Delta employees are going to get an upgrade — with new uniforms that will feature components from Missoni, Lands’ End and Bombas.
Expected to start to be wear-tested in the summer of 2026, they will then rolled out to the team of 65,000 or so staffers in 2027. That will mean flight attendants, customer service agents, ramps employees, cargo and ground support, Delta Sky Club and Delta One Club ambassadors and other staffers will be getting suited up in new attire. In the world for more than 24 months at this point, the sprucing up coincides with the airline’s 100-year anniversary.
The current look was created by the American designer Zac Posen, who served as the lead designer on the initiative, and it was rolled out to employees in 2018. This go-round, Delta took a very different route with the emphasis being on employees’ input and using that for the designs, versus having a designer come in and think through what he or she wants to see, which is more of the industry norm for uniforms. Delta has increased the number of employees who will wear-test the uniforms by 50 percent, as well as the length of time for wear-testing the uniforms by 50 percent.
In an interview Wednesday, Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s managing director of uniform and onboard brand experience, said, “We thought, ‘You know what? We’ve got 65,000 employees who know exactly what works and what doesn’t work.’”
In step with that strategy, Delta has hired Thomas Vasseur as design lead to cull and analyze all of the feedback from the company’s employee base, which spans a wide range of ages and sizes. With a “Listen. Act.” modus operandi, the team plans to make some edits along the way before the uniform fittings start in 2027. “We really represent the U.S. population and the global population at Delta,” Dimbiloglu said, adding that all of the parties involved collaborated so that it isn’t just one designer’s voice.
He declined to comment on the investment that Delta is making in the uniforms.
Delta has worked with top-name designers including Richard Tyler before Posen. The airline also lined up the late Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head to create its first Jet Age flight attendant uniform that was worn by in-flight staff from 1959 to 1965. In addition, the now-defunct Delta subsidiary, Song Airlines, tapped Kate and Andy Spade to design some of its uniforms from 2004 to 2006. Visitors to the Delta Flight Museum near the corporate headquarters in Atlanta can see some of Delta’s uniform from years ago.
“We believe that if you feel good in what you’re wearing, you’re going to offer exceptional service,” Dimbiloglu said. “From an investment point of view, it’s definitely the right thing to do to make sure that they’re comfortable and functional so that they can provide that great experience to more than 200 million passengers each year.”
For example, female staffers’ ardor for a wrap dress that had been phased out prompted the team to re-introduce a more updated style. The Distinctly Delta uniform initiative builds upon the airline’s partnership with Missoni with accessories like scarves, ties and pocket squares. Lands’ End will be offering the garments, and Bombas, a company that is known for its philanthropic ethos, will be creating the signature socks. Missoni products are used for amenity kits, and Missoni pillows and blankets are offered in Delta One cabins. The family-owned Missoni’s decades-long and design-rich heritage is in synch with Delta, according to Dimbiloglu. “We have this similar way of how we see the world from meticulous details, which are so important,” he said.
As a major player in the uniform manufacturing sector, Lands’ End can not only handle the scale of the production, but also the diverse uniform types. The Wisconsin-based company’s reputation for “real genuine care” and customer service were another bonus, Dimbiloglu said. With safety being paramount to Delta, Lands’ End also has the know-how to ensure the fabrics meet industry standards. “We did an exhaustive search of all the providers that could deliver at this scale and all roads led back to Lands’ End,” Dimbiloglu said.
Bombas’ “one purchase — one donated” business model also appealed to Delta. The sock maker could also deliver compression socks, which in-flight employees have requested. There are also non-compression options depending on staffers’ line of work. And workers who are outdoors will have Delta-branded ankle socks. “We wanted our number-one asset — people who work here to not only look good, but also feel good,” Dimbiloglu said.
At this stage, there are no plans to introduce items that were inspired by the uniforms for commercial purposes.
