Banana Republic Virgin America Uniforms
Flying the once-friendly skies has become anything but these days, with weight limitations to figure out and luggage rules that change more often than the cast of X Factor. It’s tough to be chic when you have to squeeze your couture into a carry on. But thanks to fashionable collaborations that date back to the heyday of travel, one group of traveler is finding a lot more style in the sky: flight attendants.
The latest label to get in on the action is Banana Republic, which is outfitting the crew of über-chic Virgin America. The partnership is the latest in a long line of fashionable fliers that’s lasted almost a half-century, and gone from ready-to-wear to couture .
Banana Republic Virgin America Uniforms
Banana Republic is the go-to store for working guys and girls already, so it’s no surprise that they are (as of last week) outfitting the crew at Virgin America in their signature tailored pieces and classic shapes. The makeover coincided with the fifth anniversary of Virgin America. Because they’ve got a reputation to uphold when it comes to comfort and fashion, Banana added features such as the inclusion of stretch materials and a wider range of styles.
Flight attendants will have the opportunity to choose from chic pieces such as a red trench and leather jacket when they’re trolleying through the airport (their little suitcases and polished demeanor always send pangs of jealousy coursing through our overpacked, fresh-from-TSA-inspection hearts) and in the cabin, they’ll be wearing pencil skirts and trousers in the airline’s signature black, red and white. And you can skip SkyMall, too, because select pieces from the collection — leather jacket included — will be available for purchase once you’ve reached cruising altitude and the pilot has turned on the “shop” light.
Pucci for Braniff International
Banana Republic isn’t the first fashion house to get in on the fashion, though. In the late ’60s, Emilio Pucci lent his prints to the staff at Braniff International. The swirled uniforms included a how-to video that showed the stewardesses (they were still called that back then) how to disrobe and shed each layer of clothing as the flight progressed. Passengers were greeted on the runway in capes to stave the chill and bubble hats to keep hair neat and as soon as everyone was settled, the capes came off to reveal tailored suiting and at dinner service, passengers caught a glimpse of chic yellow dresses. The flight attendants were even taught how to walk like fashion models to show off each piece to its full effect.
Balmain for Singapore Airlines
Not to be outdone, Singapore Airlines debuted a new design for their flight crew in 1968. Designed by Pierre Balmain, the design took inspiration from the traditional dress of Malaysia (note that there’s not a peaked shoulder in sight). The design has become iconic and synonymous with upper-tier customer service and impeccable in-flight service. In fact, the uniforms are still in use today and each flight attendant must attend fittings before their custom-made uniform can take its first flight.
Since the embroidered uniform takes a little getting used to, Singapore Airlines puts its flight attendants through special training, which includes walking lessons and more in addition to safety procedures and hospitality basics.
Christian Lacroix for Air France
Another couturier in on the action was Christian Lacroix, who outfitted the staff at Air France in 2005. While he was known for extravagance such as labor-intensive embroidery and beading, theatrical volume and inspiration that included Gothic architecture and Paris’ streetwalkers, his uniforms were decidedly more subdued.
His collection included over 100 pieces to choose from (for women alone) and he encouraged the staff to add their own accessories and more to add individual style to his designs. Bright belts, handkerchiefs, gold accents and more made this collaboration worthy of a fashion editorial, but it couldn’t save the couturier when his label shuttered a few years later.
Cynthia Rowley for United Airlines
In 2009, United Airlines announced that they’d hand-picked American designer Cynthia Rowley to overhaul their in-cabin uniforms. But instead of riffing on the suits and shirts that the airline had been using for decades, Rowley got down and dirty. She took time to visit the company’s employees (including their customer service reps at airports and even ramp workers and maintenance crew) all over the world to assure everyone that their uniforms would be both functional and fashionable. In 2011, after the merger of United and Continental, Rowley’s workload doubled and the maiden voyage of her uniforms was pushed back. We’re still waiting to see what she’s created. We’re guessing floral printed dresses and ladylike sheaths are out of the question, but it might just be the thing to help the stuffy company breathe new life into its cabins.
Hooters Air
Hooters and fashion don’t often get to share an article, and it’s probably even more rare that the wing-centric chain (chicken wings, that is) gets mentioned in the company of Balmain and Pucci, but when the restaurant launched its short-lived airline in 2003, the staff was outfitted in true Hooters style. It turns out that the tank top, orange shorts, opaque tights and white sneakers that work so well to sling wings and fried pickles make the transition into the sky with little turbulence. We don’t know if FAA regulations let the flight crew perform the hokey pokey or rousing renditions of “You Shook Me All Night Long” in the aisle, but we are certain that there were plenty of satisfied customers.
Photos courtesy Getty, United Air, Banana Republic, Singapore Air and Air France
