Fashion - and practicability !

It must have been a daunting task for whoever was responsible for signing off on the new uniforms for Qantas flight attendants.   Next month the Qantas air fleet comes to work in a uniform that is supposed to reflect fashion and good taste - but it also must meet the rigours of long hours in the air serving the needs of the passengers on Qantas aircraft.

Twelve thousand women will wear that uniform - and they will range in age from those in their twenties to veterans in their sixties, and of course - they will come in a huge range of body sizes.   As any "Fashionista" will tell you, the cut of clothes that will suit one woman may look absolutely ghastly on another.

The designers had a headache trying to merge practicability with style - and achieve an objective that gets people into diabolical trouble if expressed as the desired result - achieving " sex appeal ".

No doubt these new uniforms have had many modifications during the development stage.  It is known that seventy-five women, specifically chosen to include both the age and body types that will be involved have quietly tested these new uniforms on selected flights in the past few months.

Now the new uniform has featured in a media release, and the model chosen to present it to the public is Miranda Kerr.   Many people wish they had the attributes that make Miranda Kerr a leader in the fashion industry, but some will be critical that she does not represent " ordinary " women.

There has been a mixed reaction from those who will don these new clothes next month.   Some comment that the style is very close fitting, and that this could be a hindrance to their very " physical " work in the confined space of an aircraft.    The passengers ride to the other side of the world in comfortable seats, but the flight attendants ruefully claim that they travel that distance on their feet.

A look back at the Qantas image from the past show uniforms that ranged from an almost military cut to high fashion.    There are also male flight attendants, but the uniforms they wear don't seem to draw the same media attention.