Why Emirates Refuses to Change Its Iconic Cabin Crew Uniform After Nearly 20 Years
1987
Just two years later, Emirates introduced the second iteration of its uniform, featuring a very in vogue double breasted jacket
1987
The airline also introduced this summer uniform – a safari dress
1997
It would be 10 years until Emirates refreshed its uniform again. This time, the airline brought in Spanish designer Paco Rabanne to revamp the uniform.
2008
With the introduction of the Airbus A380 superjumbo, Emirates decided it was once again time for a uniform redesign. On this occasion, however, Emirates ditched well-known fashion designers for its in-house team who worked with an English uniform supplier.
2024
In 2024, Emirates made some very subtle changes to its current uniform, altering the tone of the red in accessories like female footwear and the leather handbag that crew members are required to carry.
2025
Earlier this year, Emirates also introduced a new uniform for ground workers who look after VIP and First Class passengers. The airline made it clear that this uniform, which was also designed in-house, would not be extended to other workgroups, including cabin crew.
Emirates Executive
Emirates also operates an Airbus A319 pivate jet through its Emirates Executive subsidiary. A special group of cabin crew who work on this private jet flights wear this custom-designed uniform which was launched in 2014.
If you’ve come to love the Emirates cabin crew uniform and couldn’t think of anything worse than the Dubai-based carrier launching a new look, then do I have good news for you… The airline has very strongly hinted that there’s little chance of a big redesign in the near future.
Given that Emirates’ current cabin crew uniform was launched nearly 18 years ago, you might think that the airline was desperate to update the look, but as fashion trends come and go, Emirates says that it’s found a “fashion formula that works.”
If you ask me, that’s a very diplomatic way of saying – if it ain’t broke, why fix it!
And should Emirates decide that a redesign is required at some point in the future, you can at least rest assured that there will be many elements of the existing uniform that aren’t going to change.
Emirates boldly says that it “rejects fast fashion and trends” and instead favors “timeless style and sophistication.” The color combination of beige and accents of red and gold, “never wavers,” while the iconic pillbox hat with the Emirates Arabic logo and white chiffon scarf are most definitely here to stay.
There have, however, been some changes through the years, and in a recent YouTube video, the airline decided to was about to celebrate the different looks that cabin crew have worn over the years.
The story starts in 1985 when Emirates took to the skies for the first time, using a jet leased from Pakistan International Airlines. The very first look introduced many of the design elements that remain true today – the predominant sandy beige colorway, pops of red, and the hat and scarf.
The hidden meanings behind every detail in the Emirates uniform
Nearly every airline tries to introduce local design elements to its uniform. That often means using the colors of the national flag or brand, but Emirates has introduced some details that aren’t quite so obvious.
- Beige colorway: Symbolizes the desert dunes of Dubai.
- Chiffon scarf: Is not only about modesty and a nod to the local culture – every scarf has exactly seven pleats to represent the seven Emirates of the UAE.
- Pillbox hat: Has the Emirates logo in elaborate Arabic calligraphy as a nod to the airline’s origins.
- Gold accents: Marks Dubai’s status as the ‘City of Gold’ and its decades-old reputation as a gold trading center.
The first uniform with round-bordered jackets was, however, ditched just two years later when Emirates introduced a very in vogue double-breasted jacket for female cabin crew. For the hot summer months, a safari dress was also introduced, while female crew working in First Class also wore a traditional Arabic dress known as Thoub to serve Arabic coffee and dates.
It would be another 10 years before Emirates updated its uniform, and this redesign marked the first and only time that the airline has worked with a well-known fashion designer.
Emirates tapped legendary Spanish Paco Rabanne for the project, who quickly disposed of the power dressing of the late 1980s and early 1990s with a slimline jacket that had a mandarin collar.
The last time that the Emirates went through a big revamp was in 2008 to mark the introduction of the Airbus A380 superjumbo. An in-house team partnered with an English workwear company to design the new threads.
A light pinstripe was introduced, alongside a kick pleat skirt and a more traditional suit jacket. The pillbox hat also went through a redesign, with the logo now moved to the side of the hat within a wing shape.
Male cabin crew, meanwhile, were dressed in a rich chocolate brown suit with a cream shirt and a striped tie.
Since then, very little has changed about the Emirates uniform. In 2023, Emirates changed the shade of red in the women’s shoes and handbags to a brighter color, and also introduced a large range of shoes, but that’s as bold as Emirates has been in changing what it considers a winning formula.
Rumors of a new cabin crew proved to be unfounded
Late last year, there were rumors that Emirates was about to drop a brand new cabin crew uniform. This kind of rumor had been swirling from time to time over the years, but on this occasion, there seemed to be something substantive happening.
It turns out that Emirates really was designing a new uniform, but this in-house designed collection was actually only intended for a small group of ground workers who look after VIPs and First Class passengers at the airline’s Dubai hub.
The uniform retains many of the well-known elements of the main Emirates logo – a sandy beige colorway, bold red accents, and, of course, the pillbox hat.
Could this design be the test bed for an updated cabin crew uniform? We’ll have to wait and see.
Matt’s Take – Uniforms are such an emotive topic
If there’s one thing I know from my time in the airline industry, it’s that uniform design can be an incredibly emotive topic – not just with the cabin crew and ground staff who have to wear it, but also passengers and even casual observers will are rarely shy about sharing their opinions.
Emirates has found a formula that works, but it’s also important to mention that it’s difficult to compare this airline against many Western rivals.
The one-size-fits-all design works because Emirates has strict weight limits for its cabin crew. If a crew member starts to put on too much weight (in the eyes of the airline), then they are grounded and ordered to lose weight until they meet Emirates’ exacting standards.
Emirates is not only worry-free about the need to design a uniform that fits many different shapes and sizes, but it also doesn’t concern itself with issues like gender identity – the thought of Emirates introducing a gender-neutral uniform just isn’t something that is considered.
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