The iconic Delta Air Lines wrap dress in a new shade of deep burgundy is finally making its highly anticipated comeback as the Atlanta-based carrier finally starts wear testing more than four years after it started working on a new uniform.
The wrap dress, first introduced in the early 2000s, was never meant to be part of Delta’s latest uniform collection but when the initial designs were slated by employees, the airline ditched the collaboration with Gap Inc. and went back to the drawing board.
Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s Managing Director of Uniform and Onboard Brand Experience, says the return of the wrap dress was a direct result of employee feedback. “Delta crews were iconic walking the concourse in the wrap dress. It was very Delta,” Dimbiloglu explains.
“Our people said ‘bring it back,’ so we did — without hesitation.”
The reimagined wrap dress, part of the new ‘Distinctly Delta’ uniform collection, was first unveiled in November 2025, and while the various uniform items have been available to view by Delta staffers, they haven’t been on show to the passenger.
Until now, that is, as Delta has now commenced an extensive wear test of the ‘Distinctly Delta’ collection with real employees trying out the uniform pieces during their day-to-day work.
Expect to see Delta flight attendants and ground staff wearing the ‘Distinctly Delta’ collection as they put the uniform to the test. They’ll be grading the pieces on functionality, comfort and durability, and feedback from these wear tests could results in changes before the uniform is mass produced and sent out to all Delta employees.
Importantly, the wear testers will also be making sure the uniform doesn’t give them any kind of allergic reaction as was the case with the Zac Posen-designed ‘Passport Plum’ uniform which was introduced in 2018.
Adverse reactions to the uniform pieces resulted in nearly half of all Delta flight attendants wearing their own black and white off the rack uniforms.
To avoid a repeat of that situation, Delta has brought in Lands’ End to manufacture the uniform using STANDARD 100 fabrics by OEKO-TEX.
Passport Plum has been ditched in the ‘Distinctly Delta’ collection, along with the drab grey colorway that featured in a more uniform recent dress. Instead, Delta says it is drawing inspiration from its heritage by using deep navy and shades of burgundy and red in the collection. Or, what Delta likes to call “Navigator Navy, Boarding Burgundy and Runway Red.”
Wear testing will continue for the next few months, while the full rollout will take place at some point in 2027.
Delta’s recent uniform history
Delta last introduced an entirely new uniform collection in 2018. The Zac Posen-designed collection became instantly recognizable for its bold ‘Passport Plum’ colorway used in the womenswear dress and other accessories.
But the rollout quickly started attracting attention for all the wrong reasons when a growing number of employees complained that the uniform was causing skin reactions and other health complaints.
In response, Delta allowed staff to wear off the rack clothing such as black trousers with a white shirt or blouse and a black cardigan. At one point, around half of all flight attendants were wearing the black and white uniform before Delta introduced a new grey dress and uniform items.
Delta then began work on an entirely new uniform collection in 2022. The airline brought in the workwear division of Gap Inc to design its new uniform, but when the initial designs were unveiled in early 2024, the reaction from employees wasn’t what Delta had been hoping.
Within months, Delta ditched the designs, dropped Gap and went back to the drawing board with Lands’ End at the helm. The latest collection has received positive feedback with one caveat: many flight attendants feel as if every airline is merging into one, choosing dark navy hues and red accessories for their uniforms.
