Do You Think The New British Airways Female Cabin Crew Uniform Is Disappointing?

[BringBackJulienMacDonaldUniform]

What do you all think of the new British Airways female cabin crew uniform? I think it is awful, too drab, and nowhere near as nice and smart as the Julien MacDonald uniform (hence my Username!)! I especially hate the jumpsuit and red slash on the skirt front.

I created a poll on LinkedIn, and the result echoes what I have just said: the Julien MacDonald uniform should be brought back.

I'll never understand why air crew ever had untidier with something around the neck.

Thanks to everybody who commented on my question about the new BA uniform. Really appreciate your views.

There is just one point, though, I would like to make to those who don't mind if female cabin crew dress drab and scruffy and don't wear uniforms, and it is this: the last thing I would want to see when boarding a plane is a stewardess dressed in a jump suit or a pair of slacks and T-shirt. Casual does NOT create an image of smartness and professional care, I am afraid. Crew should ALWAYS wear uniforms. And I know that most people I have spoken to on this agree with me. So NO to casual dress on planes. That would REALLY drag the industry down and remove all the glamour from it.

They should have stuck with the Julien Mac uniform. It was much more classy and nice and neat than THIS drab, dreary outfit. It needs to be binned now.

Yes, I have heard that some of the BA crew hate it. What I can't understand about this, though, is that surely they could have done SOMETHING about it? Couldn't they have gone to their union, saying that they wanted to keep the Julien Mac uniform? Mind you, it's all right me saying that, but in reality, such a drastic step is probably easier said than done, You know, it always annoys me when these big airline companies start messing around with the crews' uniforms, changing them etc. I was really, really annoyed and shocked when I saw the horrid new uniform they were going to replace the much nicer Julien Mac uniform with. This was a VERY bad mistake on the part of BA, and if I were their management, I would be scrapping this dreadful new uniform and would immediately bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform.

I hope they don't enforce high heels. I would not manage an hour in those let alone a long haul flight

A jumpsuit even looks hideous on a bloke, let alone a woman!

I have a friend who works for BA and she absolutely hates the new uniform. She's going to pay for her uniform to be altered to fit her, as the dress and blouses don't accommodate her (not particularly large) boobs, so has to go up a size.

Everything is shapeless and not designed with a woman's body in mind. Also the buttons on the cardigan are on the wrong side for women, which is really irking.

She used to feel so smart and proud in her uniform, now she just feels scruffy and uncomfortable.

In that last photo it looks too tight for the model to be able to sit down. Does the material have Lycra or elastane in it?

I don't understand who thought a jumpsuit would be practical for crew. Surely they will dangle the sleeves on the grim toilet floors? Shudder. And they will have to take their neckerchief off and find somewhere to put that, then retie it.

Designed by someone who has never tried to change a tampon in an aeroplane toilet.

I really, really feel for your friend. She should not have to be put through this mental agony of a horrible new uniform. I still cant' BA scrapped the gorgeously smart Julien MacDonald uniform, as the crew looked so nice and smart and stunning in it. I think those employees who despise it should bombard management with complaints, demanding that the Julien MacDonald uniform be brought back. BA have really made a BAD decision here. It needs reversing, and it needs reversing NOW.

Is that one piece? Even if you are ground crew it is impractical for bathroom breaks. It also means you have to have the same size up top and on bottom. How is anyone with breasts of any real size going to fit in that?

Op
Do you work for Julien Macdonald 😅

Literally couldn't give a toss about the uniform. Would prefer they tried harder to function as a proper airline as a first priority

The jumpsuits and dresses are both very hard to wear if you have a larger tum. I'm a size 12 apple shape and both would make me look pregnant. The colour is drab too. However, I think the concept behind making the uniform less binary and more comfortable is strong.

From somebody who used to wear a flying suit for flying on a regular basis - they’re not! It was fine for men because they could just unzip from the bottom, but women have all the faff of getting out of the sleeves and trying not to let them fall in the toilet. Very surprised they’ve gone for this option rather than a top and trousers. In trying to do something apparently ‘unisex’ they’ve made life harder for the women, as usual.

I’ve just googled them and I think they’re actually rather nice - the boiler suit notwithstanding. They’re certainly more practical than the ‘suit’ look reminiscent of the 1980s.

And I like that the ‘sexiness’ of the uniform has been toned down - it’s now more appropriate for work that’s quite physical and pressurised.

British Airways is going from bed to worse. Past couple of times I flew with them was such a bad experience that I can't see choosing them over any budget airline.

They don't look that bad to me. The old uniform does look quite old fashioned in comparison.

I agree with the jumpsuit thing though. And interestingly their non-binary diversity champion opted for the dress in the pictures I saw.

What's more important is what the crew think and if they're comfortable to work in though.

As a customer even if I didn't like the uniform I can't imagine being annoyed about it as long as the service was good.

Op I quite agree that uniform is practical and a good idea from a safety point of view.

I agree that this particular uniform doesn’t look nice or particularly practical.

I’m afraid your comments about glamour give me the ick.

I've always thought cabin crew should wear leggings, a polo shirt/jumper if cold, sketchers comfy trainers. I always have an image of us needing to crash into the sea and the cabin crew trying to totter about on heels in a pencil skirt. No thanks. I want someone who is free to move and can sprint down the aisle, jump over a seat and rescue my DC or something. Also a 9 hour flight on heels is criminal.

The new uniforms have been developed after research with 1500 staff. The uniforms are designed to meet practical needs whilst looking smart and feeling comfortable. I’m sure some people will dislike them but I guess designers can’t please everyone. I REALLY like the modern uniform style, if I had to wear a uniform then this would be the one I’d choose. The older style looks quite suffocating, restrictive, stiff. Style wise the older uniform is more my 75 year old mums idea of smart.

Are you Julian McDonald’s mum?

It’s an airline uniform. If you don’t have to wear it, why do you care so much?

I know a few cabin crew and they like it but not everyone will. They don't need to wear the jumpsuit, they have other options they can choose from. I was at the airport for work the other day and I thought they actually looked quite smart in person. In the end it's just a uniform though so can't get too worked up.