Dave, the "Fly me , I'm Jackie" was an ad for National Airlines.

I was one of those privileged to fly the Friendly Skies from 1968-72. There was a strict uniform dress code, makeup and hair had to be perfect, not to mention we had to be at a certain weight based on our height. It was a way of life back then. You either liked it or you left or was asked to leave. As a frequent flier today, I'm appalled at how many overweight and unkempt flight attendants I see. Some look like they just rolled out of bed and had no time to run a comb through their hair. Call me old fashioned, but somewhere through the years the airlines have relaxed their rules and have allowed their flight attendants to don a very dowdy, I could care less look. It comes down to self-respect for how one looks. With also being trained to meet any and all emergency situations, an overweight flight attendant can pose an even larger threat if she can't maneuver quickly and efficiently - you have 90 sec to get a full psgr load off an aircraft should there be fire or potential for explosion, etc. It's time that airline management retrieve a bit of their history and start enforcing tighter rules for appeanace and weight. We were proud to wear our wings and uphold the standard of the airline industry. Sad that those times are gone.

I remember those times too, Dave, although I was a teenager. My sisters would talk about wanting to be STEWARDESSES. When you flew anywhere, the crew was always well groomed, and we were, indeed, pampered. What we have flying now looks (and ACTS) more like Aeroflot. Too often now I find myself wondering how the 'flight attendant' is going to squeeze down the aisle, and the largest percentage are roughly the age of my parents. At one time there was a standard for the appearance of 'flight attendants'. If one wants to call them 'Barbie clones', fine. So be it. At least they knew how to take care of themselves and always looked cool, calm and tailored. An attempt to return to those standards would be a great thing (case in point, Korean Air). BTW, I work for US Airways.