Airline Stewardesses

In honor of the season premiers of network TV, and with the new shows like Pan-Am, The Playboy Club and perennial favorite Mad Men, there are some great vintage costumes on TV right now! I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at some of the glorified flight attendant uniforms in the heyday of air travel.

But looking good and seeing the world came at a cost. Restrictions placed on stewardesses were harsh and hardly seem in keeping with the feminist ideals which very well may have driven many of these young ladies to fly the friendly skies in the first place.
A 1936 New York Times article described the requirements:

"The girls who qualify for hostesses must be petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years. Add to that the rigid physical examination each must undergo four times every year, and you are assured of the bloom that goes with perfect health."

 They were required to be unmarried, be a registered nurse, and speak at least one additional language fluently. Many were subjected to thigh measurements aand the absolute max age across all airlines for a stewardess was 32. Funny how these were some of the sharpest women around and yet their worth was still so wrapped up in looks and size.