The uniform
The uniform was designed by French couturier Pierre Balmain (www.balmain.com) in 1972, and is a variation on the traditional Malay evening gown. The trademark uniform is a long batik skirt and traditional kebaya (blouse), together called a sarong kebaya, which usually identifies the stewardess in any SIA advertisement. Each uniform is custom-tailored for each stewardess and has said to be the airline’s way of making sure the girls stay slim, which they do by exercising. Their weight is regularly monitored to avoid weight gain.
According to some comments posted on the website, those girls who were less well-endowed chest-wise or who had lost weight through training were instructed to wear padded bras in order to complete the ideal curvature of the body (no author, 2004).
There are four levels within the hierarchy indicated by colours of their uniforms: Flight Stewardess (blue), Leading Stewardess (green), Chief Stewardess (red) and In-flight Supervisor (dark blue).
(Left) Flight stewardess; (Middle) Leading Stewardess; (Right) Chief Stewardess and their respective batik in detail.
(Images from Stewardess Uniform Collection, Singapore Airlines/Singapore)
See Merchandise for examples of how the batik worn has become a motif of the Singapore Girl, not to mention the airline.
