BA “New” Uniform

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Oh god. I’ve flown with BA three times since the new uniform was introduced and it just makes me so sad. It’s so cheap, plain and rubbish looking. To me, the original Julien McDonald uniform was just the smartest, most classy outfit you could see, especially the neck ties, and great quality blazers too. It’s really cheapened the look of what I always found to be a very smart airline (I KNOW many of you think its gone to pot lately but this isn’t a discussion about that, this is specifically addressing the uniform)

Surely many of you must agree?

Pre Oct 2023


Post Oct 2023

 

[mpthomson]

If they're more comfortable for the crew and they have some choice as to what makes them more comfortable then I don't really have an issue with it. As long as they're recognisably crew and do their job efficently and well, that's really all that matters. I'm sure many remember (more or less fondly) the days when nurses wore starched uniforms and headpieces but times move on.

 

[RailWonderer]

BA flight crew will be seen in airports worldwide, and they represent Britain aborad. The old uniform was very smart and it's a shame this new one makes them look like overgrown schoolkids. That tie for the women looks like a scarf somebody cut with blunt scissors.

 

[Cloud Strife]

As long as they're recognisably crew and do their job efficently and well, that's really all that matters.

Indeed. BA actually did it properly with these uniforms, as they took into account many of the specifics required by the people wearing them, as well as being designed to be comfortable.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

BA flight crew will be seen in airports worldwide, and they represent Britain aborad. The old uniform was very smart and it's a shame this new one makes them look like overgrown schoolkids. That tie for the women looks like a scarf somebody cut with blunt scissors.

Well said.

 

[43066]

Oh god. I’ve flown with BA three times since the new uniform was introduced and it just makes me so sad. It’s so cheap, plain and rubbish looking. To me, the original Julien McDonald uniform was just the smartest, most classy outfit you could see, especially the neck ties, and great quality blazers too. It’s really cheapened the look of what I always found to be a very smart airline (I KNOW many of you think its gone to pot lately but this isn’t a discussion about that, this is specifically addressing the uniform)

Surely many of you must agree?

Pre Oct 2023
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Post Oct 2023
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I much prefer the old version of the female uniform, albeit for reasons that probably aren’t really printable. The male version of the old uniform, which I’ve admittedly never really noticed, isn’t shown in those pics - the guy with four stripes (and a tasty Breitling) on his sleeve is a captain!

The new mens’ uniform looks decently suit like, and is a good colour. The female version, especially the sort-of-tie, less so.

Both versions are streets ahead of most railway uniforms, to be fair!

I'm sure many remember (more or less fondly) the days when nurses wore starched uniforms and headpieces but times move on.

Some of us aren't old enough to remember that, but still base our views of CC uniforms on 1950s PanAm, and the Goodwood Revival’s answer to Catch-Me-If-You-Can (the below was taken at last year’s )…

 

[mpthomson]

Well said.

BA flight crew will be seen in airports worldwide, and they represent Britain aborad. The old uniform was very smart and it's a shame this new one makes them look like overgrown schoolkids. That tie for the women looks like a scarf somebody cut with blunt scissors.

Not really, I'm much more concerned with them being comfortable and able to work better as a result rather than looking like a throwback to the mid 1980s. Many crew change uniform between working dress and 'on display in the terminal' dress currently anyway. This will likely be no different.

 

[Mojo]

I’m happy with the new uniform. I think the old uniform was looking quite dated. BA have also kept smart clothing such as blazers, ties and waistcoats for those men who want them. Much better than this recent proliferation of transport companies moving to polo shirts and other such like.

 

[172007]

Voted

 

[Airline Man]

It’s being reviewed. It’s universally unpopular with staff, of low quality and falls apart quickly. And yes, I work for them and wear the uniform.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It’s being reviewed. It’s universally unpopular with staff, of low quality and falls apart quickly. And yes, I work for them and wear the uniform.

It’s just such a shame.

 

[nlogax]

It’s being reviewed. It’s universally unpopular with staff, of low quality and falls apart quickly. And yes, I work for them and wear the uniform.

That's a pity. From a passenger perspective I think it looks pretty good but I don't have to live it with it on a daily basis! Sounds like the money's been spent on the design but not the manufacture.

 

[SmartDressBest]

Oh god. I’ve flown with BA three times since the new uniform was introduced and it just makes me so sad. It’s so cheap, plain and rubbish looking. To me, the original Julien McDonald uniform was just the smartest, most classy outfit you could see, especially the neck ties, and great quality blazers too. It’s really cheapened the look of what I always found to be a very smart airline (I KNOW many of you think its gone to pot lately but this isn’t a discussion about that, this is specifically addressing the uniform)

Surely many of you must agree?

Pre Oct 2023
View attachment 154261 View attachment 154262

Post Oct 2023
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I totally agree with you about the new BA uniform. It really is awful. Nowhere near as nice and smart as the beautiful Julien MacDonald uniform. What the HELL were they thinking, scrapping the Julien Mac uniform for THIS mess???

BA flight crew will be seen in airports worldwide, and they represent Britain aborad. The old uniform was very smart and it's a shame this new one makes them look like overgrown schoolkids. That tie for the women looks like a scarf somebody cut with blunt scissors.

Totally agree. I HATE the new BA uniform. Bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform!

Indeed. BA actually did it properly with these uniforms, as they took into account many of the specifics required by the people wearing them, as well as being designed to be comfortable.

No they didn't. The general consensus on all the aviation forums is that it is their worst uniform ever. The fact that even BA themselves are finally relising they made a BIG error and are changing some items of the uniform only bears out what everybody is saying.

It’s being reviewed. It’s universally unpopular with staff, of low quality and falls apart quickly. And yes, I work for them and wear the uniform.

It needs to be "reviewed". It ws a very poor replacement for the much nicer, much smarter Julien MacDonald uniform.

Bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform. It was much nicer.

I’m happy with the new uniform. I think the old uniform was looking quite dated. BA have also kept smart clothing such as blazers, ties and waistcoats for those men who want them. Much better than this recent proliferation of transport companies moving to polo shirts and other such like.

It was NOT dated at all. It was a beautiful uniform. The new one is nowhere near as nice.

 

[mpthomson]

Bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform. It was much nicer.


It was NOT dated at all. It was a beautiful uniform. The new one is nowhere near as nice.

It was when it was introduced. But that was a long time ago, in fact longer than some of the younger cabin crew have been alive. It’s now very dated. No other allegedly top tier airline has had the same uniform for 20+ years.

The new concept was great, allowing crew to wear what they were comfortable in whilst being recognisably crew, the execution clearly wasn’t that great.

The amount of prissiness being demonstrated is astounding. If the crew are more comfortable then they’ll do a better job. It’s that simple. The idea was right but it clearly needs the right quality of kit.

 

[Towers]

Does any business, any at all, have a high quality uniform that those who wear it are actually happy with? It seems a given these days that any and all uniform is universally disliked!

That new BA outfit looks like a bunch of Metro Bank staff on their lunchbreak!

As an aside though, the pilot in the ‘old uniform’ pic that @TT-ONR-NRN posted looks shocking; did he borrow that uniform from his dad?! It seems that precious few uniforms involve having them actually fitting properly these days!

 

[AlterEgo]

The new uniform is crap and many of the staff don’t like it. I read almost nothing good about it on Twitter and none of my cabin crew friends like it either.

As for “well if they’re recognisably crew then that’s all well and good” - should they just wear yellow t-shirts or should they take themselves seriously as a flag carrier airline? Most international passengers don’t expect to see the national carrier’s staff in cheap, nasty uniforms.

 

[Towers]

The new uniform is crap and many of the staff don’t like it. I read almost nothing good about it on Twitter and none of my cabin crew friends like it either.

As for “well if they’re recognisably crew then that’s all well and good” - should they just wear yellow t-shirts or should they take themselves seriously as a flag carrier airline? Most international passengers don’t expect to see the national carrier’s staff in cheap, nasty uniforms.

It’s an interesting point; how many airlines actually have what could be described as a ‘quality’ uniform, as opposed to just a uniform? Most people who wear a uniform in any line of work complain that it’s poor quality, I wonder who if anybody in the airline industry provides one that is high quality?

 

[185]

The new uniform is by a (quote, BA) "Saville Row changemaker, fashion designer and master tailor" ...remind me not to go shopping there for my next Mandilion.

The last of the five pictures looks like Pam Ann's 'Donna from Easyjet' character. Verdict - Tesco uniform is tidier.

 

[sprunt]

Nowhere near as nice and smart as the beautiful Julien MacDonald uniform. What the HELL were they thinking, scrapping the Julien Mac uniform for THIS mess???

Bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform!

It ws a very poor replacement for the much nicer, much smarter Julien MacDonald uniform.

Bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform. It was much nicer.

You are Julien MacDonald and I claim my five pounds.

 

[43066]

The amount of prissiness being demonstrated is astounding. If the crew are more comfortable then they’ll do a better job. It’s that simple. The idea was right but it clearly needs the right quality of kit.

But it sounds like the crew aren’t more comfortable, and that they also preferred the old uniform, so I’m honestly not sure where you’re going with this.

 

[Towers]

You are Julien MacDonald and I claim my five pounds.

Sorry, what was that name again….?!

 

[mpthomson]

But it sounds like the crew aren’t more comfortable, and that they also preferred the old uniform, so I’m honestly not sure where you’re going with this.

I’ve explained already. Sounds like the idea was sound but the execution of the idea wasn’t.

That said I’ve worn uniform for most of the last 30yrs and we’re always aware that it’s made by the lowest bidder. Uniforms are always a compromise between performance and cost.

 

[SmartDressBest]

It was when it was introduced. But that was a long time ago, in fact longer than some of the younger cabin crew have been alive. It’s now very dated. No other allegedly top tier airline has had the same uniform for 20+ years.

The new concept was great, allowing crew to wear what they were comfortable in whilst being recognisably crew, the execution clearly wasn’t that great.

The amount of prissiness being demonstrated is astounding. If the crew are more comfortable then they’ll do a better job. It’s that simple. The idea was right but it clearly needs the right quality of kit.

Sorry, but I do not agree with you. The Julien MacDonald uniform was NOT dated. And it doesn't matter how old a uniform is - be it 10, 20, 30 years or whatever. As long as it still looks nice and smart and stylish, it should remain as part of the company's brand.

The new Boateng uniform is utter garbage. Too plain and drab and dull. Nobody likes it.

It should go, and it should go now

The new uniform is crap and many of the staff don’t like it. I read almost nothing good about it on Twitter and none of my cabin crew friends like it either.

As for “well if they’re recognisably crew then that’s all well and good” - should they just wear yellow t-shirts or should they take themselves seriously as a flag carrier airline? Most international passengers don’t expect to see the national carrier’s staff in cheap, nasty uniforms.

The new British Airways uniform looks AWFUL and DRAB on the female crew. How was this fashion disaster ever ticked off? It really is their worst uniform ever. That is the undeniable general consensus on all the aviation forums. People want it scrapped - now.

And they - quite vociferously and categorically - want BA to bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform.

 

[mpthomson]

Sorry, but I do not agree with you. The Julien MacDonald uniform was NOT dated. And it doesn't matter how old a uniform is - be it 10, 20, 30 years or whatever. As long as it still looks nice and smart and stylish, it should remain as part of the company's brand.

The new Boateng uniform is utter garbage. Too plain and drab and dull. Nobody likes it.

It should go, and it should go now


The new British Airways uniform looks AWFUL and DRAB on the female crew. How was this fashion disaster ever ticked off? It really is their worst uniform ever. That is the undeniable general consensus on all the aviation forums. People want it scrapped - now.

And they - quite vociferously and categorically - want BA to bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform.

What do the staff want? A new uniform of decent quality that allows them to work comfortably or an old one that doesn't? Nobody likes it? Have you asked everyone who flies with BA or is that just the echo chamber view of forums (and all forums are that)?

I suspect that BA don't care what aviation forums think as the vast majority of people who fly with them won't ever see or post on one. They'll be far more interested in what their staff want.

 

[AlterEgo]

What do the staff want? A new uniform of decent quality that allows them to work comfortably or an old one that doesn't? Nobody likes it? Have you asked everyone who flies with BA or is that just the echo chamber view of forums (and all forums are that)?

I suspect that BA don't care what aviation forums think as the vast majority of people who fly with them won't ever see or post on one. They'll be far more interested in what their staff want.

The new uniform is almost universally unpopular. I know quite a few cabin crew and ground staff personally - this is a big thing inside the company at the moment.

 

[LowLevel]

Sorry, but I do not agree with you. The Julien MacDonald uniform was NOT dated. And it doesn't matter how old a uniform is - be it 10, 20, 30 years or whatever. As long as it still looks nice and smart and stylish, it should remain as part of the company's brand.

The new Boateng uniform is utter garbage. Too plain and drab and dull. Nobody likes it.

It should go, and it should go now


The new British Airways uniform looks AWFUL and DRAB on the female crew. How was this fashion disaster ever ticked off? It really is their worst uniform ever. That is the undeniable general consensus on all the aviation forums. People want it scrapped - now.

And they - quite vociferously and categorically - want BA to bring back the Julien MacDonald uniform.

I agree it doesn't look the best, but did you hire a speech writer from Donald Trump?

 

[43066]

What do the staff want? A new uniform of decent quality that allows them to work comfortably or an old one that doesn't? Nobody likes it? Have you asked everyone who flies with BA or is that just the echo chamber view of forums (and all forums are that)?

I suspect that BA don't care what aviation forums think as the vast majority of people who fly with them won't ever see or post on one. They'll be far more interested in what their staff want.

Why do you keep suggesting the old uniform prevented staff from working comfortably? Did you wear it yourself, otherwise how could possibly know?

It appears from various sources that staff don’t like the new uniform, so I’m not sure why you think you know better than they do.

 

[mpthomson]

Female staff previously never had the option to wear trousers as just one point...

They don't like it because it's of poor quality from whats been widely posted, rather than the idea of it.

The new uniform is almost universally unpopular. I know quite a few cabin crew and ground staff personally - this is a big thing inside the company at the moment.

But is that because of the quality of it or the idea?

 

[43066]

Female staff previously never had the option to wear trousers as just one point...

They don't like it because it's of poor quality from whats been widely posted, rather than the idea of it.

So you’re confirming you have no personal experience of the uniform, and are for whatever reason presuming to speak for (and in contradiction of) BA crew?

Your first point is also incorrect. Female CC at BA have been able to wear trousers since circa. 2016, following a tribunal decision. So that choice very much isn’t something that’s been introduced by the new uniform.

 

[mpthomson]

So you’re confirming you have no personal experience of the uniform, and are for whatever reason presuming to speak for (and in contradiction of) BA crew?

Your first point is also incorrect. Female CC at BA have been able to wear trousers since circa. 2016, following a tribunal decision. So that choice very much isn’t something that’s been introduced by the new uniform.

I suspect I have no more or less direct experience of it than anyone else posting on this thread, including those proponents of a 40 year old design...