight attendant chats with a passenger in January 1958.Bettmann/Getty Images

The airline debuted a new uniform collection designed by Richard Tyler in 2006.

Delta ambassadors show off the airline's iconic red and midnight-blue uniforms.Noam Galai/Getty Images

Delta rolled out new uniforms in May 2018, but pulled them in 2020 after flight attendants said they caused health issues.

Delta flight attendants wear the airline's current uniform in May 2018.Dustin Downing/Getty Images

This year, Delta announced that flight attendants will be able to wear pronoun pins attached to their name pins.

United flight attendants wearing pronoun pins.United Airlines

From 1967 to 1970, the uniform for Japan Airlines flight attendants included sky-blue blazers and matching knee-length skirts.

A woman models the airline's fourth-generation uniform at a 2017 ceremony.Kyodo News/Getty Images

Then, for most of the '70s, cabin-crew members sported dark-blue minidresses.

A woman models the airline's fifth-generation uniform at a 2017 ceremony.Kyodo News/Getty Images

Since 2013, Japan Airlines flight attendants have worn crisp uniforms designed by Keita Maruyama.

These are the airline's 10th generation of uniforms.Kyodo News/Getty Images

United's first uniform for flight attendants was forest-green and gray.

Ellen Church was the first female attendant employed by the airline in 1930.Bettmann/Getty Images

From 1968 to 1970, United flight attendants wore a collection of mod-style minidresses designed by Jean Louis.

A United flight attendant wears the airline's coral-red uniform in May 1968.Dean Conger/Corbis via Getty Images

Currently, the airline's uniforms are contemporary and business casual.

United debuted this collection in 2013.United Airlines

In the late '50s, flight attendants for Scandinavian Airlines wore classic navy-blue uniforms.

A 1958 photo of three Scandinavian Airlines flight attendants on a layover in NYC.Peter Stackpole/Life Magazine/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

The airline released a new summer uniform in 1967.

A woman models the summer uniform Scandinavian Airlines used in the late '60s.David Reed/Corbis via Getty Images

Today, Scandinavian Airlines flight attendants wear navy-blue outfits with royal-blue accents.

The airline last updated its uniforms in 2016.Scandinavian Airlines System

Southwest Airlines had trendy mod-style uniforms in the late '60s.

A 1968 photo of three flight attendants for Southwest Airlines.Alan Band/Keystone/Getty Images

In 2017, the airline rolled out its first new uniforms in 20 years.

The collection features a color palette of black, gray, blue, and red.Southwest Airlines

In the late '60s, Aeroflot uniforms included eye-catching hats.

Two Aeroflot flight attendants wear the airline's uniform in 1966.Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images

Two decades later, the airline's flight attendants wore classic navy-blue ensembles.

Four Aeroflot flight attendants pose for a photo in September 1985.aviation-images.com/UIG via Getty Images

Today, Aeroflot flight attendants can be easily recognized, thanks to their vintage-inspired, bright-red outfits.

The airline's current uniforms resemble popular designs from the '50s.Marina Lystseva/AP

In the 1960s, French designer Marc Bohan of Christian Dior created couture flight-attendant uniforms for Air France.

Air France flight attendants in 1962.AFP via Getty Images

Three fashion houses revamped the Air France uniforms in 1978 with bold checkered prints.

Air France flight attendants in 1978 wearing outfits designed by Nina Ricci (left), Grès (center), and Carven.PA Images via Getty Images

In the 2010s, Air France flight attendants wore simple navy dresses with red sashes.

An Air France attendant in 2014.STR/AFP via Getty Images

Today, cabin crews on Air France wear navy suits with white ties.

A flight attendant serves food and beverages on an Air France flight in 2020.Christoph Soeder/picture alliance via Getty Images

In the 1970s, British Airways flight attendants wore pinstriped sets with white shirts and double-breasted overcoats.

British Airways flight attendants in 1977.Peter Cade/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1985, Roland Klein designed new British Airways uniforms.

The new British Airways uniform on display in 1985.PA Images via Getty Images

In 1993, Irish designer Paul Costello gave British Airways a new look.

British Airways uniforms in 1993.Stefan Rousseau - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

The bowler hats were replaced with garrison caps in the 2000s.

British Airways flight attendants in 2019.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

British Airways unveiled new uniforms this year, including options like a jumpsuit for women as well as a hijab and tunic.

The new British Airways uniforms.British Airways

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