Flying In Style: The Glamorous History Of Air Travel

Pan Am

From 2011 to 2012, ABC ran a show called Pan Am which focused on stewardesses in the 1960s on the Pan American airline. It starred Christina Ricci and Margot Robbie. Although the show was generally well received by critics, not enough viewership caused the show to be canceled after only one season.

The show was also somewhat criticized for not showing an accurate representation of life on a plane in the 1960s. One notable omission from the show was that none of the characters smoked, which is something that was extremely commonplace for the time period. However, The Wall Street Journal did run an article which noted former employees who claimed that portrayal was an accurate one.

Fashion in the Air

Fashion was quite a big deal for airline stewardesses, especially in the 1950s and ’60s. Some airlines even hired famous fashion designers to create special uniforms for flight attendants. For instance, in the late 1960s, famed designer Jean Louis was commissioned to create uniforms for the women of United airlines.

Braniff Airlines also hired a famous fashion designer – the legendary Emilio Pucci. Pucci created a plastic bubble helmet to protect women’s hair sprayed coifs while braving the wind on tarmacs. By the late ’60s and early ’70s, the “mod” fashion look was also an especially popular one for flight attendants.