Uniforms through the years

Designers: Marke Jalkanen and Harriet Gripenwald, Marimekko  

A beige uniform was introduced at the beginning of 1975, which included a blazer-style jacket and a skirt with an oblique cut. Scarves, ties and umbrellas added a splash of colour to the outfits, with their alternating beige, green and red stripes. The colour scheme was influenced by the brown-toned interior of the new DC-10 along with the interior colour scheme of the previous aircraft.

Passengers had criticised the previous uniform and there was a desire to replace the blue uniform with a brighter light brown one. The overcoats were dark brown in the style of a trench coat and had a warm removable lining. During the winters, fur hats were still used.  

Stewards wore a dark brown suit, which included a jacket, trousers, a serving garment and a brown cotton jersey shirt. The suit also included a cravat that matched the colours of the flight attendants’ scarves. The hat was a dark brown Russian-style fur cap. The flight attendants’ mink hat was modelled after a beret. The flight attendants’ footwear was designed by Pertti Palmroth: a simple, stylish medium brown court shoe for the summer season and a Cossack-style boot for the winter. The bags were also brown. 

Manufacturer: Stockmann

Designer: Kari Lepistö  

The outfit was inspired by the first moon landing and included a blue skirt suit and jacket as well as a silver blouse. During the summer season, the outfit was topped off with a perky cap with a high, sporty upright brim. In the winter, the flight attendants wore a mink cap. This cap was worn throughout the winter, even on routes to sunny destinations. Finnair also launched its first flight to America the same year.

According to the cabin crew magazine Cabin Information, the silver-grey mink cap made of Finnish Saga mink was a breath of fresh Arctic air and spoke to Finnair's northern location and Finland's exotic climate.  

The silver blouse was impractical for everyday use. It had to be chemically washed, and water stains were visible on the surface of the fabric. The silver gradually wore off with each wash and over time the shirt became nearly transparent. It was later replaced with a silver knit. The stewards’ outfit was designed by Finnair’s own steward, Harry Abrahamsson. The suit was a blue woollen suit with a stand-up collar, paired with a silver-grey lurex polo-neck and an overcoat. The suit was made of the same material as that of the flight attendants. The suit was tailored by Harjun Pukimo and the blouse was sewn by Tricol Oy. The bag was manufactured by Mallilaukku Oy, the gloves by Kurikan Lakkitehdas and the shoes by Pertti Palmroth.  

Designer: Marianne Stenin  

In May 1981, a summer outfit was introduced, which included a slightly flared blue or red skirt and a long jacket made of light woollen Vuokko fabric. The two colours could be paired in the same outfit; however, most preferred a uniform colour combination, a so-called “total look”. For in-flight service, flight attendants wore cotton Vuokko aprons with black and white stripes.

The outfits were designed by Marianne Stenin and were part of that spring’s Revontuli series. The uniform included both a jacket and a dress. Some alterations had been made to the dress according to Finnair's wishes. The design featured a curved waist with a small stand-up collar, short sleeves as well as a zipper on the back. The jacket was a double-breasted trench coat with lengthwise seams on the front and a collar that could be fastened with buttons to form a stand-up collar or worn as a lapel. The jacket had a belt and tightening loops on the sleeves.

The material was Gwendacril jersey and the colours were either bright red or royal blue. The outfit also included a tricolour, blue-red-white scarf. The stewards wore a dark blue summer suit Kestilä made of wool and polyester. The dress shirts were made of cotton and manufactured by Pallo-Paita.

Designers: Matti Seppänen and Finnair's uniform committee   

The dark blue suit was representative of the 1980s and included a collarless jacket and a white roll-collared blouse. The outfit was accessorised with an off-white scarf with a ‘Finnair’ appliqué from Marja Kurki or a multicoloured "coquetting” scarf. The uniform was designed for winter use with the addition of black accessories and a mink hat.  

The first uniform during a time when there were only six flight attendants. The atelier-made suit featured a hemline, a close-fitting jacket and shoulder pads that could easily be adapted to the spirit of the times. The suit was dark blue and adorned with Aero Oy's dove badge as well as golden lion buttons. The suit was in use until 1969.  

The suit was ordered from a tailor at the men’s tailor shop in the Stockmann department store and the Bally strap shoes were bought from Oldenburg shoe store. At the time, only artificial woollen socks were available in Finland. To purchase nylon socks, flight attendants had to turn to the black market or find them in Sweden. By order of General Grandell, the uniform’s lion buttons were to be identical to those on the uniforms of real generals. The side cap had golden braids. The uniform also included a light grey button-down blouse and a light blue apron. The button-down blouse was later changed to a light blue short-sleeved blouse with a short zipper on the back and the Finnair logo on the left side of the chest. 

The first stewards joined Aero Oy’s ranks in 1959. Their uniform was the same as that of the pilots. Only the cockade and badges were different. 

Designer: Anna-Kaisa Huttunen  

In the spring of 2002, a new uniform was introduced. The uniform was a dark blue suit with either a skirt or trousers. It also included a light blue blouse and serving garment, a small blue apron as well as a summer outfit. The buttons and badges were platinum in colour. 

The uniform consisted of 24 parts: 16 for women and 8 for men. The parts could be combined and were designed for three different body types. The suit included a short collared short jacket or a longer collarless jacket, a light blue dress and a new blue version of the paradise scarf. Stewards wore a single- or double-breasted jacket, a checkered tie, a vest and a waist apron. 

Designer: Tuula Korkama-Bonnefond   

These fresh tricolour uniforms were introduced on May Day 1987. The uniform included a calf-length skirt with blue and white stripes as well as a short-sleeved blouse, a blue jacket and a light blue ribbon scarf. The colourful folkish summer outfit was not very popular amongst the staff.  

The colourful summer outfit used in the late 1980s was not very popular amongst the cabin crew and had many nicknames, e.g. "epilepsy outfit" and "the mattress". At airports around the world, the outfit was also mistakenly associated with British and American airlines. 

Designer: Pentti Rinta, Marimekko  

The Finn Hostess outfit of 1976 included a light blue shirt and a blue floral full-length wraparound skirt. The outfit was accessorised with silver jewellery designed by Björn Weckström. The theme of the jewellery was “people need people”.

In 1969, Finnair opened its route to New York. Along with the new route, a new group of flight attendants, the Finn Hostesses, took to the skies. The service concept was conceived by Chief Flight Attendant Anja-Brita Huttunen, and she also acted as the instructor of the course. The first course was attended by 18 flight attendants who had served for at least five years. The aim was to provide a new kind of service that would better meet the needs of international passengers. The outfit was changed annually in the spring, with Finnish clothing brands competing to dress the Finn Hostesses in an effort to increase international awareness of the Finnish clothing industry. Finn Hostesses were models for the Finnish clothing industry.

The silver jewellery worn by Finn Hostesses was designed by Björn Weckström. The jewellery was designed based on the iconic Silver Space collection, depicting a person in alien conditions. The theme of the jewellery was "people need people". The iconic Space Silver collection, designed by Björn Weckström, was born in 1969 when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. 

Designer: Kari Lepistö   

In 1973, Vuokko's woollen summer outfit was introduced. The uniform included a yellow or green skirt jacket with a matching cap. It was accessorised with a scarf with green and blue stripes. Other accessories were black, such as a bag, shoes and gloves. The uniform was worn from 1973–1974 and by summer employees in 1975.

The material of the sporty summer suit was wool, and the blouse was made of cotton. The hat was from designer Kari Lepistö's previous collection. The dark blue apron was jacket-like, sleeveless and had a round neckline. 

Manufacturer: Vuokko