Etihad Cabin Crew Uniform – What it’s really like!

The Etihad Cabin Crew uniform is, in my opinion the best flight attendant uniform out there! And here’s why:

ETIHAD CABIN CREW UNIFORM

1. The Uniform is Made To Measure

Since 2014 Etihad Airways cabin crew have been wearing their current uniform, created by the Italian designer Ettore Bilotta.

During their initial training the crew will go to the Etihad Airways Style & Image Boutique and get measured for their uniform.

It is not as simple as picking their size: everything is carefully adjusted to the individual measurements of each crew, meaning the uniform fits each crew member perfectly.

ETIHAD CABIN CREW UNIFORM

2. The Uniform is Flattering

Female Etihad cabin crew look really great in the uniform. It is unlike uniforms like Emirates that are quite loose fitting and the figure of the crew can’t be seen.

You can see the figure of the crew in the Etihad uniform : the skirt and blazer go in at the waist and creates an hourglass look. The uniform fits well but is not too tight.

ETIHAD CABIN CREW UNIFORM

3. It is Classic and Elegant

The uniform’s look was based on a mix of haute couture classic 1960’s airline crew uniforms, mixed with contemporary fashion. Etihad wanted to bring the elegance and luxury back from the golden age of flying.

And it certainly managed to do that. The uniform is glamorous, retro and sophisticated. The skirt length is always over the knee, never above – maintaining a classy look at all times. And the angled hat is so vintage chic.

ETIHAD CABIN CREW UNIFORM

4. It is Versatile

The uniform is really practical and versatile for the crew. The skirt is dark and the shirt is patterned, meaning if the uniform gets food spills or others stains on it during flight you can’t even see the stains.

The colours of the uniform also suit all skin tones. This is great as Etihad is a very multicultural company hiring crew from over 100 countries!

Etihad Cabin Crew Uniform Onboard

When the crew are onboard they change into other parts of their uniform for practicality and service reasons.

For example the female cabin crew change into low heeled cabin shoes for comfort, and they wear an apron for the food services. They can also wear their company provided cardigan if they get cold.

Onboard Leaders

Cabin Managers (CM), Cabin Seniors (CS), Food & Beverage Managers (F&B) and Chefs are all considered onboard leaders in Etihad.

The Cabin Senior is in charge of Economy, the F&B is in charge of Business, the Chef is in charge of First Class, and the Cabin Manager is in overall charge. The Onboard Leaders wear a slightly different uniform so they are easily identified.

All female onboard leaders wear a purple scarf (as opposed to a green one the regular cabin crew wear) and male onboard leaders wear a purple tie as opposed to a green one.

Female CM’s CS’s and F&B’s will wear a purple hat but female chefs will wear the brown hat like the regular cabin crew.

Cabin Manager

The Cabin Manager (CM) wears their blazer throughout the flight, whereas the other crew remove it during flight.

Female Cabin Managers don’t wear an apron during service, and they have a purple cardigan as opposed to the white one regular cabin crew wear.

Their skirt is also slightly patterned, in comparison to the plain one the rest of the cabin crew wear.

F&B Manager

The F&B Manager changes into their white jacket as soon as they get onboard,

Chef

As soon as the Chef gets onboard they change into their white chef jacket and brown chef apron.

Butler

On some A380 flights (Sydney, London, Paris & New York) a butler will be present if The Residence is booked out. They will wear a penguin suit (formal evening wear jacket).

Nanny

The majority of flights will also have a onboard nanny in Economy. Onboard the nanny changes into her orange nanny tabard and introduces herself to all the families onboard if time permits.

Most of the nannies are not a fan of this dress as the colour and fit can sometimes be quite unflattering.

 

Extra Uniform Pieces

Crew also have brown leather gloves and a trench coat they bring to winter destinations. The coat is purple for females and brown for males.

All suitcases, handbags and shoes are provided to the crew so they all look the same. When Etihad cabin crew are walking through the airport they look really smart as they all look the same.

 

ETIHAD CABIN CREW UNIFORM

Style & Image

Uniform is not just the clothes the crew wear – style &image is an important part of the Etihad look. Female cabin crew are required to wear 6 pieces of makeup: foundation, blusher, eyeshadow, mascara, powder and lipstick.

They also need to have their nails done: either French Manicure nails or a light peachy pink colour. The nails can be artificial as long as they are well kept and not too long.

Etihad female Flight Attendant hairstyles needs to be in a bun or in a French twist.

 

Also Etihad Flight Attendant must have no tattoos visible when they are in the uniform.

Changes to Etihad Cabin Crew Uniform in 2019

Since mid-2019 female cabin crew have had the option to wear trousers if they wish.

This is the first time in Etihad’s 16 years they have allowed female cabin crew to wear trousers, despite female ground staff being able to wear them for several years now. Prior to this they were only allowed to wear the skirt.

2019 also saw Etihad Airways change it’s style & image for male Flight Attendants, allowing them to have facial hair to work, providing it is neat and well-kept.

 

If you are thinking to become Etihad Cabin Crew, you can apply on their website. Alternatively if you have an Etihad open day or assessment day coming up, check out these Etihad Open Day tips! 

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