The evolution of the airline uniform –a cross check

When Catherine Sulenta started working as a flight attendant for Air New Zealand in 1984, the staff attire was vastly different from what it is today. Her first uniform had a red, white and blue colour scheme to echo the Union Jack, and comprised houndstooth-printed dresses and pinafores, a baker-boy style hat and compulsory high black pumps. “We got weighed every morning – your weight wasn’t allowed to fluctuate,” recalls Sulenta. “And we had to retire at 55.”