The airline industry has made concerted efforts to create a more diverse working environment. Unfortunately, research from the University of Surrey suggests that gendered practices and norms still exist, with female cabin crew experiencing very particular expectations about their appearance that don’t apply to their male colleagues.
“Airline organizations, in part, maintain the feminized cabin by setting strict appearance standards that workers embody,” the researchers explain. “Focusing on aesthetic labor, our findings indicate that female flight attendants actively maintain their ‘slim’ bodies according to organizational rules by routinely engaging in body treatment.”
The ideal aesthetic
The study found that airline companies actively shape the appearance of female flight attendants by providing detailed manuals, called ‘look books,’ that dictate every aspect of their physical appearance, including uniform, makeup, and hairstyle.
This standard is enforced through self-policing and peer pressure, sometimes resulting in colleagues naming and shaming those who do not conform to the appearance standards. The findings also demonstrated that, while flight attendants occasionally employ subtle forms of resistance, they primarily adhere to traditional gender norms.
“Our research clearly shows that airlines often demand additional aesthetic performances—a certain look—from women. These expectations are not extended to male employees,” the researchers explain.
“We would have hoped that companies would provide more diverse environments in this day and age, but it’s obvious there is still a long way to go.”
British Airways recently announced changes to its uniform policy, allowing male flight attendants to wear natural makeup, nail polish, accessories, and man buns as part of their uniform. This change is an attempt to adapt to broader societal developments. In 2019, Virgin Atlantic also made significant changes to its gendered grooming standards by removing the long-standing makeup requirement for female flight attendants and also offering trousers as an option for their uniform.
