'Airline: Style At 30,000 Feet' Highlights Flight Attendant Uniforms Over The Years (PHOTOS)

'Airline: Style At 30,000 Feet' Highlights Flight Attendant Uniforms Over The Years (PHOTOS)

In his new book, "Airline: Style at 30,000 Feet," Keith Lovegrove takes an in-depth look at the evolution of the world's leading airlines, then and now. Split up into four main sections (fashion, food, interiors and identity), the book examines the changing environment of the airlines and the evolution of the flight attendant, food service and interiors.

We were, of course, most concerned with the flight attendant fashions over the years (as we've examined numerous times in the past). As you can begin to see from the photos below, the flight attendant became increasingly known as the first public face the airline puts forward, and greater attention was paid to their attire and perception as the years wore on.

Herewith, a selection of photos from the book that highlight their garb over the years.

Photos courtesy of Laurence King Publishing.

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Before You Go

Airline Uniforms, As Seen In "Airline"
(01 of13)
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Newly-appointed BEA stewardesses attend Elizabeth Arden's grooming rooms for demonstrations of beauty tips in 1951.
(02 of13)
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Five sets of stewardess twins served as publicity bait for TWA in 1956.
(03 of13)
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BEA's classic tailing, circa 1960.
(04 of13)
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Emilio Pucci's 1965 uniforms for Braniff International. The desired message, according to Lovegrove, "sex."
(05 of13)
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In uniforms originally designed by Pierre Balmain, Singapore Airlines' stewardesses model the colorful sarongs in 1968.
(06 of13)
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A 'Braniff Babe' models a 1966 Pucci-designed uniform on a full-size model of the Boeing SST.
(07 of13)
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The book's cover features a United Airlines stewardess (as they were known at the time) chatting with a passenger in a simulated cabin of a Douglas DC-10 in 1968.
(08 of13)
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One of the many iterations of British Airways's uniforms over the years.
(09 of13)
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Gulf Air's adaptation of the Muslim headdress for Western clientele. The 1970s outfit was designed by Joy Stokes.
(10 of13)
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In 1970, the first UK-based, non-white stewardesses to be independently employed by an independent airline got their wings at the London offices of British Midland Airways. From left: Innez Matthews, Irma Reid and Cindy Medford.
(11 of13)
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The Olympic rings were the inspiration (and motif) for Greek designer Yannis Tseklenis' 1971 uniforms for Olympic Airways.
(12 of13)
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A stewardess models the Air Indian uniform next to the Taj Mahal-styled 'Jumbo Jet' in 1971.
(13 of13)
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Mary Quant's 1973 uniforms for Court Line Aviation, as modeled at Luton airport.

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