Fashion In Flight
While they never soared to the heights of fashion, airline uniforms have always reflected the trends of the times.
Clayton Hicks, a Delta flight attendant, showed The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler how uniforms have changed over the years as five of his colleagues modeled different styles.
Delta began airline service in 1929; however, for the next 11 years, it was the co-pilot's duty to take care of customers. In 1940, Delta introduced the 14-passenger Douglas DC-2, and with that came what was then called the "stewardess." In fact, most were registered nurses who were trained to combat airsickness.
Here are the uniforms featured on The Early Show:
1940 Winter uniform
Delta's first stewardess uniform, a navy blue suit, honors World War II military tradition and the strict physical requirements for the job. The gored skirt and one button jacket were designed for petite figures. The jacket was always worn with this uniform, and a white silk blouse and black pumps completed the ensemble.
1959-65 Winter uniform
The 1950s marked an era of unprecedented growth in air travel and at Delta, the uniforms were taking on a show-business look. In 1959, Delta's most popular stewardess uniform was designed by Edith Head of Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The shirtwaist dress of honey-colored wool gabardine was complemented by a leather belt and a jet-flame orange ascot. This uniform also included a variation of the '40s military hat, kid gloves, three-inch heels, and a leather topcoat.
1968-70 Winter uniform
By the 1960s, uniforms began to take on a trendy look. Jacqueline Kennedy's influence on fashion, including her wildly popular pillbox hat, was widely imitated in the industry. Delta's 1968 uniform featured a black, wool A-line dress topped with a short double-breasted black jacket and a pillbox hat. Black pumps or boots were worn. A red topcoat and raincoat, black kid gloves, and handbag finished the look.
1970-73
In March 1970, with the launch of NASA's first SkyLab, Delta debuted new uniforms that reflected a growing interest in space exploration. This uniform was important for two reasons: It was the first wrinkle-free polyester uniform and also the first one to include pants, though these were the then-popular bellbottoms.
It was also the first uniform to have mix-and-match pieces. The tunic was available in several different styles and colors. Pleated mini-skirts and pants were available in red, white, and navy. This uniform also featured a tomato red topcoat, a yellow raincoat, and a yellow duffel-bag purse.
1978-83 Pink uniform
In 1978, Delta's trendy uniform design offered a palette of colors and an array of pieces. Each of the basic pieces, such as jackets, pants, and skirts, came in three colors - a taupe, a beige, and the rose color worn on the show.
There were pleated and non-pleated skirts, silk and gabardine
dresses and jumpers, and even more styles and colors of pullovers and blouses to choose from.
Current uniform
In January 2001, Delta launched its current uniform program., based on a "Professional Business Casual" approach.
Female Version (skirt, blouse and blazer)
The current uniform options were chosen to complement the corporate color palette, which includes reds, blues, and warm grays. This charcoal gray mini-check, single-breasted cardigan jacket is a tropical-weight wool blend. It features a three-button closure, one breast pocket, two lower pockets, and inside pockets. It's paired with a Delta Millennium blue, open-collar blouse. The blouse sports patch pockets and a tone-on-tone Delta logo. The straight skirt, also in the charcoal gray mini-check, is tropical-weight wool and fully lined.
Male Version (blazer, tie and pants)
A fully lined, two-button cardigan jacket in the charcoal gray mini-check is paired with matching fly-front pleated pant to create a suited look. The button-down collar, button-front placket shirt in Delta Millennium blue features two rounded patch pockets embroidered with a tone-on-tone Delta logo. The four-in-hand tie is an optional piece.