Retired flight attendant Lora Ford wore a light blue Pan Am uniform with a matching bag to the opening of a new exhibition at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. She spoke with KNKX about the uniforms she wore, including what she liked least.
“I think the least favorite was the shoes,” Ford said. The pointy-toed high heels hurt her feet. A doctor’s note eventually let her off the hook and she was able to wear comfortable shoes on the job.
Ford became a flight attendant in 1978, when airlines were strict about uniforms. At that time, airline companies had weight requirements for attendants and forced women out of the job if they were pregnant.
Flight attendants fought to change that and, in turn, helped improve working conditions across other industries as well. Their stories and uniforms are highlighted at the Museum of Flight’s exhibition, Runway to Runway: Styles and Stories of Flight Attendant Fashions.
For Ford, these work outfits are a reflection of the era in which they were worn.
“Just history through the years and how things changed, and can be a reflection of the society at the time and the attitudes — positive or negative,” she said.
The show features 13 uniforms mostly from the 1960s and 1970s, from disposable outfits made of gold paper to a pink dress and umbrella with psychedelic swirls of green and orange. There are also accessories such as bags, a yellow cape, go-go boots and a plastic helmet to keep an attendant’s hair dry while walking on the tarmac.
The sometimes stiff uniforms provided the backdrop to major victories that flight attendants achieved in the workplace. Mandy Faber, an exhibit developer at the museum, said an example of that is a 1970s green outfit with stripes of blue, brown and yellow called the Caterpillar.
"This uniform and the flight attendants involved with Northwest Airlines were part of a case called Laffey versus Northwest Airlines,” Faber said. “Women sued for pay equity to be paid the same amount that men were paid and they won."
In all, the exhibition features 100 pieces from the museum's collection. The hats, bags and outfits will be on display until January 2027.
