Welcome Aboard.

Being the couch potato that I am, I end up watching a lot of ads. One that has been playing constantly is the new Virgin Australia advert:

The marketing enthusiast in me should have been focusing on their rebranding efforts, but no, what got my interest was their new uniforms. Designing a uniform is a tricky task. You have to make it modern yet comfortable. And you have make sure they look like an air hostess and not the other kind of hostess. Most of all though, it has to represent the brand's identity; often this means adding a cultural touch to the uniform.

This got me rushing to the laptop to check out what itchy materials and weird cuts other airlines are making their cabin crew staff wear.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Nicknamed the 'Singapore Girl', their stewardesses have been wearing the traditional Sarong Kebaya for almost 40 years. And if you think your work has a strict uniform policy, think again. To be a Singapore Girl, here are just some of the rules:

• Your lipstick and nail colours must be one of the red shades pre-determined by the airline
• Your eyebrows must be shaped, and not tattooed
• Your sideburns cannot be longer than your earlobes
• Eyeshadow colour must be either brown or blue, as set out by the airline

A little bit sexist? Maybe so, but it's working wonders for the brand.

JAPAN AIRLINES

All I have to say is: you know there's something wrong with the world when some JAL stewardesses have sold their uniforms to sex fetish clubs.

EMIRATES

Emirates is another airline that highlights their unique culture in their uniforms - just look at the hats. In their press release, they said that "An inverted pleat on the skirts shows a flash of red when the ladies are walking, further enhancing the brand recognition". Did that sound a little bit wrong to you?

HOOTERS AIR

Yes that's right. Hooters had an airline. It stopped operating in 2006; not even the girls and their uniforms could 'perk' up business. And I just shook my head at myself.

AIR FRANCE

This is probably my favourite uniform, and waddya know, it's designed by Christian Lacroix. Swoon. Of course, French = chic, so a woman can mix this outfit with the rest of their wardrobe. The red bow belt also adds a nice touch to an otherwise sombre palette.