A Flair for Flying

The batik printed sarong kebaya uniform of Singapore Airlines evokes hospitality, grace and cosmopolitanism. Associate Librarian Winnie Tan investigates just what makes the uniform so special.

Sarong Kebaya

The iconic uniform for Singapore Airlines’s (SIA) female flight attendants is a sarong kebaya. Referring to a tubular, ankle-length skirt (sarong) worn with an open blouse (kebaya) fastened by brooches or pins, it is a style traditionally worn by Peranakan and Malay women in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.¹ Early sarong kebayas were long and loose, but by 1900, women began to opt for sarong kebayas that were contoured and fitted, more similar to the ones worn by SIA’s flight attendants.²

Studio photograph of a woman in a sarong kebaya, circa 1920. Lee Brothers Studio Collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

In the 1910s, more women began wearing brightly coloured and sheer organdies (a stiff muslin) imported from Europe, matched with hand-drawn batik sarongs imported from Chinese workshops. As more chemical dyes were brought in from Germany in the following decades, the sarong kebaya exploded into a fanfare of colour and designs. High quality batik also became more widely available, and expensive cotton batik sarongs quickly became a status symbol.³

A sarong kebaya (1969) that once belonged to Constance Sheares, the daughter of Singapore’s second president, Mr. Benjamin Sheares. Collection of National Museum of Singapore. Gift of Constance Alivn Sheares.

A batik sarong (right) (1969) that once belonged to Constance Sheares, the daughter of Singapore’s second president, Mr. Benjamin Sheares. Collection of National Museum of Singapore. Gift of Constance Alivn Sheares.

A New Airline, A New Look

Before the establishment of Singapore Airlines, Singapore’s first airline post-independence was Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA). From 1963 to 1968, the MSA stewardess uniforms were modelled after the sarong kebaya, but they were in the style more commonly found in Malaysia and Indonesia, complete with a V-neck lapel.⁴

The sarong kebaya worn by the chief stewardess (left) and flight stewardess on international routes during 1963 to 1968 on Malaysia-Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines Collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

In 1974, Singapore Airlines commissioned French designer Pierre Balmain to update the MSA uniforms, which had debuted in 1968.⁵ This was not an unusual move as international airlines have been known to enlist well-established couturiers to design their uniforms, such as Cristobal Balenciaga for Air France and Emilio Pucci for Braniff International Airways.

Balmain reportedly acknowledged the significance of the kebaya and said, “I approve of your sarong kebaya, I think it’s very graceful, and if any alterations are to be made, they should only be to make the dress easier to wear”. Balmain was reportedly regarded as an appropriate choice of couturier for the airline because he had designed the wardrobe of Queen Sirikit of Thailand in the 1960s, which reflected his experience with and knowledge of the region.⁶

SIA sarong kebaya uniform, 1970s. Collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum.

In Balmain’s updated design, the sarong kebaya’s conventional V-neck lapel was replaced by a streamlined crew neck. Three-quarter length sleeves and a front zip opening were also incorporated for greater ease of movement.⁷ Additionally, a new signature batik print was also introduced in four different colours, with each colour representing the flight crew’s rank: blue for flight stewardess, green for leading stewardess, red for chief stewardess and burgundy for in-flight supervisor.

In the years since, SIA’s sarong kebaya inspired uniform has remained unchanged, a testament to its timeless style and unique heritage.

Singapore Airlines flight stewardesses in their sarong kebayas, with each colour representing the flight crew’s rank. Singapore Airlines Collection, Collection of National Archives of Singapore

Winnie Tan is an Associate Librarian with the National Library, Singapore. She is part of the Arts and General Reference team and works on content development, collection management, and research and reference services.

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[1] Peter Lee, Sarong Kebaya: Peranakan fashion in an interconnected world 1500–1950 (Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum, 2014), 22.

[2] Lee, Sarong Kebaya, 165.

[3] Peter Lee, “Peranakan Fashion and Its international Sources: Sarong Kebaya”, BeMuse 4, no. 2 (April­–June 2012).

[4] Singapore Airlines Collection, Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore. https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/photographs/record-details/d57b97b6-1161-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad

[5] Karen Fong, “Celebrating hospitality: The sarong kebaya uniform turns 50,” SilverKris, 1 October 2018.

[6] Lillian Perez, The Singapore Airlines handbook (Emereo Publishing, 2016), 52.

[7] Roots. “SIA sarong kebaya uniform,” 1970s. Collection of Asian Civilisations Museum. https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1352365