Airlines / KE · Grooming
Korean Air — Appearance & Grooming
One of Asia's more prescriptive appearance standards, softened in recent years but still detailed and actively checked — a grooming assessment sits inside the first interview round.
Grooming · Korean Air
- Hair
- Worn up and secured in a neat chignon finished with the airline's issued hair accessory, in a natural colour. Male crew keep a short, conventional cut.
- Make-up
- Groomed and defined, matched to the sky-blue and beige uniform. Make-up is part of the standard rather than a personal choice, and it is judged at the grooming check in the interview rounds.
- Facial hair
- Male crew clean-shaven; no beard allowance is published.
- Nails
- Short, clean and in a neutral or uniform-matched shade. Nail art and extensions sit outside the standard.
- Glasses & contacts
- Korean Air does not publish its spectacle rule externally, and the full appearance standard is issued after selection. The requirements ask for corrected vision to medical standard, so plan on discreet frames or contact lenses and confirm at interview.
- Piercings
- One pair of small earlobe studs for female crew; nothing visible elsewhere, and no ear jewellery for male crew.
- Jewellery
- Plain and minimal — a watch, a wedding band, small studs and the issued wings and badge.
- Tattoos in uniform
- Nothing visible in uniform. Short-sleeve uniform options put the forearms in view, so wrist and forearm placements are the ones that catch candidates out; covering is not the intended route.
- Headscarf
- Korean Air does not publish a headscarf policy and its uniform has no headscarf piece. Ask the recruitment team directly.
- Uniform
- The Gianfranco Ferré uniform introduced in 2005 — sky blue and beige, worn with the signature hair accessory and scarf. Male crew wear a matching suit.
Grooming rules change more often than any other requirement. Verify them on the airline's official careers page before you buy anything or book a hair appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have tattoos as Korean Air cabin crew?
No tattoos may be visible in uniform, and covering them is not the accepted route — placement under the uniform is what makes ink workable.
Does Korean Air allow glasses?
Korean Air does not publish its spectacle rule externally; the medical asks for corrected vision. Plan on discreet frames or contacts and confirm at the interview round that includes the grooming check.
How strict is Korean Air grooming?
Among the most prescriptive in Asia despite recent relaxation — hair, make-up and overall presentation are assessed formally alongside the arm-reach check in the first interview round.