I have yet to fly Hainan Airlines on a longhaul flight, which many regard as the best airline in Mainland China for onboard service and comfort. But now I have another reason to fly Hainan: the best airline uniforms in the world.
Flying an airline because of the FA uniforms may be stupid, but when I saw the pictures below, my first thought was…wait, this is an airline uniform?
I personally find these uniforms to be better than any other airline in the world. They combine east and west, modesty with style, and simply look sharp.
Here’s a flowery but helpful description of the uniforms from Hainan:
The fifth-generation uniforms highlight the combination of traditional Chinese features and internationally popular elements. Repurposing the alluring look of the Cheongsam, a stylish traditional Chinese dress for women usually worn on more formal occasions, the uniforms feature a collar overlaid with a pattern of auspicious clouds and a lower hem with a pattern alternating sea and mountains which contrasts with the collar’s clouds and sky, drawing a comparison between a Hainan aircraft that has just taken off, and the roc, a mythical bird denoting strength, as it lifts into flight. The 3/4 sleeves denote simplicity and just the right amount of modesty, symbolic of the cabin crew’s high level of competence. The apron is designed like a tulip-shaped dress to emphasize, in equal measure, elegance, femininity, aesthetics and practicality. The Western-style draping incorporates popular international fashion elements alongside a sense of high-quality professionalism. The fusion of traditional Chinese elements and popular international fashion created an Oriental masterpiece that turned heads in Paris.
These uniforms were designed by Laurence Xu, a Paris-based designer (pictured in middle, below):
CONCLUSION
Put simply, I love these uniforms. I think when an airline dresses their FAs well, it treats their passengers well. Finally, it probably merits mentions that the choice of models for a Chinese airline sends a statement on beauty. This probably isn’t the place to debate whether that is good or bad, just something to think about…
What do you think of the Hainan uniforms? Which airline has your favorite uniforms?
Wonder if they’re whitewashing the FAs to appeal to the foreign customer or their domestic?
They are indeed lovely uniforms. The Rimowa bag is also a nice touch. I wonder if the FAs are issued those?
It’s the good looking FAs. But I think we do a good job of brain washing people to think what features constitute a beauty.
We of course need to do more of that in reverse as well.
Important to note that Hainan hires a substantial amount of Western crew members. See this review for proof:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko4r-eHczIY 05:00 for the comments on the crew
We can easily get distracted by trivialities of which models are used to present the uniform, yet forget that just as Air France, Lufthansa and Delta has cabin crew of Asian descent, Asian airlines, especially Hainan, have Western cabin crew to assist with the service.
It just seems interesting, because if Delta presented their uniforms with a few Asian staff members no one would bat an eyelash!
It is still ridiculous that only one of the models in a group of five is Asian. This is meant to be a Chinese airline. Unless you’re telling me that the overall ratio of Hainan’s actual flight attendants is 4/5 Caucasian and 1/5 Asian I don’t buy your argument.
Have a look at the video: I see 3 FAs of which 2 are western. The SkyChef is also western. So we have a 75% western ratio which seems fairly supportive of the argument. I am not saying that they don’t have a substantive group of Asian flight attendants, yet they DO hire A LOT of western cabin crew so I don’t think its a big issue.
Consider also the photos are in Paris. I am not sure what proportion of those available for a shooting are Asian!
Hopefully this was photographed in Paris and the single Asian model was the only one they could find. Otherwise it’s a sad commentary on desired ethnic self-image.
A model friend of mine says he gets a lot of Asian company jobs because they want an American image but preferably brunette so as not to be too obvious.
These are great, very stylish. The unveiling of new uniforms used to be a big deal for every airline; uniforms were designed by the biggest names in fashion and the new styles were covered extensively in the media. Dior, Balenciaga, YSL, Lacroix and many others would get the contracts and there was stiff competition between the airlines.
My favourite is the Emilio Pucci for Braniff from the 60s, rather revolutionary in style and in stark contrast with everything before it.
Occasionally one of the major museums with an interest in fashion will put on a retrospective. The V&A had a show a few years ago, IIRC. Sadly , none of the major aviation museums has a comprehensive, permanent display, but rather just a few pieces.
These uniforms may look smart, but they also look wildly impractical.
For 30 years I was a flight attendant, for three different international airlines. I wore a lot of different looking uniforms, made of a variety of fabrics and in a number of colors. I can assure you that pale uniforms are an incredible pain to try to keep clean. Airplane galleys are dirty places. When a mechanic repairs a coffee-maker, or resets an oven circuit-breaker, he invariably leaves behind smears of grease, which also invariably end-up on flight attendant uniforms. A grease smear is hard to spot on navy, black, or dark grey fabric, but is impossible to miss on pale colors.
Those gold stilettos the girls are wearing look fabulous, but the fragile toes on those shoes couldn’t possibly depress the floor brake on a 300-pound meal or beverage trolley.
Ultra-glamorous outfits like these belong on a fashion show runway – not an airport runway.
Pretty sure flight attendants aren’t allowed on an airport runway. 😉
I agree mostly with your comments re practicality but for the shoes perhaps Hainan takes a leaf out of Singapore’s book and provides alternative footwear for the flight attendants when they’re working onboard? Singapore flight attendants wear different shoes when they’re outside the aircraft.
Singapore only provided ‘alternative footwear’ to their female flight attendants after the devastating crash of SQ #006 at Taipei in 2000. The evacuation of survivors from the burning 747 was hampered by the ridiculously inappropriate slip-on sandals the female flight attendants were required to wear at all times while in uniform.
Looking at the models I’d never guess these were for a Chinese airline. Sure, there is a touch of orientalisme in the design and prints of the uniform but the choice of casting is just bizarre.