Very interesting perspective on the topic. Carrie you are probably spot on. The Jet Blue F/A is definitely going to attract attention as he walks through the airport whereas the Virgin Atlantic F/A is going to blend in easier. Like you said the Virgin Atlantic F/A looks androgynous and people will most likely default to a female when questioning gender.
I find it interesting that not just one but two major airlines are both accepting of this choice. Yes, corporate image could definitely become an issue, look what happened to Budweiser when they used a transgender person for one of their ad campaigns...devasting! Aside from corporate image, this could also be a big problem from an earnings perspective as customers protest or refuse to fly these airlines. Also, another potential issue is how fellow employees feel about this. Carrie you say you would be fine if the person looked classy and professional but what if Jet Blue F/A was part of your flight crew in the past? I know you say he looks comical and ridiculous, would you refuse to work with him? What is it going to be like walking to the gate with your crew members with all the unwanted attention, how many people are going to be staring, is this going to be a distraction to the professionalism and duties the job requires? I'm sure a common and frequent question is going to be..."Why is he dressed in a female uniform?"
These articles where a bit shocking to me, primarily because it is so unusual to see a male wearing female attire in a professional setting especially heels, pantyhose and skirt/dress. I don't know what the motivation was and how this came about, whether it was employee driven or a decision by management. The photos show men so I will question that. Do these males just like the look and want to experience wearing the traditional female uniform? Do they want to push gender norms? Do they identify with the opposite gender? Yes, our society is not quite ready for this look, I think most people will be surprised if they have interaction with these crew members, some may not be bothered and others will probably be too distracted by their phones.
I don't think you are being a Debbie Downer in regards to the acceptance of men wearing sheer hosiery in public. I would say most hosiery wearing men wouldn't view this as a new opportunity or openness. Although you are always going to have a few who want to push boundaries, I'm sure most men are perfectly fine and comfortable wearing in private or hidden. Myself, I was so nervous the first time a wore pantyhose. I felt like I was doing something so unordinary, something only reserved for women but I really loved how the smooth silky fabric felt and looked on my legs. As I got older I was also curious about wearing pantyhose with stilettos and a skirt, something I thought looked amazing on women. Once again I felt really odd wearing something so feminine. Looking at myself in the mirror was kind of mind bending, here I was a male wearing something so foreign. It wasn't my intention to transform myself into the opposite sex but obviously from the waist down I did look very womanly. Wearing pantyhose, stilettos, and a skirt in public would terrify me even if it became acceptable. I wouldn't even wear something like this on Halloween. In fact the only time I might feel comfortable is if it was with an attractive female who suggested it in privacy. I'm sure most men would probably feel the same way but they would have to chime in.
