Donning my hard hat for this one - cabin crew appearance

“…red trousers stretched over VPL bottoms”

The colour of the uniform was not decided by the crew. VPL? It’s because they had knickers on!

Well I’m happy that the sexism of this has died- one less bit of inequality & misogyny to encounter. Yeah you deserve to be flamed OP the only thing that matters is that they are good at their job.

A dinner lady in the sky?! Wow. I'm out. The ignorance.

Emirates? They definitely don't. In the terminal you'll see female cabin crew wearing heels and also the little hat with the veil. On board, no hat and they change to flat court shoes.

Ah, OK. I have never flown Emirates @Feelsodrained.

I only fly short haul these days.

God forbid a woman wears knickers 😱

I saw a member of the Virgin cabin crew on a train the other day and she looked fabulous. We're flying with Virgin later this year so the kids were fascinated by her glamour!

Brilliant!

I think on some airline, eg Emirates, they do and I have seen plenty of them in heels. I can’t think of anything more painful so I’m pleased this requirement has been dropped on many airlines. Poor people - it’s not a fun job and not well paid either.

Literally everyone has VPL unless they are going commando.

I hope you were okay and managed to survive the flight despite the hideous cabin crew. It must be really hard if someone serving you drinks is not immaculately turned out for their 12 hour shift on their feet. Please don’t also tell me they weren’t in stilettos?

As long as they don't smell them I don't care.

My dn wanted to be a dinner lady in the sky. 😂
That was 30 years ago. No free dinners now.

This is so gross. They’re there to do a job not bd objectified and drooled over by you.

It’s basically just being a waitress in a confined space, why on earth would they need to be dressed in a sexually appealing way to push a trolly or point to an exit ?!

I think it looks like a pretty miserable job made worse by the expectation that passengers are looking at whether your pants are visible.

I've been out of the industry for a few years now (and didn't work in the UK), but the quality of the uniforms meant they would get quite smelly and due to very short layover times we'd often have to wash our uniforms in hotel bath tubs (nothing looks good after being washed in the tub).
We had to wear a full face of make-up and red lipstick every day. Once my lips were so inflamed and bleeding from wearing the lipstick, I asked if I could please wear a balm. I was told no, I had to wear lipstick.
I was also told off by a supervisor because my high heel broke as I walked through the terminal. He was very mad I had to switch to my flats.
So yeah, I wore comfy vpl undies 😁

They're on their feet for really long days so why on earth should heels be a good idea?

They don't wear heels on a flight.

Why do posters keep perpetuating this myth?

I echo a PP by saying don't feel sorry for us - it's not required! The majority of us actually love our job. That's why we do it and you don't! It's so patronising to say that.

I honestly think the idea of having cabin crew looking 'glamourous' is ridiculous and ought to stop now. They're not there to be looked at, they have jobs to perform and safety to ensure. They're on their feet for really long days so why on earth should heels be a good idea? I think cabin crew should ideally wear comfortable, well fitting uniforms of good quality materials and comfortable shoes. Makeup optional and subject to individual preference. Anything else is outdated and sexist.

i used to have to wear a work uniform shirt, it was generic shirts, they didn’t fit and were cheap and nasty.
the airline probably cut down on quality

I agree, just been given my polo shirt from the charity I volunteer at. They are unisex, in other words cut for men. To fit my bust I had to get XL, the shoulders hang down my arms and it’s so long it fits under my bum. Funnily enough, they fit the men great.

@TellerTuesday

You do know that the primary role of cabin crew is to keep you safe yes? Not to look pretty to avoid offending you.

I remember having a conversation with a colleague years ago, whose mum had worked as cabin crew. She regularly abused laxatives to try keep her weight within certain limits.

Ironically this was Singapore Airlines, which has the cute dresses with the mandatory makeup. I was told that the makeup has to match the colour of the outfit too! And it must be kept immaculately (ironed etc).

Also I am told there are age limits to the job, certainly in first class.

So these sexist standards did not compromise safety at least …

Honestly if you care at all about glamour, avoid Western airlines and go with a Middle Eastern or East Asian airline. You will also find they are more professional despite being younger. They are also more friendly ime although I kind of like the grandmotherly ones you find in American ones (some can be extremely unfriendly, on the other hand!)

I agree OP. I don’t necessarily think the cabin crew are to blame for it, it could be the poor quality of their uniforms but I fly regularly with Ryanair and their white shirts always look grey and the uniforms are way too tight. I remember Easyjet flirting briefly with T shirts and neckerchiefs. Those were actually better, at least they looked comfortable.

In the days when air hostesses had to be slim, glamorous and bilingual, we as passengers were also expected to put in some effort. Flying was treated as an event and people dressed for it. Nowadays they rock up in any old rubbish. The cabin crew look no worse than the people they’re serving.

Perhaps your head is hard enough without the hat?!

The cabin crew are much more professional now IMO, they are not there for decoration.

I’d rather have someone on board who is genuinely good at their job - for example good people skills, not employed because they look a certain way.