Singapore Airlines celebrates 50 years of style

Singapore Airlines’ female flight attendant uniform has undergone few changes in the last 50 years, with the pattern, lines, hues and fabric remaining as they were in 1968.

The sarong kebaya’s batik print was chosen by Balmain to “reflect the identity and hospitality” of Singapore Airlines’ cabin crew.

Balmain insisted every sarong kebaya should be tailored to fit the wearer, which means there are no standard sizes.

The uniform’s four different colours represent the rank of the person wearing it. Purple is worn by the inflight manager, red for chief cabin crew, green for leading crew and blue for flight stewards and stewardesses.

When creating the uniform, the designer included a split in the front of the female uniform to allow cabin crew to tie the skirt for ease of movement.

Sheldon Hee, Singapore Airlines’ general manager, said: “We’re proud to say Balmain’s timeless Asian batik female and male designs have made the Singapore Airlines cabin crew one of the most instantly recognisable in aviation.”

The airline also recently celebrated the launch of the world’s longest commercial flight. Its new Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft have been flying between Singapore and New York since October.