The evolution of Emirates’ iconic cabin crew uniform | News
With heritage in every hemline, the iconic Emirates cabin crew uniform is instantly recognized as a symbol of the world’s largest international airline, making Emirates flying experiences better. From its inception in 1985 to its current version in 2025, the Emirates cabin crew uniform is both evocative and emotive, reflecting the glamor of flying Emirates and the power of a world-renowned brand.
With a color combination that never wavers, Emirates’ cabin crew uniform is designed to be iconic, classic and to stand the test of time, just like the airline itself. With quality and sustainability as the most essential elements, Emirates rejects fast fashion and trends in favor of timeless style and sophistication.
Emirates cabin crew maintain their impeccable ‘Emirates look’ through a thoughtfully designed uniform that uses nano-coated fabrics for stain and wrinkle resistance, keeping it pristine even after long-haul flights. While the uniform style has evolved over time with strategic adjustments, the brand look remains strong, putting functionality and comfort above all else, allowing cabin crew to maintain high safety standards and provide world-class hospitality to Emirates’ customers.
1985 – An iconic look is born
In the more-is-more fashion era of 1985, Emirates unveiled its first-ever cabin crew uniform for 80 crew members, in the signature brand colors of red and gold. The female cabin crew were given warm sandy beige jackets with rounded edges, red piping along the edges and subtle shoulder pads, in keeping with the style of the time. The Emirates cabin crew uniform is designed in a shade of sunlight on sand, subtly symbolizing the desert dunes of its home country: the United Arab Emirates. The skirt was cut straight at the time and hung just below the knee with one elegant pleat in the middle. Paired with a cream blouse and a red ribbon tied in a bow around the collar, the look was completed with a red hat with the Arabic Emirates logo and a white scarf. The logo in elaborate Arabic calligraphy and the elegantly draped cream chiffon scarf reflect the local culture, with seven folds representing the seven Emirates of the UAE. In 1985, Emirates’ male and female cabin crew wore black leather shoes. The male cabin crew and pilots wore a classic gray suit with a red tie, white shirt and gold insignia.
1987 – Culture in tasteful accents
In 1987, Emirates introduced a new look for female crew members. The uniform consisted of a beige double-breasted jacket with striking gold buttons, a longer skirt with an extended pleat, a white blouse with a subtle Emirates logo pattern and the signature red hat and veil. Gold remained a key accent in the Emirates look, which featured on the very first livery of Emirates aircraft and was chosen for its association with Dubai. Male crew members continued to wear the original 1985 uniform. In both winter and summer, all 180 cabin crew carried a pocket square in their pockets symbolizing the UAE flag.
In late 1987, with Emirates serving approximately eleven destinations including Amman, Mumbai, Cairo, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Karachi, London Gatwick and Male, the team decided to introduce a ‘Summer Safari’ dress for female crew members, designed to be lighter and more comfortable for the warmer weather. Complete with structured shoulders, stylish front pockets and a red belt at the waist, the summer safari dress is still relevant in today’s styles. The female crew members in First Class also wore a traditional Arabic dress called ‘Thoub’ to serve Arabic coffee and dates, adding a sophisticated cultural touch.
1997 – Paco Rabanne donates a designer eye
In 1997, Emirates collaborated with legendary Spanish designer Paco Rabanne to redesign the uniforms and give them a modern, stylish update. The female uniform retained the classic beige and red color scheme, but featured updated cuts and fits in the clean aesthetic of the 1990s, with the addition of brown bags and brown shoes. For female cabin crew, Rabanne designed a shapely skirt and blouse with a round neck and jacquard logo print, under a slim jacket with mandarin collar, while male crew members wore navy blue jackets, paired with beige trousers and brown shoes. With a decade of successful growth under its belt, Emirates had served 3 million customers, with 1,500 cabin crew showcasing the clean lines of the uniform in more than 44 destinations.
2008 – Tailor-made for take-off, Emirates’ signature style begins
The next version of the Emirates uniform was introduced in July 2008, to coincide with the arrival of the airline’s first Airbus A380. The updated look, designed by Emirates’ in-house team in collaboration with Simon Jersey, retained the iconic beige and red color palette for the now sizable 11,000 cabin crew.
The feminine uniform saw the introduction of a subtle pinstripe, four pleats in the skirt revealing more signature Emirates red, and red piping throughout the suit. The hat has been redesigned with the Emirates logo placed in a wing shape on the side. Accessories such as shoes, belts and bags were a slightly darker maroon red to complement the uniform’s embellishments and iconic hat.
The male uniform was reintroduced in a rich, chocolate brown pinstripe with subtle red trim, complemented by a cream shirt and striped tie in gold, brown and red – a luxurious reflection of Emirates’ success as it now serves 99 destinations around the world.
2023 and beyond – Red leather accents and footwear of your choice
As part of the continued evolution of the uniform, in 2023 Emirates began offering female cabin crew a range of 15 shoe styles to personally choose from, tailored to individual comfort and taste. The extensive range of Spanish-made, 100% leather men’s and women’s shoes offers a variety of heights, widths, shapes and styles, ensuring comfort, style and fit for every foot.
The latest edition of the women’s shoes was introduced with matching red leather handbags and belts, in a brighter red color than before, perfectly matching the pleat of the skirt and the piping of the uniform – and leaning into the iconic red hue that has now become synonymous with Emirates.
Ready for even more growth, Emirates has found a fashion formula that works. The iconic uniform now enables 25,000 cabin crew members flying to more than 140 destinations to be ‘runway ready’ in every respect.
Look further https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyOWoQDIMFI
