BY MARK CHESNUT
With Pan Am, the retro-chic ABC-TV series, scheduled to debut in the United States on September 25, more people are talking about the evolution of the flight attendant (my last post here on LatinFlyer.com looked at Pan Am’s strong ties to Latin America, as well as other options for glamorous time travelers to Latin America — Zeppelin, anyone? Or how about the Fiesta Lounge on a DC-8?).
I recently did an interview for Société Perrier with Cliff Muskiet, the curator of UniformFreak.com, an online museum of flight attendant uniforms from decades past. During the interview, I also quizzed him about how he views flight attendant fashion in Latin America.
“What I have noticed is that flight attendant skirts of airlines in Latin America are usually shorter than in other parts of the world,” said the Amsterdam-based collector, who has more than 1,000 uniforms from more than 400 airlines. “I guess women in Latin America want to feel feminine, and a shorter skirt makes them feel that way. I also noticed that flight attendants in Latin America are very well groomed. I love that!”
Among his favorite Latin American airline uniforms are Aeromexico and Mexicana outfits from the 1970s and 1980s. They are “Fantastic,” he says. “I love the color combinations, the scarves and hats. The total looks of these uniforms are just perfect.”
His current favorite uniform in Latin America is the one worn by flight attendants from Bolivian carrier Aerosur. “I would love to have that uniform in my collection. This uniform stands out because of the color combination (purple and light blue) and the little hat.” (My personal favorite has always been the super-cool Avianca uniform, but after checking out Aerosur, I can see what he’s talking about.)
He also noted that uniform fans might want to check out the TAM aviation museum in Brazil, which he says displays two dozen uniforms.
That sounds good, but for now, I’m staying close to my TV so I don’t miss the debut of Pan Am, the series.
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