Is the Singapore Girl letting her hair down?
Feb 18, 2015, 3:22 am
#36
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Switzerland
Programs: Bonvoy LT Gold, IHG Gold, BAEC Silver, TP Silver
Posts: 1,495
In our SIN office, one of our admin staff was an ex-SQ girl and you could tell the difference with the other girls in the office. She was super polite in her emails, she walked and carried herself in a certain way that really makes you think "wow yes she was one of them" 
As for the bun (I mean the hair of course), I saw a lot of them with short hair (square cuts, jaw length) without the bun. I couldn't imagine tying a bun with that length of hair.
On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
As for the bun (I mean the hair of course), I saw a lot of them with short hair (square cuts, jaw length) without the bun. I couldn't imagine tying a bun with that length of hair.
On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
Feb 18, 2015, 9:02 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
In our SIN office, one of our admin staff was an ex-SQ girl and you could tell the difference with the other girls in the office. She was super polite in her emails, she walked and carried herself in a certain way that really makes you think "wow yes she was one of them"
As for the bun (I mean the hair of course), I saw a lot of them with short hair (square cuts, jaw length) without the bun. I couldn't imagine tying a bun with that length of hair.
On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
As for the bun (I mean the hair of course), I saw a lot of them with short hair (square cuts, jaw length) without the bun. I couldn't imagine tying a bun with that length of hair.
On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
Feb 19, 2015, 9:01 am
#39
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: ROP Gold
Posts: 1,292
In our SIN office, one of our admin staff was an ex-SQ girl and you could tell the difference with the other girls in the office. She was super polite in her emails, she walked and carried herself in a certain way that really makes you think "wow yes she was one of them"
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On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
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:
On the other hand, these SQ girls are almost never recognizable when not in uniforms. Even the SQ male crew say that they sometimes have hard times realizing she's a colleague when bumping into them on the streets
As spoken and written English are rather different, at least in Singapore, I personally think it is a psychological thing.
When I am in a European destination city of SQ, I could spot the SQ girls quite well there.
As you have mentioned, they do have a way of carrying themselves and way of making themselves up (occupational hazard I name it). The biggest giveaway being the red nail polish.
Of course, when the girls are Singaporeans or Malaysians, their accents are further give aways.
Last edited by anaidross; Feb 19, 2015 at 9:07 am
Feb 19, 2015, 2:57 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
I did not know SQ trained their girls to write polite emails.
As spoken and written English are rather different, at least in Singapore, I personally think it is a psychological thing.
When I am in a European destination city of SQ, I could spot the SQ girls quite well there.
As you have mentioned, they do have a way of carrying themselves and way of making themselves up (occupational hazard I name it). The biggest giveaway being the red nail polish.
Of course, when the girls are Singaporeans or Malaysians, their accents are further give aways.
As spoken and written English are rather different, at least in Singapore, I personally think it is a psychological thing.
When I am in a European destination city of SQ, I could spot the SQ girls quite well there.
As you have mentioned, they do have a way of carrying themselves and way of making themselves up (occupational hazard I name it). The biggest giveaway being the red nail polish.
Of course, when the girls are Singaporeans or Malaysians, their accents are further give aways.
My oh my, I hope you're not stalking them.
Feb 19, 2015, 9:20 pm
#41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Sydney
Posts: 267
My ex worked for SQ for around 2 years and since she wasn't Singaporean, she lived with a few other girls from our country also working at SQ.
So I had the opportunity of speaking with a few of them during our time together and what I observed is that when newbies first start, they are really by the book with the make-up. Then you see the girls as they increase their tenure, they do more creative things with make-up, using different colours etc. and they build enough skill to be able to these unapproved stuff mildly so that the mother bird (thats the IFS) doesn't catch them out for incorrect grooming.
The thing with hair is, I think Asian girls generally do want to have longer hair but because you need to 'bun' it up onboard, it becomes really heavy and with the amount of hair spray they use, hair loss becomes a real problem. Hence some of them just find it easier to keep it short so they don't have to worry about all this. Insomnia is another problem a lot of them suffered from (especially for my ex and her friends since they were foreigners and homesick) so I doubt that helped with the loss of hair situation.
The uniform does remain a sourvenir to a lot of them though. I've been to quite a few weddings now where one of the girls from that group are getting married and the batch group all have a few photo shoots in their kebayas with their hairs down.
So I had the opportunity of speaking with a few of them during our time together and what I observed is that when newbies first start, they are really by the book with the make-up. Then you see the girls as they increase their tenure, they do more creative things with make-up, using different colours etc. and they build enough skill to be able to these unapproved stuff mildly so that the mother bird (thats the IFS) doesn't catch them out for incorrect grooming.
The thing with hair is, I think Asian girls generally do want to have longer hair but because you need to 'bun' it up onboard, it becomes really heavy and with the amount of hair spray they use, hair loss becomes a real problem. Hence some of them just find it easier to keep it short so they don't have to worry about all this. Insomnia is another problem a lot of them suffered from (especially for my ex and her friends since they were foreigners and homesick) so I doubt that helped with the loss of hair situation.
The uniform does remain a sourvenir to a lot of them though. I've been to quite a few weddings now where one of the girls from that group are getting married and the batch group all have a few photo shoots in their kebayas with their hairs down.
Mar 6, 2015, 1:52 am
#44
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 42
Wow.. a 10 year old thread!
for whatever it's worth, the "Standard Operating Procedure" has always been either for the girls to have their hair short or in a French Swirl but the ads have always shown those with long hair to have their hair down
for whatever it's worth, the "Standard Operating Procedure" has always been either for the girls to have their hair short or in a French Swirl but the ads have always shown those with long hair to have their hair down