Summary
- Aerolíneas Argentinas’ recent staff uniform has come under criticism for its resemblance to British seaside resort uniforms from the Sixties.
- Despite claims of modernity and luxury, online reactions to the uniform have been largely negative.
- British Airways faced similar criticism earlier this 12 months for its recent uniform collection, as cabin crew members claimed they were ill-fitting and poorly designed.
Are we in Bognor Regis or Buenos Aires? Flag carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas’ recent staff uniform has come under criticism for its uncanny resemblance to the classic British seaside resort uniforms of the Sixties.
Redcoat, Bluecoat, Greencoat, Turncoat?
Announced earlier this month, the brand new uniform will see Aerolíneas Argentinas switch up its current nautical-themed ensemble for a gaudy, shiny blue suit harking back to the Nineteen Eighties BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, a parody of resort chains resembling Butlin’s in the course of the Nineteen Fifties and Sixties.
Butlins, Pontins, and Warner Resorts became renowned in the course of the era for his or her kitschy blazered uniforms, some still seeing motion on certain front-line staff members and entertainers to this present day.
Photo: BBC
Aerolíneas Argentinas noted the decision-followed consultation with its employees, as much as 70% of whom had expressed interest in a more recent, more comfortable uniform alternative. The carrier’s President Pablo Ceriani outlined the intent to modernize its image while retaining its brand identity.
With design efforts led by Benito Fernández, the uniform is reportedly more sustainable, reducing the variety of clothing items from nine to 6 and incorporating trainers designed by Ricky Sarkany into the combo. Other features include spandex, unisex trouser options, and removing the present braiding in favor of pins to display a crew member’s rank or position.
Online reactions
Nevertheless, the try to create a has drawn ire from bloggers and journalists. In his scathing review of Aerolíneas Argentinas’ very ill-thought-out fashion selections, Johnny Clark of The Design Air summarised,
Photo: Aerolíneas Argentinas
On social media site X, formerly Twitter, users jabbed on the airline’s decision to splash the money on refitting following its recently posted H1 losses and Argentina’s ongoing economic troubles. Argentine-based influencer @BowTiedMara noted,
Sky-high fashion disasters
Aerolíneas Argentinas isn’t alone in its fashion misstep. Earlier this 12 months, British Airways found itself at the middle of comparable jibes following the reveal of its first uniform collection in over 20 years.
The gathering, designed by British-Ghanian Ozwald Boateng, was unveiled in January and featured over 125 pieces, including hijabs, trench coats, and tunics.
Despite the various collection being praised for its inclusiveness and accommodation of spiritual, cultural, and gender preferences, the usage of cheap-looking materials and unflattering patterns saw some cabin crew members protest the change.
In an article by The Each day Mail, an unnamed cabin crew member criticized the choice to concentrate on gender neutrality, noting that British Airways must have as a substitute produced a separate uniform for non-binary and gender-neutral crew members.
Based on AeroTime, the roll-out has been tormented by other issues, including supply-chain problems limiting its production which caused the carrier to hunt approval from aviation regulators to utilize each recent and old uniforms until the top of October.
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