Uniforms

Delta Air Lines’ new uniforms. Passport plum and all

Delta Air Lines’ 64,0000 uniformed employees will look different.

It is the new uniforms created by fashion designer Zac Posen and produced by Lands’ End that we’ve been hearing about and now get to see in the sky and in airport terminals being worn by  Airport Customer Service, Delta Cargo, In-Flight Service, Ground Support Equipment Maintenance and TechOps employees.

Delta didn’t just give Zac Posen the contract and say “Come back when you’re done.” Here’s the process the airline says it used to get from the old uniforms to here:

  • A Cross Divisional Uniform Committee made up of 24 employees from each frontline division helped guide the three-year uniform creation and development process
  • 80+ employee focus groups that Zac Posen and Lands’ End teams attended
  • 165+ changes made based on direct employee feedback
  • 73 hours spent collecting data via job shadows by Zac Posen and his design team
  • 52 stations across the globe involved in focus groups and job shadows
  • 1,000 employee wear testers who put the uniform to the test over 3 months and across 5 continents
  • 30,000+ survey responses and emails from employees
  • 64,000 uniformed employees across 300+ stations around the globe
  • 60,000+ Wings and Name Bard handmade in the U.S. by Engage2Excel
  • 200+ show options available via Zappos at Work
  • 3+ years in the making
  • 25,000+ employees fitted
  • 1.2M items were produced for the May 29 launch

Delta’s uniforms used to be navy and red. Now they’re Passport Plum – a shade said to flatter every skin tone – Cruising Cardinal, Groundspeed Graphite, Traveling Thistle and Skyline Slate – and have signature details incorporated such as a collar on the women’s blouse that is inspired by the wing of an airplane, and pockets for passports and pens.

Here’s Delta’s new in-flight safey video, with special appearances by – the new uniforms:

Lufthansa’s dirndl crews are back

Lufthansa Drindl

Lufthansa’s “Dirndl crews” are back and this year they’re celebrating their 10th anniversary.

The Oktoberfest season is kicking off in Munich and that means some Lufthansa cabin crew members will be swapping their regular uniforms for the traditional Bavarian Dirndl dress on flights to selected destinations, including four North American cities.

Look for the special outfits if you’re flying to Munich from Toronto and Washington, D.C. on September 16, and from Denver and Boston on October 4.

JetBlue upcycling old uniforms

JetBlue's new uniforms_courtesy JetBlue

JetBlue switched to a new uniform last year, but found an eco-way to keep all the old, worn and never-worn crew uniforms out of landfills.

The solution: upcycling.

JetBlue joined up with Manhattan Portage, the company that first popularized and continues to make iconic New York City bicycle messenger bags and this week (just in time for Earth Day) rolled out the “JetBlue Uniform Bag Collection,” a line of five items made from unworn recycled uniforms and available online and in Manhattan Portage stores.

JetBlue Toiletry Case

JetBlue Toiletry Case

 

The toiletry case ($39) exteriors are made from JetBlue’s signature windowpane flight attendant shirts, the linings are made of scarves, and the handles are former neckties. The City Lights bag ($45) is made out of recycled pilot shirts, with intact pockets and pilot wings. The Sohobo bags ($89) were once all-weather jackets, the backpack ($109) is made from recycled JetBlue rain pants and all-weather vests have been turned into Europa bags ($115).

JetBlue Sohobo Bag

While the new line of upcycled bags puts unworn uniforms to good use, JetBlue also found a way to recycle the old uniforms crewmembers wore. In 2014, the airline donated 37,000 pounds of old uniforms, clothing and fabrics to a non-profit that planned to sell the material and use the proceeds to support a variety of programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Old fabrics from other airlines are also being upcycled.

Skyebags made from recycled aircraft leather donated by Delta Air Lines

Skyebags made from recycled aircraft leather donated by Delta Air Lines

Skyebags turns recycled aircraft leather from Delta Air Lines into wallets, toiletry bags and totes. Leather from replaced leather seats on Alaska Airlines is being reborn as carry-on bags in a line by Mariclaro. And while Looptworks has sold out of the totes it was making out of leather from old Southwest Airlines seats, its LUV line still has some duffle bags, toiletry cases and backpacks for sale.

(My story about JetBlue upcycling old uniforms first appeared on USA TODAY’s Today in the Sky blog in a slightly different format.)

85th anniversary for Hawaiian Airlines

SNOW GLOBE HAWAII

Hawaiian Airlines is celebrating its 85th anniversary on Tuesday, November 11 and, in preparation, the airline has been reflecting on its past.

They’ve put out this lavishly illustrated book celebrating and documenting the company’s history.

Hawaiian Airlines

The airline has also been going through its archives and shared these photos of the evolution of its uniforms.

Hawaiian1943

Hawaiian Airlines uniforms – 1943

Hawaiian 1957

Hawaiian Airlines uniform – 1957

Hawaiian1969.

Hawaiian Airlines uniform – 1969

Hawaiian Airlines uniform – 1971

Hawaiian 1974.

Hawaiian Airlines uniform – 1974

Hawaiian 1989.

Hawaiian Airlines uniform – 1989

Hawaiian2013

Hawaiian Airlines uniform- 2013