Skirts or Trousers?

[Flying Mech]

Hi guys and gals, I was speaking to a BMI Cabin Attendant this morning and she told me that BMI do not allow the girls to wear trousers in winter,however they can wear semi opaque tights which I suppose is a bit better. I pity the girls coming to work at 6am when its freezing cold and raining.Does the Airline you work for will allow you to wear trousers? I am sure that it would cut down on sick days due to bad chills etc

[scottwarnick]

I much prefer the crew to wear skits anyway!!!!

Should be SOP !

[Onan the Clumsy]

I'll remember that next time I'm up :}

[flyblue]

We can wear trousers, although not many girls do since their style is definitely out of fashion (I never even order them). We'll change our uniform in Spring, and there are 2 different types of trousers that really look nice. I ordered both this time :)
I think that apart of the cold, the kind of uniform shoes you can wear with trousers is better suited for a LH flight ;)

[Flying Mech]

I think trousers look better on tall women. The old Thai airways uniform looked good altough they may have changed it since,also the Icelandair girls lookgood in their uniorm which in winter time anyway is a blouse,Jacket and trousers.

[fernytickles]

Our CC used to have to walk across the freight ramp at 5am in the pouring rain and freezing wind, and were then expected to look glamourous for the pax. We all did a lot of complaining, but none of the senior CC ever ventured to our base to observe the situation...s'funny how that happens..... They were allowed to wear boots in the winter, which helped but weren't exactly toasty warm.

[Civ Air 2]

China Airlines (CAL/CI) and EVA Airways (EVA/BR) do not allow their cabin attendants to wear trousers at all.

[straightnotlevel]

no skirt or trousers??

[few@two]

Ah that would be best....... neither!!!

Its late what can i say!!

[Flying_Sarah747]

Our new uniform at BA allows us to wear trousers, but the old one didn't. Personally I got 3 skirts and decided to opt out on the trousers, I just think that a stewardess should wear skirts!! Must say though it was FREEZING in Frankfurt at 5:00am this morning! What we do for glamour eh?! :)

[CD]

Here's an article that may be interesting for some of you folks...

Aviation Today Special Reports - Aircrew Uniforms and Fire Survivability (http://www.aviationtoday.com/reports/aircrew_uniforms.htm)

[fernytickles]

Interesting paragraph about the effectiveness of Nomex. I wonder how many folk realise how the heat can transfer to the skin, only protecting it up to a certain point .... :uhoh:

[Iguanahead]

Given the choice I always chose the trousers.

Why? Because I got sick of passengers trying to stare up my skirt on the jumpseat, it made it easier bending down to carts for meal delivery, also standing on seats to get in to lockers no-one could cop an eyefull, and of course freezing weather in to international ports and cold galleys on long haul flights was horrible in a skirt.

Primarily though my choice was safety. Even in the mock-up my legs would heat up on the slides and that was in jeans and overalls. Imagining nylon stockings glued against my skin in an evacuation was enough to put me off the skirt forever. Having been involved in an emergency evacuation I was glad I made the sensible choice.

I know the skirts look nicer, but I think every airline should give their crew a choice of attire. :ok:

[OZcabincrew]

Hi!!!

The airline i work for give the girls at least three or four options of uniform, they usually take one of each. I think it comes down to practicality, where whatever you feel comfortable working in. Sarah, i don't think "stewardesses (Flight Attendant's) should wear a skirt, maybe that's a BA thing, your opinion anyway, do you BA girls still where those bowler hats? maybe that should come back into uniform for you too, haha? Thank god us males only have one option, trousers!!!! i couldn't be bothered thinking at 4am in the morning, trousers, skirt or dress, no thanks!

Oz

[euromanxdude]

Well from a male cabin crew members point a view, i would have to say skirts are more hotter- but however certain style of trousers look good as well - suppose depends who is wearing the trousers/ skirts. lol
Happy flying.:cool:

[Gareth Blackstock]

Got to say I'd rather the girls wear skirts - shows off thier legs a whole lot better!!!!

Gaz

[Flying Mech]

I must say that I agree with Iguanahead's post about the praticalities of wearing trousers which should make the job a little easier as you feel more comfortable and if you feel more comfortable when sitting down, working in the galley etc there is a strong possibility you will do your job better and have higher morale which will rub off on everyone around you which surely has to be a positive thing for everybody. I just think in this day and age of equality that it should be any female cabin crew members right to choose to wear trousers if she wants to and a skirt when she wants to so that she feels she is suitably dressed for her days work which also includes getting to work/home etc

[Onan the Clumsy]

Why? Because I got sick of passengers trying to stare up my skirt on the jumpseat ok ok, I'm sorry :(

(It WAS a long flight though :O )

:zzz:

[VIKING9]

Reminds me of a flight when I was sitting opposite a rather nice Air 2000 hostie during take-off/landing en-route AUH-MLE, she was wearing a skirt and didn't have much on underneath - stockings and sussies yes, but nothing else :uhoh: She kept smiling at me as if to say "yeh I know"..... made for a rather pleasant flight in the end :cool:

[Onan the Clumsy]

Happens all the time mate ;)

[SkySista]

Safety considerations aside, I think both skirt & trousers look good - again, depending on who is wearing what! ;)

Tall girls tend to look good in trousers, (and skirts if their legs have nice proprtion) whereas trousers can make the shorter girls look shorter (again depending on the cut). I must say the QF girls when wearing trousers, shirt and the vest with the stand-up collar look very glam, especially those girls you see that are ultra-tall, very glam make-up, and bravely wearing sky-high heels - very nice!!!

I also like the old XR uniform - they had a nice range of choices - important when the weather at your ports of call varies as much as theirs does! (Loving the new uniform colors actually - when do they start wearing it if not already?)

And of course the S-E Asian F/As look good in their traditonal gear - though not sure how they'd go in an evac.... I heard somewhere that some airlines they change once on the aircraft into less cumbersome uniform?

Myself, I don't mind trousers or skirt, though I do tend to prefer trousers, as in my opinion my knees are a bit knobbly.... once got called 'chicken legs' in a skirt so you can know why I prefer the trousers.... (though wearing very high heels seems to help ;) gotta think of something else when i start as CC :(

Sky

[Flying Mech]

Just wondering have any female cabin crew for any of the well known Carriers or charter outfits tryed or succeeded in getting their uniform changed to include a choice of trousers or skirts for winter or cold downroute locations?

[Onan the Clumsy]

As an aside, I remember a story when one young lad came to school in a skirt...somewhere in America I think. He got sent home and of course it made the local news and got picked up on the national feed.

I thought his comment was so funny and put everything back into proportion. He said something like "I really don't see what the problem is with wearing one piece of material that surrounds both legs as opposed to a more complicated item that covers each leg individually.".

Oh to be eighteen and articulate and to burst the adults' bubble of pretention.

[Devlin Carnet]

Never mind about that.....
A bit more about stockings and sussies please :ok:

[VIKING9]

http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/contrib/xerx/smileybreasts.gif http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/tweetz/hump.gif

[Flying_Sarah747]

Flying Mech, at BA we now get a choice of trousers or skirts. I kinda wish I got a pair of trousers now for my two Helsinki standovers in December!!! I've got no coat for another 4 months either, so I'm gonna freeeeeeeezeeeeee my poor little legs off!

[Homeward Bound]

For EY we were given the trousers which are nice not at all old fashioned. They had got this new girl in to sort out the grooming and she toyed with the fact of no trouser wearing at all(except for Saudi) what a looney. Saying that we do have trousers for the cold stopovers in Europe but as yet have not been issued with winter coats or cardigans. We've all seen the pictures of them in the new grooming manual but as yet none of us have ever held them. All a little bit silly if you ask me.

[pelush]

I think that depends from the body shape of the girl

trousers cover all defects of legs and make a beautiful bottom-back side in evidence

on the other side the skirt reveals every defect in legs but covers most of common women's problems

[newflyer]

Ladies just don't dress like ladies anymore - where did the glamour go? (Maybe the boys should wear skirts!)

All comments appreciated.

[EmmaB]

BMI aren't unusual in banning trousers (for female CC, that is...) - in my experience there are only a handful of OK airlines that allow them (sleazyJet and BA are the only ones that come to mind right now).

When I started out as cabin crew (1994) I don't think there was a single airline that let girls wear trousers. AFAIK sleazy was first, then BA about 3 years ago.

At the airline I work for we have to wear skirts and sheer tights - no chance of opaques even. A while back a few staff tried to get the rule changed but the management said they had researched different styles of uniform with the pax and they preferred a jacket and skirt.

IMHO the airlines that let women wear trousers are putting the preferences of their staff before those of their customers, which is not a good way to run a business. I know of at least one airline (MON) where skirts are compulsory at assessment days - any girls who turn up in trousers get sent home.

I *like* to look smart and be respected by the pax and if the price of that is chilly legs a few months of the year then so be it. You hardly notice if after a while anyway (she keeps telling herself) :uhoh:

[flyblue]

IMHO the airlines that let women wear trousers are putting the preferences of their staff before those of their customers, which is not a good way to run a business.
Hum, I don't really agree with this. Not all trousers are less fashionable than skirts, and not all skirts are more fashionable than trousers :D
AF provided 2 different kind of trousers in the new female uniform (designed by Christian Lacroix) , and I can assure the pax have never complained about it! On the contrary, the pax satisfaction surveys have shown they are very much appreciated.
On a CC point of view, they are appreciated too. I have ordered both trousers and skirt, and since April the 5th when we switched to the new uniform, I have never worn a skirt uniform again! :E

http://www.etravelblackboard.com/images/etc/37185/images/uniforme_9.jpg

[EmmaB]

I don't think it's an issue of what's fashionable or stylish, it's more than the pax prefer to see female cabin crew in skirts, maybe because they're smarter/more traditional.

[SkySista]

If providing trousers and keeping crew warm means less sickness and crew taking sick leave, surely the airlines would like that?! Any airline that puts "image" ahead of the well-being of crew should be ashamed of themselves!!

(Flyblue, the new AF uniform is Oh-so-glam, I was showing it to a friend of mine who is here from France and had not heard of the uniform change - he said he loved it and could not wait to go home on holiday just to see it!! :E)

[ricciricardo]

I remember when the YSL uniform came in at Qantas (1987) it was the first time the girls could wear pants, they couldn't get enough to cover initial demand, the style was so feminine it actually looked sexier than the skirts (which were very matronly) and the fabric for the pants (guys and girls) was divine.

[speedbirdhouse]

"and the fabric for the pants (guys and girls) was divine.".

Divine and "bulletproof" unlike the cheap and nasty lightweight stuff our new uniform is made from.

[ricciricardo]

yeah right, you could get away with one pair on the 11 Day Lhr and still looked good. The current black daggies look ****ty after 2 sectors (let alone they feel like tissue paper and do nothing for my butt)!

[Flying Mech]

As has been said in previous posts how a skirt or pair of trousers look depends ona number of factors including the height & shape of the girl,material they are made from.etc,etc Dont you think that when cabin crew are receiving their uniforms they should be issued with 2 skirts and 2 pairs of trousers and let it be up to the Individual CC member to decide which she would like to wear depending on time of year/weather conditions/destination etc. I personally prefer to see a nice smart pair of trousers worn along with Heels and Tights on a girl as i think it looks very professional and is quite practical in colder climates.

[Helli-Gurl]

well, my Ex BF would die at the chance to wear either of those!

:(

[EmmaB]

>>If providing trousers and keeping crew warm means less sickness and crew taking sick leave, surely the airlines would like that?! Any airline that puts "image" ahead of the well-being of crew should be ashamed of themselves!!<<

IMHO wearing skirts doesn't have to mean taking time off sick! I went through school having to wear a wraparound kilt and ankle socks and my mother always told me not to worry if my legs were cold because as long as I wore a nice warm coat, hood and gloves I'd be fine - and she was right!
I think any airline that puts the comfort of staff above its image and the preferences of its customers should be ashamed of themselves.

[whattimedoweland]

Anything they want on the aircraft as long as they're happy.

Mini skirts on nightstops please:O ;) .

WTDWL.

[flyblue]

There is one reason for me above others to prefer trousers, and it is that in case of any kind of emergency you would be more covered (see fire or slide evac) and free to move. I have heard from one of the Toronto CC that some of them came out of the evacuation with ripped uniforms, lost shoes and covered in mud. In such a situation, I definitely would rather be wearing trousers. I just finished my Defibrillator recurrent training 30' ago, and it made me think of this thread: having to stay crouched in an aisle or galley and move quickly as you must in these occasions, aren't trousers much better use?

[visibility3miles]

Many of the posts on this thread seem to assume that all of your pax are male, or that the men are the only ones you have to cater to.

What if you have female passengers who don't care if female cabin crew wear skirts or pants, as long as you do your job well?

If male passengers tip you better and fly your airline more often if you wear a skirt, and if they are the only pax that count, then by all means go with the shortest skirt you can find.

Is that the point of this thread? Are male passengers and crew the only ones that matter?

Sigh...

[KiloMIke]

What about trousers from a safety point of view??

There was a documentary called Black Box a few years ago about the UA DC10 crash in Sioux City. One of the Cabin Crew said that here legs were burned & badly scarred from wearing tights. She was urging the FAA to do something to encourage FAs to wear trousers and no tights.

[SkySista]

KiloMike, I remember hearing that too, about the pantyhose melting.... nasty!!! :sad:

But I was told once that FAs (at least in Aus) still have to wear pantyhose/tights even if they are wearing trousers.... is this true? Or can you get away with the little knee-high ones instead?? I always thought it was a silly rule for trousers, I mean for a skirt it makes sense but surely safety should be more a concern??

Flyblue, you make a good point about practicality. Which of us ladies hasn't had trouble getting up steps/into a car/bending down, even in a skirt that's not too tight or short?? I always wondered if airlines test their uniforms to see how they would hold up. Also on that point, why isn't water training done with full uniform on? it would be more realistic....

[EmmaB]

>>Many of the posts on this thread seem to assume that all of your pax are male, or that the men are the only ones you have to cater to.

What if you have female passengers who don't care if female cabin crew wear skirts or pants, as long as you do your job well?

If male passengers tip you better and fly your airline more often if you wear a skirt, and if they are the only pax that count, then by all means go with the shortest skirt you can find.

Is that the point of this thread? Are male passengers and crew the only ones that matter?

Sigh...<<

Well I know of at least one airline where they've done market research and apparently *female* pax, as well as male, consider cc smarter in skirts than trousers...

[Flying Mech]

Some Interesting points and discussions on this thread. Surely in the year 2005 with all the improvements in manufacturing/textiles etc you woul presume that Cabin Crew uniforms would be made from a heat resistant non burning type of material that would give them some form of protection in the event of an onboard fire or Crash Landing situation. If you are just wearing a standard blouse,skirt and jacket you havent much protection and of course wearing tights is not going to give your legs any protection at all,in fact they could be considered a fire hazard. which will actually cause worse burns to your legs than if you went bare legged which no Airline would let you do anyway as Hoisery is always part of the uniform. All in all Trousers seem to be more suitable from a safety and practical point of view. The only advantage to wearing a skirt is that it is cooler in Summer. If you look at Women on the street going about their daily buisness, about two thirds of them are wearing trousers. Why? Because thet can

[Flying Mech]

I heard a rumour today that BMI are changing their uniform and that trousers are to included as a choice. Anyone got any further info?

[Ckin Gal]

From a groundstaff point of view......

we see Ba in trousers and skirts and both look nice. the trouser suits are tailored and look very smart as do the skirts, (of the new uniform.)
We also see BMI in there uniform with the gloves and hat..... maybe i'm a bit biased but i wish we could have hats back. I understand they get cold, so many times they've opened the door to us shivering.
I think both uniforms look fine and i don't think trousers would look right with a hat and gloves. it would proibably take a whole uniform revamp to put trousers in.

[CREWLOUNGE1]

I am a FA at Lufthansa German Airlines and fortunately, there is a choice between trousers and skirts.

I think trousers are more practical and safer in case of an emergency.
]

[sixmilehighclub]

Bring back the original funky Go-fly uniforms!! Brightly coloured T-shirts with matching accesories and grey trouser suits for women (oh and men!).

There are rumours in a large UK airline that if a female wears the trouser option with the neckscarf work like a boy-scout, they are preferring female company (ahem!!). Well thats the view of certain flight deck.

[EmmaB]

>>There are rumours in a large UK airline that if a female wears the trouser option with the neckscarf work like a boy-scout, they are preferring female company (ahem!!). <<

Another persuasive argument for trouser bans for female cc!

[EmmaB]

>>well i prefer to see women in skirts, really only because im a perve!<<

I don't think you're a perve at all - it's natural. I don't think I'd feel the same way about a guy if he wore skirts or dresses, so why should guys fancy girls who wear trousers?
IMHO most pilots are quite good looking chaps and their uniforms help a lot with that. I wouldn't want to work for an airline that allowed girlies to wear trousers because it would take away some of the fun and flirting.

[DUBXH]

visibility3miles - it isnt just men that are to be catered for on sectors... It is women too and just maybe you might get the odd lesbian who likes skirts too.... :oP

Just thinking back to the old Air2000 757's where one had a birdseye view of the Jumpseat crew around row 12......

Skirts look more stylish and more feminine....

[captcat]

I wouldn't want to work for an airline that allowed girlies to wear trousers because it would take away some of the fun and flirting.

EmmaB, that could happen only if trousers did not suit with your frame :E Where I work girls wear trousers and still manage to have fun and flirting. I understand your concern if you cannot afford to wear them, but usually girls can choose between trousers or skirt so you would be safe.I wouldn't want to work for an airline that allowed girlies to wear trousers Too bad for the trousered airlines though, I'll print this out and let British Airways, Air France and the rest of the supposedly fine airlines which have trousers in their uniforms what they're losing, that surely will make them change their mind ! :rolleyes:

[flyblue]

I wouldn't want to work for an airline that allowed girlies to wear trousers because it would take away some of the fun and flirting

Which, of course is the whole point of being a CC, isn't it? The heck with that silly safety concerns! We're there to have fun! :rolleyes:

[TightSlot]

Skirts, Trousers, Waistcoats, Kilts, Lederhosen, TuTu's - Who cares? A woman worth spending any amount of time with will always know what works best for her, both in terms of looks and practicality.

It's the woman inside the uniform that matters!! ;)

[flybywire]

I too, like flyblue, prefer trousers. I have to admit that they're much more comfortable, the old tray-style service is easier as you can bend to take meals in and out correctly, thinking of the health of your back without worrying that you might show your underpants!!!!

In an evacuation, I'd rather have trousers.Imagine in a ditching situation!!! For medical emergencies too trousers are more practical. That's why during recurrent AVMed training in BA they ask us to go wearing jeans!!!!

I have 2xskirts and 2xtrousers and alternate depending on the weather but trousers have definitely changed my life at work, really.
Starting from the morning when I don't have to worry about a very small hole in the tights that could become massive to having only one cold during the whole winter last year!!!! (I don't do boy-scout scarves though!!) :E

BA trousers look really smart on most of the crew.
Besides Flyblue is right, we're not doing this job just to have a good time, or are we....

And let's tell the truth, if you're flirtatious you probably won't need to show your legs to get what you want! So whether you wear trousers or skirt is irrelevant. And not all uniform skirts are flattering anyway!!!
On top of that most of the (healthy) CC-F/D banter is done in other ways! If instead it's something else you're looking for while at work, you're probably writing in the wrong forum!!!!!!! :E

FBW:}

[Rescue 137]

I think Trousers go well with certain uniforms and wouldnt work with some uniforms.Look at the New BA uniform.The trousers look very nice and probaly just as good as the skirt.The new uniform minus the stupid new hat has definately brought BA up the list in Uniforms.BA seems to have started recruiting alot of younger staff as well.This maybe because alot of Virgin/BMI are making the jump over and this could be why.

Looking at the Virgin Uniform I cant see how they could build Trousers into the Uniform at Virgin for the women and the uniform image(which is alot of what Virgin is about) be affected.Plus during the winter if Trousers was an option then the women wouldnt be able to wear the boots with the trousers.Cant visualise IFBT wearing trousers? Would it be white trousers? Cant see it myself.Much better looking the Virgin Uniform now than to put trousers in.

BMI or Midland as I still call it.Having worked at Heathrow for 4 1/2 years as Security then I got to know quite a few Midland Dispatchers and saw a few of them in the different uniforms over that time.The summer dress,change form the diamond Blouse to the Pale blue which is the current one now.Making trousers Standard for female Dispatchers rather than making them walk around the stands in the standard midland skirt which was limiting to say the least.1 friend I saw in all the different uniforms and she looked the best in the trousers of them all.I have always had a thing for women in Trouser Suits though so that is probaly why but she always looked amazing what ever she wore:ok:

I must admit I like the BMI Uniform as it is at the moment.They have a hat that doesnt look stupid like most of them and with the gloves & stockings then it looks very professional.The weather this year has been pretty mild here but you do feel for them when its -1 sometimes early morning and they still cant wear the stockings part of the uniform until the winter uniform regulations kick in.

As been said on this thread already it depends on the person as to whether trousers look good or not.From Talking with Friends in the Airport we agree that Virgin and BMI have the best uniforms and are equal 1st then Air New Zealand.BA has moved up with the new uniform but still behind BMI/Virgin.This rating is on Uniforms seen as not seen them all.

Award for the worst uniform would have to go to Aviance and those light Blue trousers and no option for a skirt either.What were they thinking:D

From a safety point of view then trousers give you far more protection and moveability.I would have to see a before and after photo to be able to give a fully informed decision as to the look:D

1st Post so thought would make it a good one :ok:

[EmmaB]

I don't agree that certain uniforms work with trousers, to me adding them in to any female cc uniform makes it less smart and professional. Not only don't trousers suit most female figures (except perhaps jeans) but unless you're going to go down the route of someone like Aviance and make them compulsory (which IMHO is sexist - can you imagine the fuss if a company made men wear skirts!) there's always the problem of there being two types of uniform (a contradiction in terms).

Until a year ago I worked for VS so I've worn the uniform and I think it's the best in the business. The VS girls are generally young, good looking and quite focused on the glamour/sex appeal of the job - lots of shagging pilots etc. I think there'd be a lot of resistance from them, never mind the pax, if anyone suggested bringing in a trouser option.

All this business about skirts being cold for the winter is a joke really - it's all down to what you're used to. Before I left VS (I married and wanted to switch to short haul with few stopovers) I frequently flew into JFK. New York which can be frigging cold in the winter but I never had a problem with 10 denier stockings or tights because I hardly ever got to wear trousers, so my legs were used to the cold.

Rescue 137 obviously has a thing for women in trouser suits, but in my experience most guys prefer girls in skirts. That being so, I think most girls feel better about themselves wearing them.

[Rescue 137]

Well spotted EmmaB-I do have a thing for women in Trouser Suits:ok:

For me though I would have to say that I would have to see the same woman in trousers version of the Uniform and the Skirt version.The 2 uniforms Ive seen with women wearing trousers are both dark coloured (BA and BMI) and they look professional.If Virgin was to do trousers then would they keep with the red and make the trousers red?If so then I dont think red trousers would go well with the current Virgin Uniform.If they went for the dark colured trousers like on the Male Uniform then it wouldnt look right red blazer & black or dark blue trousers.

I think the Virgin Uniform is one of the best and cant see that still being said if trousers were introduced or a complete rehaul of the uniform.Cant believe what the old Virgin Uniform looked like:yuk:

However if a good looking woman is wearing trousers then you tend to look at her rather than her legs attracting you and then looking at the rest if you know what I mean. Have to say that Air New Zealand(thank god they got rid of that stupid bowler hat) & BMI are up there with Virgin for the Top 3 Uniforms.

[jettesen]

take it you havent seen the new AZ uniform:yuk: :yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

i must say i\'m getting truely fed up with all this uniform ****. Does a not so niceuniform stop you being professional at your job????? why should a nice uniform make you do it any better?? The airline indusrty is so stuck up and snotty about little things like this - GET OVER IT after all - we still serve tea coffee and food. and if we were to have an emergency, your uniform would look like **** anyway so who cares??????


So doctors have to wear paper overalls - does that make them unprofessional or bad at their job? or make them not want to go into work????? such a stupid thread this

[Rescue 137]

CC look professional in any uniform,its just that some uniforms look better than others but all CC are professional and do a great Job.Dont know any passengers that would be eyeing you up in an Emergency and would be more bothered about staying alive.

Nobody is going to be thinking "She looks like **** after all that"The safety aspects of trousers mentioned earlier in this thread should the emergency be a fire" I thought were valid and not stupid.

At the end of the day Men like looking at a good looking woman in uniform but that all goes out of the window in an emergency(or decompression) as you want someone that knows what they are doing no matter whether they are good looking or not.

[flybywire]

Well said Rescue 137, couldn't agree more.

On a more superficial level, I spend so much time in my uniform - 22 days out of 30 - that I am glad it is very smart and looks good on me and on my colleagues. If you know what I mean!! :)

FBW

[Rescue 137]

Flybywire-I for one am glad most women look good in Uniform as what else is there to do on a long flight than to decide who looks best on a flight when you have seen all the films.:D Still amazes me how CC still look amazing after a 10 hour flight or day putting up with all the horrible pax.

[flybywire]

A well presented cabin crew is the image of how the airline is like. We could debate for ours whether this is fair or not, but we all know it is true.

An elegant, smart, professional, beautiful uniform gives the idea of a well structured - and safe - organization. Whether in reality that's actually true is irrelevant, but that's what most passengers perceive and what most airlines try to achieve.

When I fly on EZY planes I know that I am amongst friendly cabin crews who have a relaxed approach to their work. When I was with FCA (the pink lot) pax expected us to be flirtatious. Pax who fly VS expect to be served on board by Miss Universe. My passengers these days ask me to solve various problems they have. Maybe the idea they get is that I have the knowledge of a turist info centre and that I have the ability to solve all their organizational problems.

Every uniform tells something different, the tricky thing is to make it match with the image you want to create.

:)

[SkySista]

Well said as always, FBW :)

Jettesen, we are not trying to say one airline's staff is 'better' than another, it's just a bit of fun to discuss why we like or dislike a particular carrier's uniform. In the same way that girls talk about shoes and guys about cars, it's just something a bit fun and less serious than a lot of things happening in the industry right now. No one's making you read this, by the way :p

And of course we all know that crew try to be as professional and as safe as possible at all times, regardless of their uniform!! :D

[LHRman]

IMHO it's a question of respect for your flying customers vs comfort and convenience for the staff. I'd much rather fly with an airline that has only skirts for its female crew because I think it's indicative of the corporate culture. When I've flown with companies that give a choice, the women in the skirts have generally been more polite, efficient and attentive than the trouser-wearers.

[jupiter2]

I just can't believe the amount of dialogue that''s been entered into on this subject.

And furthermore..... I just can't believe, that I just can't believe the amount of dialogue that's been enetered into on this subject!
:ugh:

[cavortingcheetah]

:hmm:

It is axiomatic that some women look more delicious in skirts and others do in trousers.
That point aside, surely trousers are infinitely more sensible than skirts?
I know that not everyone flies the 747 but just try coming down the upper deck escape chute in a skirt and see how your nylon undies burn themselves on to your nether regions. Were I a girl, there's no way I would want to jeopardise my enjoyment of life by wearing a skirt as flight crew.:eek:

[jennihopkins]

I never wear skirts in my own free time. I hate wearing skirts as I feel a little too exposed 4 my liking in them. However, my airline doesn't offer the option of trousers and I must admit I'm glad of this. I feel much more professional when working wearing a skirt, and I havent found it a problem as yet. Saying that though, I have never had to do an evacuation or deal with a medical emergency so time may tell! Trousers are more practical i agree, but skirts are much more glamorous!

[LHRman]

I never wear skirts in my own free time. I hate wearing skirts as I feel a little too exposed 4 my liking in them. However, my airline doesn't offer the option of trousers and I must admit I'm glad of this. I feel much more professional when working wearing a skirt, and I havent found it a problem as yet. Saying that though, I have never had to do an evacuation or deal with a medical emergency so time may tell! Trousers are more practical i agree, but skirts are much more glamorous!

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Thank heavens for airlines that don't give female cc the choice of wearing trousers!

[Muizenberg]

Well, I'm gonna make a really risky, but obvious statement....
Trousers or Skirt or Dress...

The truth is the really glamourous Stewardess will carry any of them of well...because she's graceful, confident, enjoys her job, and is an absolute pleasure to be served by or work with...

Back to the 21st century...the plain truth is there are too many girls (and boys) employed as cabin crew/flight attendants who won't look good in any uniform, as they try to squeeze into a uniform 2 sizes too small :=... With political correctness gone mad airlines can no longer be sizest and most North American/UK airlines make female uniforms upto size 26...and male size upto a waist of 42-44...When I first started flying in 1991 uniform checks/weigh-ins were the norm---Again, as in so many things were have gone from one extreme to the other...

As for all you straight guys out there who like girls in skirts; let us bent blokes have some fun too...Any chance of seeing one of those Hunky 6' 2" bronzed Qantas blokes from Balmoral going commando???;)

[flyblue]

EmmaB,
honey, even if you attempt to disguise by putting trousers on and choosing a new PPRuNe ID with "man" on it, we still spot your inimitable style.

Nice try :hmm:

Now give us a break with your anti-trousers campaign, ok?

[Muizenberg]

Flyblue,

Are you trying to say Emmab and I are the same person...don't think so...I am not anti-female uniform trousers...My gripe is more with the fact that Airline uniforms are now allowed to be produced in twice and three times the size they were 15 years ago...

[flyblue]

No Muizenberg, I was not

choosing a new PPRuNe ID with "man"

[TightSlot]

Mods aren't supposed to get too involved in opinions on threads, but I'm exhausted after a long block of flights, and a gin & tonic the worse for wear, so please excuse my breaking the rules and making a personal contribution.

There's something infinitely depressing about this thread - made worse by the fact that it seems to have been resurrected when I thought it had finally sunk beneath the surface of our collective consciousness some time ago.

I don't know what to be more irritated by - the fact that some people seem to have strongly felt opinions on this subject, or the fact that opinions exist at all. How can it be that in the modern world, in the industry that we all (more or less) love, the subject of whether female crew should wear trousers or not can generate more than a millisecond of thought?

There are many things that we, as crew, could talk about on PPRuNe - FTL's, customers, safety, service - the list is endless. Instead, a totally subjective argument about the aesthetic value of trousers versus skirts is proposed. Here are (in my view) some facts,

A pretty girl will remain a pretty girl, regardless of whether she wears trousers or a skirt
A good flight attendant will remain a good flight attendant, regardless of her dress choice
A good flight attendant will perform a successful evacuation of an aircraft or assist with in-flight medical care, regardless of clothing
Is there actually anything else to be said? How can any other opinion possibly be held? It clearly is, so I must be wrong in my assessment, but I just don't see it.

PPRuNe is a fabulous resource that enables us to discuss subject of weight from around the world, but within our industry. It depresses me to see that we should choose to discuss something as trite, pointless, puerile and trivial as whether or not women should be issued with trousers. If we wish to be taken seriously as a profession, then shouldn't we lead by example?

Rant over, I'm going to bed now, and probably should have before i typed all this. In 6 hours I shall wake up and do the school run, and then flyblue will tell me off for posting when emotional.

I just feel strongly that we need to raise our game a little beyond this kind of trivia.

Goodnight

Discuss...

[qfcabin]

Love your work TightSlot!! Don't agree with you , but love it just the same!

[vagabond 47]

You could always go to south India where the MEN and WOMEN all dress in BOTH????????????..... bit confused about their sexuality me thinks.

[cavortingcheetah]

:hmm:

Perhaps I can kick this little lot into the fifth page which might occasion TightSlot even more fury and gnashing upon awakening - which I hope she does and without a trace of an errant g & t or two, too!:cool:
Quite agree with everything she said actually. I rather thought that this was just a bit of an idle fun bash around.

So, in that same vein.

1. Pretty girls. Quite agree. But by no means all air hostesses are pretty. Lots of the less gorgeous ones look better in trousers - or in skirts. It depends on the rump factor to a large degree.
2. Good flight attendant. Quite agree. But, as with an interview, some cut more mustard and authority in trousers while others do whilst wearing skirts.
3. Evacuees. Quite agree. But what about that fatal hesitation on the jolly old Jumbo as the fate of the fizzled fundament dawns bleakly under the eye shadow, or do they don trousers under their life jackets?

It'll never all come right for everyone all of the time but it is really interesting to note that Virgin hosties shag pilots, even if they're only Virgin pilots. So you see, some good at least came from this thread!:E

In reality, I think that all cabin crew should wear dark blue dungarees and matching blue leather boots trimmed with platignum. But, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!;)

[TightSlot]

Paracetamol!!! - Where did I put the Paracetamol?

:sad:

[bte]

As a reasonably frequent (straight male) passenger, I don't like the current 'sexy' style uniforms.

It is degrading to women to treat them almost exclusively as being there merely to decorate the world of oversexed pasengers. It also does not inspire confidence to see staff who are supposed to be there to help wearing uniforms which would make it hard for them to run or slide more than two yards.

Smart well made trousers and smart trainers would be both attractive, comportable and practical, and I am willing to bet that most stewardesses and passengers would opt for something like that if offered.

Men will still look, but it will not be so obvious from behind.