I’ve always dug old school airline flight attendant uniforms. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of being a kid and totally excited about going to the airport and hopping on a plane. When you asked for a can of Coke, you got it. An entire can.

These days I dread the experience of going to the airport as much as I dread tax season. I hate it. It’s miserable for me, filled with lots anxiety and zero patience. Flying used to be glamourous! Now a flight is like getting on a bus… an air bus. Soon they’ll have you standing in the aisles, mark my words!

I like to look at these old photos and remember a time when traveling wasn’t an experience from hell. Oh, and when flight attendants looked as cool as shit.
 

 

Early 1970s Braniff International Airways photo
 

Southwest Airlines, 1970s
 
More after the jump…
 

 
I blogged about Cliff Muskiet’s world of stewardess uniforms back in 2009. Shamefully, I haven’t visited it in a few years, but I did today and completely forgot what a treasure trove this site is! Muskiet has collected every single flight attendant uniform that has ever existed on the face of the planet. (Okay maybe not all of ‘em, but it’s pretty damned close!)

Ever since my early childhood, I have been interested and fascinated by the world of aviation. I used to collect everything that wore an airline name or logo, such as posters, postcards, stickers, timetables, safety cards and airplane models.

Sometime in 1980 I was given my first uniform by one of my mother’s friends. I was so excited and I wanted to have more uniforms. In 1982 I heard that two charter airlines were introducing new uniforms. I wasted no time, I called these airlines and as a result I was invited to pick up a set of old uniforms. Between 1982 and 1993 I didn’t do much to obtain any more uniforms, something I really regret now as I could have had many many more! Most of my uniforms were obtained between 1993 and today. At the moment my collection contains 1246 different uniforms from 469 airlines worldwide.

Uniform Freak—the name of Muskiet’s site—is truly a labor of love. And some serious eye candy if you’re a fashion designer or just someone who likes cool threads.

You’ll get lost there. I did. It’s an endless goldmine.
 

Air West / USA 1968 - 1971
 

Allegheny Airlines / USA 1969 - 1979
 

American Airlines / USA 1950 - 1979
 

Delta Airlines / USA 1958 - 1978