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British Airways uniforms spanning decades on show

British Airways Heritage Centre A woman looks into the camera with a big smile. She is wearing a tartan uniform with a tartan beret. British Airways Heritage Centre
The iconic designs, including a paper dress and a tartan uniform, will be on show at Aerospace Bristol

An exhibition exploring eight decades of British Airways cabin crew uniforms has gone on display.

The Fashion of Flight is at Aerospace Bristol until 17 November.

It showcases a variety of British Airways and its predecessor companies' cabin crew and flight crew uniforms, from the 1940s to modern-day designs.

Daphne Oldfield, a retired British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) cabin crew member, said she remembers her first uniform looking "like a hairdresser's overall".

Now an Aerospace Bristol volunteer, Ms Oldfield said: “I remember my first uniform was a mini just above the knee in raspberry pink with a zip up the front, with a little sassy belt at the back.

"Just before that we had paper dresses for the Caribbean which you cut to your preferred length, " she added. "You can imagine some girls wanted it up high and got told off.

"Guys in the aisle would be trying to light your dress with a lighter. Those dresses didn’t last long.”

British Airways Heritage Centre A woman walks down the stairs off an aeroplane. She wears the paper dress design from 1967 and has a large flower in her hair, looking off to the left of the photo. British Airways Heritage Centre
The innovative BOAC paper dress from 1967

The exhibition will explore the evolution of airline uniforms, emphasising their impact on both fashion and aviation.

The collection reveals how these uniforms reflect significant changes in history, culture and style.

Uniforms on display include the BOAC 1950s designs by Maurice Helman, the BOAC Cheongsam from 1955 and the British European Airways 1967 uniform by royal dressmaker Sir Hardy Amies.

British Airways Heritage Centre The image shows four mannequins dressed in the classic designs spanning decades. In the foreground, the mannequin is wearing the entirely tartan uniform.British Airways Heritage Centre
The entirely tartan uniform was once used by Caledonian Airways

Amy Seadon, head of collections, learning and interpretation at Aerospace Bristol, said: "Airline cabin crew have long been associated with first-class service and meticulously coiffured appearances.

"This exhibition highlights the shifts in societal norms through the decades and illustrates the transition from high fashion to practical functionality in cabin crew uniforms.

"We are incredibly grateful to British Airways for their support and look forward to welcoming everyone to experience the exhibition as part of a day out at Aerospace Bristol.”

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