Singapore Girl

The images and branding of the Singapore Girl were first established in 1972 when Singapore Airlines took over as successor of its predecessor Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA), the joint Malaysia and Singapore airline set up to develop and expand an intercontinental network. An earlier traditional version of the "Sarong Kebaya" uniform was first introduced by MSA and worn by the flight attendants since 1968. Subsequently, political acrimony between Singapore and Malaysia led to the split of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines. MSA ceased operations on 1 October 1972 and Singapore Airlines took over as its successor in Singapore.

Initially when Singapore Airlines was created, its advertising and branding was handled by the start-up Batey Inc, of Ian Batey.[7][8] Singapore Girl was coined in 1972 when Pierre Balmain, a French haute couture designer, was hired to construct and update the "Sarong Kebaya" as part of the cabin crew's uniform. Since then, the uniform has gained worldwide recognition as part of the airline's branding.[9]

Since 1972, the image of the Singapore Girl has appeared in advertisements for the company. The theme music for the television advertising campaign was composed by Kevin Peek.[10]

As part of efforts to build the image of the "Singapore Girl", the airline runs a rigorous training program for cabin and flight crew. The airline's repute, and the resulting prestige of the job has allowed it to be highly selective during its recruitment process as it receives numerous applications locally and from around the region. Singapore Airlines used to recruit only Singaporeans and Malaysians as cabin crew, but since 1995, in line with its global expansion, recruitment extended to other countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan to minimise language barriers between cabin crew and travellers and to maintain its essence as an Asian carrier.[17]

A training batch typically consists of 20 cabin crew trainees, and the training spans three-and-a-half months.

Uniform

A group of Singapore Girls. Their different ranks are represented by the colour of their sarong kebaya (not shown is the purple-clad In-Flight Supervisor).

There are four kebaya colours that represent the ranking of the Singapore Girls:

• Blue – "Flight Stewardess"
• Green – "Leading Stewardess"
• Red – "Chief Stewardess"
• Purple– "In-Flight Supervisor"

Although the uniform of the Singapore Girl has remained largely unchanged (aside from the addition of the green kebaya in 1992), the uniform for male cabin crew was updated on 30 June 2008. All male cabin crew wear the same, distinctive navy blue suits to complement the Singapore Girl's cobalt blue kebaya, their ranks differentiated by the colours of their ties.[18]

The four tie colours that distinguish male cabin crew:[18]

• Blue Stripes – "Flight Steward"
• Green Stripes – "Leading Steward"
• Red Stripes – "Chief Steward"
• Purple Stripes – "In-Flight Supervisor"

This update replaces the previous uniform of business jackets and grey trousers, with jackets distinguishing their ranks:[18]

• Light Blue – "Flight Steward"
• Sky Blue – "Leading Steward"
• Navy Blue – "Chief Steward"
• Grey – "In-Flight Supervisor"

In April 2001, the shoes were replaced by Pierre Balmain-designed safety shoes, in light of safety reviews after the Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crash where flight attendants complained of missing sandals.

The Singapore Girl marketing concept has been criticized as being sexist – apart from the inaccuracy of the term Girl, the concept has been accused of being a stereotype of Asian women as being subservient.[17][19][20] However, the marketing concept is unlikely to be replaced altogether in any future marketing campaigns:[21]

"To remove the Singapore Girl icon from SIA is like removing Mickey Mouse from Disneyland..."

— Singapore's The Straits Times[22]

• The Singapore Girls, Audio reportage by Jayne Clark of USA Today in Flash format.
• Video clip of SQ cabin crews on YouTube