Museum of Flight salutes the fashions that flew

By NOEL LYN SMITH
P-I REPORTER

French costume designer Jean Louis was known for dressing Hollywood royalty -- from Rita Hayworth to Marilyn Monroe -- but he also dressed flight attendants for United Airlines.

One of Louis' creations, an orange dress with white trim named "The Skimmer," is among a dozen uniforms going on display this weekend in a new exhibit at the Museum of Flight. "Style in the Aisle: The History of Fashion in Flight," takes off Saturday, featuring flight attendant uniforms from the 1930s to the 1990s.


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Alaska Airlines introduced the "Golden Samovar" service in 1970, complete with Cossack costumes and beverages served from giant Russian samovars in recognition of the company's introduction of charter service to Siberia.

It's the first time a selection from the museum's extensive uniform collection will be exhibited to show how uniforms have evolved from the military look in the early days of commercial aviation to a fun-and-sassy style in the '60s and '70s, before reaching the "professional" look that continues today.

"A lot of them are important for whatever reason," collections assistant Kathrine Browne said. "Like this one, the United (Airlines) uniform was one of the first."

Browne pointed to a United uniform from 1934 -- one of the first flight attendant uniforms and one of the oldest in the exhibit. The uniform's green jacket and long skirt were inspired by the military-uniform styles of the era. This look was finished with a white blouse, green tie and black oxfords.

As air travel increased and more destinations were added, competing airlines found they could make a splash by recruiting big-name fashion designers to create their uniforms. One of the most notable collaborations was between Italian designer Emilio Pucci and Braniff International.

"Pucci IV," a pink dress-and-pants combo worn by Braniff "hostesses" from 1971-73, is featured in the exhibit.

"The Braniff one," said exhibits developer Annie Mejia, "is kind of iconic."

Another distinctive piece of Pucci memorabilia also on display is the head covering from the "Pucci II" collection -- a domelike affair designed to protect the flight attendants' hair.

Mejia said the late actress Audrey Meadows, best known for playing Alice Kramden on "The Honeymooners," was the wife of Continental president Robert Six for a quarter-century. She helped design many of Continental's uniforms in the '60s and '70s and insisted that every graduate of flight attendant school receive a pearl necklace to wear as part of her uniform.

"The Bowler," a Pan American World Airways uniform from 1971-74, was worn by flight attendants who traveled the rest-and-recuperation routes to various Asian cities during the Vietnam War. This beige jacket and miniskirt outfit was nicknamed "The Bowler" because of its hat.

"Many soldiers liked this uniform," Mejia said, "because it was the first pretty thing they saw."


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	Hughes Airwest ponchos (1972-77) were in celebration of service to Mexico.

"Style in the Aisle" also features flight bags, accessories, memorabilia and historic accounts from flight attendants because, as Mejia learned from interviewing both current and former flight attendants, the fashion of flight tells more than a superficial story.

"It was their history," she said.

Ellen Church, a registered nurse from Iowa, became the first airline stewardess when Boeing Air Transport, later United Airlines, hired her in 1930. Back then, stewardesses were required to be nurses. But it wasn't long before airline marketing departments began emphasizing good looks over good health.

Mejia said many airlines had physical requirements and weight restrictions for its flight attendants. One went so far as to insist that its stewardesses keep identical hairstyles, wear the same brand of makeup and matching nail polish.

"They had to be single, they had to be gorgeous," Mejia said. "Some airlines required you to have good legs. There were very physical requirements."

The sexist rules changed with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Stewardesses challenged the industry and were successful in removing discriminatory policies based on sex, race, age, weight and marital status.

It was during the '70s that the term "stewardess" was changed to "flight attendant" as men began joining the profession.

"Style in the Aisle" continues through June 2 in the museum's Great Gallery.