Delta Air Lines Unveils A Reimagined Version Of Its Iconic Flight Attendant Wrap Dress

Delta Air Lines has just revealed what its new flight attendant uniform will look like… although the designs may feel very familiar, given that the Atlanta-based carrier has leaned heavily into its heritage for this latest iteration of its workwear collection.

No more so is that the case than with the return of a reimagined wrap dress – a flight attendant and passenger favorite that was originally introduced in the early 2000s before being dropped in 2018.

Known as the ‘Distinctly Delta’ collection, the airline is making heavy use of its traditional color palette of dark blues and rich reds, as well as its famous ‘widget’ logo throughout the new collection, which will begin extensive wear testing next year.

The new uniform has been years in the making, although this version of the collection has been conjured up relatively quickly after the original designs had to be shelved within months of being unveiled early last year.

Designed by the workwear division of Gap Inc. over the course of two years, the first designs were panned by employees, with some likening the red flowy dresses to the outfits worn in The Handmaid’s Tale.

There were also concerns that some of the uniforms would hinder an emergency evacuation, and within months, Delta decided to go completely back to the drawing board…. well, almost.

Rather than completely starting afresh, Delta teased in January that it would be bringing back the retro wrap dress, alongside a collection of new pieces with pared-down designs.

Delta has ditched Gap Inc. and brought in Lands End to make the new uniforms, blending key features from past designs into one cohesive collection. Delta hopes that accessories made by Italian fashion house Missoni will add a touch of glamor to the overall look, along with some much-needed color.

“It’s not just a uniform, it’s a symbol of who we are,” commented Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s Managing Director of Uniform and Onboard Brand Experience. “When our people put this uniform on, each should feel proud to say, ‘I am Delta’.”  

Dimbiloglu added: “When customers see our people in this uniform, we want them to feel something different – something special.”

Delta is trying to avoid any safety concerns with this new uniform

When Delta Air Lines rolled out its Zac Posen-designed uniform in 2018, the excitement about the Passport Plum collection quickly turned sour when hundreds of employees reported extensive skin reactions and other health complaints from wearing the uniforms.

The situation became so bad that Delta was forced to let flight attendants and other employees buy off-the-shelf clothing to wear to work. Rather than a single cohesive design, many flight attendants ended up wearing white shirts and black cardigans that they bought in their local shopping mall.

With the design of its latest uniform, however, Delta is determined not to repeat the same mistake. The airline is only using fabrics that have been certified as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX – which means they shouldn’t have any chemicals that could cause reactions or other health complaints.