Could Japan Airlines’ Stewardess Uniforms Flood the Black Market?
Corporate entities like McDonald’s and Walmart aren’t concerned with uniforms because they’re a dime a dozen. Japan Airlines (JAL) wishes it could be so fortunate. They’re currently dealing with a humiliating bankruptcy, mass layoffs, unhappy customers, and what Time UK describes as “national shame.”
To top it off, now there are concerns that the official JAL uniforms could end up for sale on the black market.
Japanese men find JAL’s stewardess outfits extremely appealing—so appealing that they’re willing to pay up to £11,000 ($16,500) for one. The worst of their kind, or the “fetishists” (as Time UK dubbed them), pay extra for one that’s already been worn.
The uniforms are especially popular at strip clubs and brothels. ABC News reporter Scott Mayerowitz explains: “In Japan, plenty of people are willing to pay top dollar for an experience with a club entertainer clad in an authentic Japan Airlines flight attendant uniform.”
Although fake stewardess uniforms are stockpiled all across Japan, only the real ones are worth peddling—and where better to obtain a real JAL stewardess uniform than from a pissed and laid-off former stewardess desperate for cash. JAL strictly forbids staff-members from selling their uniforms, and even takes extremely thorough measure to prevent their loss, but at least one uniform has made it onto the open market before.
The uniforms making it to the Black Market would not only give JAL a bad name, but it puts them at serious risk in regard to security. A malicious person with a real uniform could sneak into secured areas and wreak all sorts of unwanted havoc.
Use of serial numbers and detailed tracking records for uniforms provided to employees has to date, stopped almost all JAL uniforms from making it into the Black Market, but the potential problem might be serious enough for JAL to consider following in the steps of fellow Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA), who, in an attempt to stop the same problem, sewed GPS tracking chips into all their uniforms.
EDIT: JAL emailed us and mentioned that they have no plans of using any sort of tracking chip and feel their serial number tracking system is sufficient to stop any uniforms being sold. They also indicate only one uniform has ever been sold, back in 2005, which was a lounge staff uniform, and not the cabin crew uniforms.
By V Saxena on 10-03-2010
