The attention of airport visitors is often drawn to flight attendants, both female and male, who walk past them in their smart, elegantly designed uniforms. The design of these uniforms, through which employees visually represent their airlines, has always been important, and it gained even greater significance with the rise of mass air transport. While pilots’ uniforms are still very similar to one another today – a dark blue men’s suit, classic white shirt, tie, insignia showing rank and airline, and a mandatory peaked cap – cabin crew uniforms change in line with fashion trends and have become an expression of prestige.
The first generation of Adria flight attendants wore olive-green suits and pillbox hats in the same shade, white blouses, white neckerchiefs and gloves. In the early decades, the uniforms changed significantly almost every year. As early as 1962, the olive-green colour was replaced by turquoise blue, and a beige summer uniform with a blue pinafore was added.
Perhaps the most striking was the uniform chosen for 1974. At that time, a distinctly bright red period began, which also included the headwear. Part of the uniform was a black turtleneck, which was replaced by a white synthetic blouse in the summer months. The following season, the light blue shade of the uniform returned to Adria’s image.
The last update of Adria’s cabin crew uniforms took place in 2008. The new clothing line was designed in the spirit of the heyday of air travel in the 1960s and 1970s. The garments thus acquired a subtle retro touch, with hats and gloves once again becoming part of the official uniform. The blue colour was complemented by white and silver grey, as well as silver-coloured metal name plates. The production of the uniforms was undertaken by the company Labod in cooperation with the designer Jelena Proković and in consultation with Barbara Žnidar and Saša Radovič, while accessories were produced by the companies Šešir, Peko, Svilanit, Svila, Monteko, Pletenine Ros, Bas, Heledi’s and Jazon.
In 2011, the museum acquired more than 400 items of cabin crew uniforms from Adria Airways; today, they form an important part of the museum’s textile collection.
