An Invitation for Sexual Harassment?

 

Written by Lena Yang                 

To celebrate Skymark’s first flights with ten new Airbus A330-300s, the airline has introduced a temporary royal blue miniskirt stewardess uniform–that’s right, a miniskirt. This new uniform will be worn by female crew members for six months, starting on May 31st. But it’s been far from celebratory thus far. The airline’s been criticized since the donning of this new attire, which “barely covers” flight attendants and may instigate sexual harassment.

The Japan Federal of Cabin Attendants argues that the miniskirt is too short to be practical. As the pictures show, the new uniform is pretty short even when the attendants are standing. Part of their job requires stretching up and bending  down, which will make the skirt even shorter as it rides up. This may interfere with their duties as they’re constantly readjusting their dress. Imagine this (or not) during the hot summer months during the campaign period. I’ll be surprised if passengers don’t take inappropriate pictures when attendants walk up and down the aisle.
Flight attendants are the first point of contact between the an airline and its passengers. Therefore, uniforms are an important part of branding. Most stewardess uniforms are knee-length across the industry to give off the sense of professionalism. By having a short attire, Skymark is not only risking the safety of its female staff members, but also its own branding.
If Skymark goes on to keep the uniform despite the fury it’s created, I think the best solution is to include shorts to be worn under.So is the airline using its flight attendants as products to attract more customers via sex appeal?
What are your thoughts on Skymark’s celebratory uniform? Do you think it’s appropriate?