Flight attendants for South Korean airline company Asiana Airlines may soon be able to wear pants as part of their new uniforms after a long battle over the company's strict dress code for female flight attendants.
According to TIME, the flight attendants' labor union has been working with the South Korean human rights commission to lessen the appearance guidelines set by the company. The 10-page guide sets the ground rules for Asiana's 3,400 female flight attendants and governs everything from the number of hairpins they can use to the length of their earrings.
The company's dress code for its male flight attendants, however, is only two pages long.
TIME reported that the female guidebook not only outlines how much makeup female flight attendants must wear, but also prohibits the use of pants. However, the airline did agree to consider changing the outdated rule in its next uniform redesign.
According to the Washington Post, Asiana is the only South Korean airline to have a no-pants rule. The company insists that its skirt-only policy was employed to elevate the company's brand of "high-class Korean beauty." It added that the rules for female flight attendants were part of its service to their passengers and were part of staying competitive, the Post reported.
The company lessened some of its appearance rules for female flight attendants in January, including lifting a ban on glasses. Kweon Soo-joung, head of Asiana's labor union, told reporters, "I hope the decision would help change similar discriminatory rules that govern how women in service industries, such as hotels, dress and do their hair and makeup."
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
