Cathay Pacific’s iconic uniforms, from 1946 to 2026
From sharp tailoring to the iconic brushwing and signature red palette, Cathay Pacific’s crew uniforms are unmistakable. As our ambassadors, our crew must look polished and professional, but also uniquely Cathay. As we mark our 80th anniversary, we’re taking a closer look at how this iconic uniform and its predecessors reveal how we’ve evolved over time.
The women’s uniform consisted of a double-breasted jacket with an A-line skirt and box hat.
The first Cathay Pacific uniform was military-inspired, as seen worn by crew posing with our original Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The male crew wore pleated trousers and a jacket with wide lapels.
Since Cathay Pacific was established in 1946, our uniforms have expressed who we are and our place in the world, with details that reflect our deep roots in Hong Kong, as well as wider fashion trends. In the years following World War II, military-inspired style remained in vogue. The influence of smart yet functional military dress can be seen in our first cabin crew uniforms, which for women consisted of a double-breasted wool gabardine jacket in Air Force blue, paired with a matching A-line skirt and a box hat. Male cabin crew wore a blue double-breasted jacket with wide, peaked lapels and brass buttons, a white shirt and black tie, and pleated trousers. Pilots were fitted in Eisenhower jackets – a practical style designed for the US Army during World War II – along with high-waisted trousers in Air Force blue.
Red was introduced in the ‘60s, drawing inspiration from Chinese culture with details like cheongsam-style skirts and frog buttons.
The third generation of uniforms featured white shirts and blouses, navy jackets (not pictured) and pleated skirts from 1954-1962.
Fashion-forward looks
The 1960s took Cathay Pacific in a bold new direction. Faster, bigger jets were flying passengers across greater distances, with air travel becoming synonymous with glamour and adventure. As we expanded our fleet and route network, a new look was designed to align with this exciting era. In 1962, we introduced our first red uniform for female cabin crew: a rose-hued jacket with a matching pencil skirt and box hat. This vibrant shade was chosen for its associations with warmth and confidence, as well as its auspicious symbolism in Chinese culture. Other details that proudly reflected our Chinese heritage include the frog fastenings on the white blouse and the cheongsam-inspired side slits on the skirt.
Male crew continued to wear the blue uniform but would change into a white jacket and black bowtie to serve meals and cocktails, bringing an elevated dining experience to the skies.
Female cabin crew wore multicoloured blouses and scarves with bowler hats in the ‘70s.
Female crew sporting the ‘80s hat-less uniform with a tailplane-print blouse, designed by Hermès, are seated for a photo.
The ensuing decades saw the launch of vivid, trend-led uniforms that signaled Cathay Pacific’s transformation from a regional airline into a global brand. In 1969, female cabin crew traded long hemlines for scarlet minidresses, embodying the fun, youthful style of Swinging London. From the ’70s to the ’90s, Cathay Pacific embraced the world of high fashion, collaborating with famed French houses including Balmain, Hermès and Nina Ricci.
A print page of Cathay Pacific News shows different options for the female crew uniform, designed in collaboration with Nina Ricci.
Female cabin crew show off an edition of the Nina Ricci uniform with padded jackets and a bow at the neck.
Cabin crew pose for a photo, dressed in the Nina Ricci uniforms featuring striped blouses and jackets with shoulder pads.
From Balmain’s Tung Hoi (Eastern Sea) wave-print shirt and Hermès’s demure tailplane-patterned blouse to Nina Ricci’s ’90s power suit, the uniforms of this period cast Cathay Pacific as modern, cosmopolitan and sophisticated.
From the late ‘90s to early noughties, cabin crew wore what would become the basis of the uniform today, featuring sleek red jackets with open collars and brushwing-patterned blouses for women.
The birth of an icon
In 1999, at the dawn of the new millennium, we unveiled a fresh look that brought a renewed focus to our Hong Kong heritage. “As the city’s home carrier, we’re always proud to champion our distinctive culture,” says Pantelis Paspaliaris, Head of Inflight Customer Service and Operations at Cathay. “The cabin crew uniform is typically the first and last thing a passenger will see on a flight, so it needs to communicate our identity and position as a premium Hong Kong airline in an effective and memorable way.”
Male cabin crew wore jackets with mandarin collars from 2004 to 2010.
The women’s uniform in the 2000s highlighted Eddie Lau’s sharper tailoring and a stylised brushwing.
A female cabin crew member wears a tailored red jacket with a brushwing badge, the uniform rolled out in 2011 and still in use today.
For this uniform, we worked with Hong Kong couturier Eddie Lau, who’s renowned for his red-carpet gowns as well as the extravagant stage costumes he crafted for the late pop star Anita Mui. Lau’s original design for Cathay Pacific is the basis of our crew uniform today, comprising a sleek red jacket with an open collar and a white blouse adorned with our classic brushwing logo.
From 2011 to the present day, male cabin crew wear olive-toned waistcoats with striped ties while female cabin crew wear fitted red jackets with a brushwing badge.
Lau updated our uniforms in 2004 and again in 2011, opting for a slimmer silhouette and subtler palette. Key alterations were made to accommodate crew needs, such as a shorter jacket with vents for easier movement and a more comfortable, stretchy blouse fabric. Male cabin crew typically wear olive-toned waistcoats, striped ties and jackets with mandarin collars, while female Senior Pursers are distinguished by their burgundy jackets and champagne jacquard blouses.
Most importantly, our uniforms aren’t just elegant and functional. Once the crew are in uniform, they’re there to deliver great service. As Angela Lui, Inflight Service Manager at Cathay, says, “When passengers see us in our Cathay Pacific uniforms, they know they’re safe, welcome and cared for.”
In 2026, we’re still putting this philosophy into practice – and turning heads as we do it.