The 1950's and 1960's were called the Golden Age of Flying, so-called because of the glamorous stewardesses, great meals (sometimes gourmet meals) and lots of legroom. Men wore three-piece suits and ties, ladies wore dresses, high heels and jewelry.

The "Golden Age" of the flight stewardess is generally defined as the period between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, coinciding with the dawn of the Jet Age. During this era, air travel transitioned from a grueling necessity to a symbol of ultimate luxury and glamour. Stewardesses were the faces of major airlines like Pan Am and TWA, portrayed as icons of high fashion and sophisticated hospitality. However, this glamour came with incredibly strict and often discriminatory requirements: women were typically required to be single, under the age of 32, and meet rigorous height and weight standards. They wore designer uniforms from the likes of Emilio Pucci and Christian Dior and served multi-course gourmet meals on fine china and crystal. While the job offered a rare opportunity for young women to see the world at a time when female career options were limited, it was also characterized by a lack of labor rights and "marriage bans" that forced them to resign if they wed. The era ended as air travel became "democratized" and mass-marketed in the mid-1970s, leading to the more professionalized and inclusive "flight attendant" role we recognize today.