Qatar Airways flight attendants must follow strict appearance rules — here's the list of dos and don'ts.

• Qatar Airways enforces strict appearance standards for its cabin crew.
• Western airlines historically imposed appearance norms, but have shifted away from many rules.
• Qatar's grooming rules call for makeup training, specific hairstyles, and men covering bald spots.

Flight attendants — particularly women — were subject to strict appearance standards throughout the beginning of the jet age to the mid-1990s. Many airlines said this lured in high-paying travelers and created an elevated brand.

Stewardesses, as they were called then, couldn't be too tall or too short, too old or too young. They couldn't be heavy-set — and they had to be unmarried and childless. In the 1970s, Southwest Airlines, for example, fitted its flight attendants in hot pants and gogo boots.

Globally, the aviation industry has since shifted to focus its flight attendants more narrowly on safety and service. With that still come appearance standards like skirt and nail length, wearing a tie, and hair style rules, but they are far less demanding compared to past eras.

Some Western carriers today allow female cabin crew to wear tennis shoes instead of heels, or pants instead of skirts and dresses. Most can also choose to wear minimal or no makeup, while some airlines allow men to wear stud earrings.

However, some carriers have yet to ditch the traditional appearance expectations and maintain more conservative guidelines.

Qatar Airways is known in the industry for having strict codes of appearance and other things, likely an effort to maintain its luxury-focused brand and professionalism. The airline, with its exacting standards, has been rated the world's best, as of 2024.

Qatar says the strict rules haven't deterred cabin crew applications: A spokesperson told Business Insider that only 6% to 8% of the tens of thousands of applicants are accepted.

BI spoke with Qatar flight attendants Daina Haughton and Milan Rankovic and style specialist Kristine Odejar to learn more about the airline's appearance regime.

Makeup, skin, and nail requirements

Haughton said Qatar flight attendants learn how to do their hair and makeup in initial training.

This involves working with "grooming officers" like Odejar, who help match flight attendants' makeup to their skin tone and texture and teach them how to apply it best using different brushes and pens.

Haughton said the training wasn't "hard," but the consultants provided tips that cabin crew "can do to correct certain things that you wouldn't just know." She added that she spends two hours getting ready for flights, setting aside one hour for hair and makeup.

During a training session observed by BI, Odejar explained the rules for the basic makeup items required for female cabin crew members.

She said they need "full coverage" foundation and concealer, black mascara that isn't "too clumpy," and matte or sheen blush (no glitter).

Lipstick and nail colors can be deep pink, deep red, or burgundy, while nail polish options also include nude, clear, or French. The burgundy theme is in line with Qatar's brand color.

Odejar gives tips like using long-lasting concealer because it's "bulletproof" and won't come off the face, and using powder to set the makeup. She also said to prioritize skin health.

Qatar also does not allow visible tattoos, a common guideline across most global airlines. However, some carriers like Virgin Atlantic Airways have become more lenient and allow tattoos of various sizes.

Strict hairstyles and clean mustaches for men

Haughton said the acceptable hairstyle for women is a bun situated low enough so that the uniform hat can fit over it. She added that hair can't be too oily and must be a natural color if dyed; no rainbow.

Further, cabin crew must use hair nets to cover the bun, and they can choose to use one or two scrunchies; Haughton prefers two.

Odejar described the grooming guidelines for men's hair, which include properly styling it and using grooming wax or clay to make it look neat and smooth.

"You basically just need to apply a decent amount of product so it doesn't look over-gelled or having that kind of wet look effect," she said.

Rankovic said male cabin crew can have facial hair, but only mustaches, not beards.

He said the mustache needs to be neatly shaven, cannot grow over the upper lip or below the lip line, and must be grown out by the time a trip starts.

"Basically, you need to show up for the flights with [a] fully grown mustache," Rankovic said. "So you need to do it on your days off."

He added that the rest of the face must be clearly shaven; no 5 o'clock shadows. The beard ban helps maintain a clean and professional look.

Qatar told the Daily Telegraph in December that gray hair is also not allowed, and bald spots must be covered.

Uniforms must be neat and exact

Qatar flight attendants are provided with specific uniforms, including skirts, pants, blazers, and plain socks with no logos or designs. Women wear hats, and men wear ties.

Every crew member must carry a spare uniform in case of spills or other messes during the flight. They also have a separate winter jacket when traveling to colder climates.

A Qatar grooming instructor said the only men's accessory allowed is a watch, while women's jewelry is limited to a watch, simple stud earrings, and single-banded rings.

Married women can wear their wedding ring as long as the stone is embedded: "If the stone is protruding, it [creates] a safety issue," the instructor said. "They can injure themselves; they can injure the customers."

Women also wear stockings, but they must be matte and complement their skin color. The instructor said Qatar encourages wearing perfume, but ones with a soft or mild fragrance so as not to irritate customers.

Flight attendants wear different uniform pieces depending on the phase of the flight. For example, Haughton said she wears one jacket on the ground, such as during boarding and walking through airports. During the service, she changes into a blue "dining" jacket.

Each female flight attendant also has a black handbag that can be locked with a personal passcode. Haughton said the code is necessary because the bags are identical and it's easy to mix them up with another crewmember's.

She said the standard bag items are their crew-issued smartphone, a notepad, their passport, and any makeup they may need to reapply throughout the day.