The History Of The Singapore Girl

@tara I thought it was a little rude to call the Kebaya a geisha spin-off especially because it has been around since the 15th century and is an icon to Singapore and other countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. You couldn't be further from the truth with all your other remarks as well. Perhaps it's your personal opinion but then again its not a very reliable one seeing that you gravely overlooked an important factor which I just rebuked. The Singapore girl is not merely some hollow shell or the Asian version of the dumb blonde stereotype. They are handpicked and are trained for 4 entire months- the most in any service industry in the entire world. You bet your ass will be in safe hands in an emergency with all these educated ladies. Since the introduction of the Singapore girl decades ago they have been marketed as the epitome of Asian hospitality offering great service and served have they! You would be glad to know that Singapore is the first country in Asia to do away with misogyny. It now lies on the top of ranking in gender equality.

My better half works for SIA so I know the company inside out. There is no doubt whatsoever that SIA still has THE best soft product in the world. I have flown with ALL European airlines (where service us erratic), Qantas (where crew addresses you as 'mate' as if we had known each other forever) and Middle-Eastern carriers (which predominantly hire staid Filipino and eastern European staff)... SIA still has the best groomed, and the most pleasant on-board passenger attendance in the world. The quality of the hard product probably went down slightly over the years due to cost cutting, but the soft product is as good as before. Whoever says the contrary has not taken the airline or is lying. Plus, SIA pays very well, offering one of the best total compensation in the world, for crew and pilots alike. I can tell you that most staff are still proud to be part of the airline.

Wallpaper Magazine has done a nice write up on the history of the Singapore Girl and her fashionable Sarong Kebaya uniforms. A true design classic that embodies all aspects of the Singapore Airlin.

The concept of "Singapore Girl" makes me bristle. It's a Geisha girl spin-off. Maybe for men who think little of women it might be desirable, but it actually makes me a little bit ill. Not offended, just ill. Like here we are in the 21st century and these women are still portrayed as subservient help who should bow down to passengers with a never-ending sunny disposition and smile. I view FAs as trained professionals who help to ensure that flights operate properly and who will (if luck allows a survivable situation) save my ass if there's a problem with the aircraft or with a passenger. That's why I never complain about how old FAs are or how they look, and that's why I never complain if they are cool toward me. Give me a great seat, an on-time flight, and FAs who know what to do in an emergency and I am happy. It's nice that the FAs bring me food and drinks, but I could easily serve myself in the galley, I don't need to be waited on.

Thanks for the H/T! Lovely ladies, weren't they?