General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

2

Total Parts

7

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Wool and polyester blend fibers; metal, plastic, and fabric zipper hardware; plastic button.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

70.0 cm

Width

61.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Aviation

Category

Clothing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Freda

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

From 1976 to 1988.

Canada

Wardair Ltd. was founded by Max Ward in 1953. Wardair started as a small air charter business in Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The airline started flying international charters in 1962 and its international charter flights became known for their in-flight service. It moved into flying scheduled routes in 1986. Wardair was eventually purchased by Pacific Western Airlines in 1989. Up until the mid-1960s, flight attendant uniforms were completely identical, meaning that every flight attendant wore the same clothes within the same airline. By the 1970s, a uniform issue usually included a number of options from which a flight attendant could chose. This is example of a uniform worn by a Wardair flight attendant. It was likely introduced in the mid-1970s and used until 1988. The ties on the off-white blouse are quite narrow, but photos show there was also a version of the blouse with bigger ties at some point in time. Wardair’s uniform differed from that of many other airlines in that it did not have a trousers option. The donor and others have suggested that Wardair uniforms did not include trousers because Max Ward did not think the flight attendants should wear them.

Function

To identify the wearer as a Wardair flight attendant.

Technical

A flight attendant’s uniform is designed to provide a particular look, but it is also usually designed around the flight attendant’s job and working environment. Materials and designs are often chosen for ease of use. For instance, the skirt and jumper have kick pleats, which give the flight attendant a greater range of motion. Many of the items in the uniform are made from a polyester and wool blend, which would wrinkle less and be less expensive than clothing made entirely of wool. The donor remembers that the benefit of this uniform was great because it could be easily layered.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Lettering on label on inside of waistband reads: “freda’s/ORIGINALS INC./TORONTO CA04115”; lettering on label on inside of waistband reads: “9/10”; lettering on label on inside of waistband reads: “MADE IN CANADA/FAIT AU CANADA/CA 04115/55% POLYESTER/45% WOOL/LAINE/DRY CLEAN ONLY/[illegible]”; embossed lettering on zipper pull tab reads: “TALON”.

Missing

The artifact appears complete.

Finish

Predominantly blue: exterior fabric, zipper hardware, embroidered buttonhole, visible stitching, and lining; white, cream, and black interlining tape on inside of waistband; black string loops sewn into each side seam below waistband; white labels with black lettering; glossy lilac button at back of waistband.

Decoration

No decorations.