I'd like to talk about the uniform I wore when I worked as a cabin crew member for a regional airline in Vietnam. I did that job for about four years in my early twenties, before I went back to university to study tourism management.
I wore it on every flight, and also travelling to and from the airport, since we weren't allowed to change in public places. We had a strict set of rules about it, from how to tie the scarf to how much make-up we wore.
For women it was an áo dài, our national dress, which is a long, fitted silk tunic with splits up the sides, worn over loose trousers. Ours was a deep turquoise, with a pattern of small lotus flowers near the collar. We wore it with a little hat, a name badge, and black shoes with low heels, because high ones are dangerous on a moving plane. For long flights we could change into a simpler blouse and skirt for the cabin service.
My feelings about it were honestly mixed. On the positive side, I felt very proud in it. Passengers, especially foreigners, often complimented it, and it felt like I was representing my country every time I walked through the airport. It also made me feel professional and confident, even when I was nervous. On the negative side, it wasn't always practical. Silk isn't ideal when you're pushing trolleys and serving hot drinks, and keeping it perfectly ironed after a fourteen-hour day was exhausting. Still, when I see crew in that uniform now, I feel a bit nostalgic, and I've kept one in my wardrobe.