Airplane Style Minute: Dinner at 30,000 feet via Virgin America

  
Traveling In Style...Sometimes...

White Leather First Class: the Virgin America First Class seat

As you know, I travel A LOT.  I joke to my family and friends that sometimes I feel like my other job is a Flight Attendant--which is fine by me, because I LOVE me some Flight Attendants--especially those old school FABULOUSLY dressed ones form "back in the day". I actually love to travel. My dad was a diplomat and I grew up traveling--I was only 2 months old when I first got on an airplane in fact...Nowadays 99.9% of my travels are business--for my design business, or for filming and appearances. Sometimes, a client might be "extra nice" and book me on a "Premium Cabin" (Love that!) or I get lucky and receive an upgrade (Love that, Part 2!) This post here on my lovely ol' blog is one of those stylish occurrences on a recent 4+ hour East Coast-West Coast flight on one of my favorite airlines, Virgin America.

 Virgin America Chic: Flight attendants

Virgin America is probably one of the most "stylish" US-based airlines; they're semi-new, they're flight attendants are younger and dressed a little more "hip" with their fitted white cotton shirts with adjustable sleeves, band collars. For bottoms, they wear either a slim pencil skirt with invisible zippers at the side seams and center back (to create a slit opening if wanted). Even the pilots are "business casual" in their black dress shirt (no tie), black pants look (no cap, no jacket).

Last month, Virgin America even had a fashion show on a flight from NYC-LA, care of "Banana Republic" (photos above). Now, getting back to my "stylish" flight: I was booked on Main Cabin Select (Premium Economy) but somehow by the Airline Gods, I got a chance to upgrade to First for a (surprisingly) minimal charge. Done and Done, as they say!

Welcome Aboard Drink: after taking my seat (see photo at top of post) and getting myself acquainted with the rather FAB white leather Recaro reclining seats (Can you say "Massage Function"!!), I was offered a "Welcome Aboard" drink...a Bloody Mary please.

First Class Menu, Virgin America

Appetizer Course: Beet Ravioli

Soon after the plane reached cruising altitude, the first "Appetizer" course appeared: Beet Raviloi with fennel, pistachio, and goat cheese nougatine (what in God's name is a nougatine??). It was yummy!

Dinner: Cuban Beef Chimichurri--described in the menu as "grilled beef filet topped with chimichurri and served on a ropa vieja of spicy chorizo sausage, tomatoes, onions, garlic, pigeon peas (say WHAT???) and rice". I ate it ALL (I was HUUUNGRY and happy to just be in First Class...so leave me alone!!). Dessert was a Chocolate Mint Pave'. I took one spoonful and decided that was all my body could take!

I reclined my body on that aforementioned seat, watched a movie, dozed off and before I knew it, we were landing in LA. Next time I am munching on them pretzels back in Economy Class (wait, what pretzels??), I will pretend, I am having a Beet Ravioli starter and a Cuban Steak Chimichurri dinner...For sure!

Flight Attendant Love: "Pan Am" Homage--My First Style Muses & my "Connection": UPDATED!

Pan Am Fab!

Ready to Board: ABC's "Pan Am" television series cast

You might have noticed by now (from all those commercials and ads) that a new television series, called "Pan Am" is debuting tonight on ABC. Well, being a person who:
A) Loves flying
B) Was barely 2 months old when I flew my first of many Pan Am flights
C) And who LOVES those Old-School Flight Attendant Uniforms (those Pan Am stewardess of the late 70's/early 80's where my first "Style Muses")

you know I am excited to watch!

The series stars Christina Ricci (above), Kelly Garner, Michael Mosley, Mike Vogel, Karine Vanasse, and Margot Robbie. It focuses around the pilots and flight attendants (then called stewardesses) who worked for that iconic airline, Pan Am during 1963.

A Little History:

Pan Am was founded in 1927 by Juan Terry Trippe as a US-Cuba mail service. And by 1950, when it changed its name to Pan American World Airways, it began the first concept of "economy class" (until then, it was all First Class) and was operating routes all over the world.

In 1958, it brought in the beginning of the "jet age" with its Boeing 707 (above) and the first transatlantic jet service New York to Paris. Of course, this also began the era of the Glamorous and very Fabulous Pan Am Stewardesses. As the new ABC series showed, they lived the life!

Back in the day, it was a much sought after job: The chic uniform, white gloves and pill box hat; the traveling around the world--one day Paris, the next London, the next Beirut! And not to mention, a potential escapade with a traveling diplomat or who-knows-who. They were the "Supermodels" of that era. Little girls wanted to be them and certain little boys who would later be inspired by them (Me!!).

Coffee and Cocktails: Pan Am First Class "lounge", Boeing 707, early 1960's

Caviar and China: Pan Am First Class Service, Boeing 707, early 1960's

Also, traveling was, well, much more of a special experience, as seen from the photos above. Economy Class was much nicer than what it is today (they actually served food!) and the First Class section of that Boeing 707 even had a mini-lounge where passengers could socialize, get their aperitifs or post-dinner coffee.

And yes, can I just say how much I LOVED those uniforms they wore! So fabulous. The light blue Pan Am fitted suit, "glove-length" sleeves, Revere-collar jackets, "respectable" below-the-knee pencil skirts. And THOSE hats: My favorite, I admit is the late 70's/early 80's Bowler style (on the left photo and on the Pan Am flight attendants below)...

Since of course, that's the one I remember. I long for those days of Flight Attendant Uniforms.

Maybe that's why I LOVE those Asiana Airlines (above) and Korean Air flight attendants--their uniforms are so "retro"...

My Connection to Pan Am:

As I said above, I first flew on a Pan Am jet when I was about 2 months old--or so I am told by my mom and dad. I was born in St. Louis, Missouri (because my father was also born there and he wanted his first born to be born in his hometown) but yet, as soon as I was able to leave, I was put on a plane (with my mommie, of course) to fly all the way to my mom's birthplace, Panama so her family could meet her new son! And then, it was off to Caracas Venezuela (all on Pan Am of course!), where my father had gotten a position in the US Embassy. My mom just told me the story that on that Pan Am jet I first flew in (St. Louis to Panama City Panama), her and I flew First Class (very flossy-flossy!) and they actually had a crib (in First Class) for me to sleep in!

Mr. and Mrs. Verreos: My Mom and Dad, early 1960's

Also, several years before my mom married my father and became a "Diplomat's Wife", she almost became a Pan Am Stewardess. Back in the late 1950's, Pan Am went to Panama to recruit some of the first Spanish-speaking flight attendants for their upcoming jet services to Latin America. My mom--who attended an American University and was bilingual in Spanish and English, went to apply, along with some of her girlfriends. She was picked:

Panama's Top Pan Am Stewardess Are: Panamanian President Ernesto de la Guardia invites the first bilingual Panamanian girls to be Pan Am Stewardesses (My mother, Raquel, is to the right of the President in the flower-print dress)

She was then flown to Miami for health tests and training. And guess what happened: She failed the health exam because she didn't have 20/20 vision. So, she returned back to Panama. Imagine if she would have gotten the position, she would have probably not ever met my father and well, I would have not been born...Thank You Pan Am!

Click Below to see a Video from Pan Am "Introduction to the Jet Age", late 1950's:

Nick Verreos Fashion Muse # 101: Asian Airline Flight Attendants: FABULOUS!!!

Airport Fashion Show
Welcome Aboard: Korean Air Divas, in the exact uniforms I witnessed at Sea-Tac Airport

As some of you know, one of the first things that inspired my early love of fashion and fashion design, strangely enough, were 1970's flight attendants from airlines like Pan Am and TWA while flying with my family. With that being said...I just returned from Seattle where I shot four segments for Special K and MSN The Victory Project. While standing at a LONG and painstaking security line at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport/Sea-Tac--one of the worst in the nation--a breath of fresh air glided through and I almost heard angels sing: Approximately 20 absolutely doll-like flight attendants, all decked in the most perfectly pressed baby-blue and ivory uniforms, matching chignons with... An accompanying looped ribbon hair "accessory" walked by us through the "special security line". I literally dropped my carry-on and PUSHED David, my traveling partner a la Elaine from Jerry Seinfeld. They were all flight attendants from Korean Air getting ready for a Seoul-bound flight.Then before I could even mutter "You Go Girl!", another group of 20 flight attendants sashayed by. This time in very retro-looking chocolate brown uniforms featuring second-skin fitted jackets, knee-length 4" heels and (wait for it!) pill box hats! They looked like Pan Am flight attendants from 1972!!!

This second group of flight attendant DIVAS were from Asiana Airlines, another South Korea-based carrier. The Asiana flight attendants then proceeded with almost military-like precision and ease, to take off their shoes, scarves, hats and fitted jackets, revealing...A diagonal striped mock-turtleneck 3/4 sleeved top with a back invisible zipper and gold buckle closure. Yes, I was watching them like a fashion-hawk; I didn't miss a thing!Funny enough, the current Asiana Airlines Flight Attendant uniform looks very much like... This uniform from Delta Airlines circa 1958! Retro indeed.

It was all too much Flight Attendant Eye Candy for one fashion designer to take! Under other circumstances, in my Zara trench coat, Marc Jocobs tie, dress shirt and Hounds-tooth pants, I would be "well-dressed" for US airport standards--but darling, I felt cheap and inadequate standing next to these flawlessly dressed creatures! Also, if I was a US-based Airline flight attendant within a ten foot radius of these ladies, I would have run and hid my elastic-waist pleated polyester trousers in the bathroom until the airport fashion show was over.

Here are some more Asian-based Flight Attendant Uniform "Honorable Mentions" which I did not see (but can't wait to catch a glimpse of) while at Sea-Tac Airport: The iconic "Singapore Girl" from Singapore Airlines and their printed ankle-length skirts and scooped-neck tunics. And, how about... The Thai Airways flight attendants and their silk shantung floor-length violet "gowns" with matching fitted jacket and gold sash. What happens in an emergency landing (God forbid) when you are wearing these gowns and dresses? Is there Velcro on the skirt and stretch hot pants underneath? Finally, I love...The China Southern Airlines Flight Attendant Uniform of red and white suits and the accompanying mini-pill box hat and silk printed scarf

I have never flown any of these airlines but trust me, the day I do, you might have to physically restrain me from the uncontrollable emotion I will shower them and their uniforms. What makes these Asian Airline Carriers want their flight attendants to look so chic and "retro" as opposed to their American counterparts? I'm sure there are many reasons, but, I for one would love to see all the US carrier flight attendants look like this! It might make flying just a little bit nicer. Until next time: Safe flying kiddies and I'll be on the look-out for some more fabulous international flight attendant uniforms!