Airlines / SQ · Grooming
Singapore Airlines — Appearance & Grooming
One of the most exacting grooming regimes in commercial aviation. The sarong kebaya is fitted to you and unforgiving, and appearance is re-checked for an entire career because five-year contracts are renewed partly on it.
Grooming · Singapore Airlines
- Hair
- Female crew wear the signature low chignon, off the face and secured so no strands escape, in a natural colour. Male crew keep a short, conventional cut above the collar.
- Make-up
- Make-up is part of the uniform rather than a personal choice: groomed brows, defined eyes and a lip colour matched to the kebaya batik. It is checked at pre-flight briefings, not only on the assessment day.
- Facial hair
- Male crew are expected to be clean-shaven with neatly trimmed sideburns. Singapore Airlines publishes no beard allowance.
- Nails
- Short, filed and clean, with polish in the shades that sit with the uniform. SIA does not publish a length, but chipped or decorated nails will fail a briefing check.
- Glasses & contacts
- The kebaya look is built around contact lenses, and female crew are commonly expected to wear them rather than spectacles in the cabin. If you depend on glasses, raise it at the assessment day rather than assuming it will pass.
- Piercings
- One pair of small, plain earlobe studs for female crew. No other visible piercings, and no ear jewellery for male crew.
- Jewellery
- Minimal and plain — a simple watch, a wedding band, the issued name badge and rank insignia. Nothing that competes with the kebaya.
- Tattoos in uniform
- No tattoo may show while you are in uniform, and the kebaya is why placement matters more here than almost anywhere: it leaves the forearms, the neckline and the ankles exposed. Cover-up make-up is not the answer — the ink simply has to sit under fabric.
- Headscarf
- Singapore Airlines publishes no headscarf option. The kebaya has no hijab variant and the airline is silent on the question in its recruitment material.
- Uniform
- The Pierre Balmain sarong kebaya in batik, colour-coded by rank — blue for flight stewardesses, then green, red and burgundy for the senior grades — worn with matching court shoes. Male crew wear a navy suit.
- Weight & proportion
- Weight is expected to stay in proportion to height, and unlike most Western carriers SIA keeps checking: medical and appearance standards form part of every five-year contract renewal.
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
Does Singapore Airlines allow glasses?
The kebaya standard assumes contact lenses, and spectacles are not part of the cabin look for female crew. Bring it up at the assessment day if you cannot wear lenses, and confirm the current wording on the official careers page.
Can you have tattoos as Singapore Airlines cabin crew?
Only where the uniform covers them. The kebaya exposes the forearms, neckline and ankles, and covering ink with make-up or plasters is not accepted.
How strict is Singapore Airlines grooming?
Strict and ongoing rather than a one-off gate: grooming is assessed at the interview, again at the kebaya fitting, and then throughout your career because contract renewal depends on appearance and medical standards.