History

Delta Brand

Employee Uniforms

1934

Station managers, ticket agents and operations agents wear U.S. Navy Dress Blue officer's uniform, a double-breasted nearly black uniform with Delta brass buttons. Same uniform as the Delta pilots, without stripes and epaulettes. Cap is naval officer style with metal chin strap and Delta hat badge. White shirt has two front flap pockets with “Delta Air Lines” embroidered on the left lapel.

1942

Women employees join Delta ACS during World War II. Their uniform consists of navy blue jacket with plain dark buttons, navy blue skirt and a white blouse worn with collar open.

Uniform available in both summer and winter weight material. Shoes are navy blue or black with medium heel. Insignia worn on left breast pocket. Bracelets, pins, earrings and large rings not permitted

1947

Women in City Ticket Offices and those in Reservations who meet the public also required to wear the standard ACS uniform.

1950s

Porters at City Ticket Offices and airports, assigned exclusively to lobby, ticket counter and baggage claim duties, wear a gray wool uniform with short Eisenhower jacket.

1961
Male agent uniform jacket changes from double-breasted to single-breasted style in midnight blue. Women continue to wear navy blue skirt and jacket until 1965.

ca. 1962

Delta launches a unique passenger service program. Passenger Service Agents, today known as “Red Coats,” are available at all times to assist customers at the airport.

The special agents initially wear gray jackets – changing to red jackets in late 1960s/early 1970s – with a large Delta logo patch on left front of the jacket, to be easily recognizable by customers and coworkers.

1965
Women wear a new uniform of short blue jacket with three-quarter length sleeves, narrow blue skirt and a jewel neck (collarless) white overblouse.

1969
Women wear new uniform designed by Harry Gilbert of Lady Simpson as of December 1. Choice of red or blue dress, in the “classic princess line” with optional short, double-breasted matching jacket with white plastic buttons. Fabric is “wash and wear” material of 100% polyester knit.

1973
New uniform for men is a Swedish knit polyester dark blue suit. Choice of blue tie with red/light blue stripes or burgundy tie with blue/light blue stripes. An optional seersucker cotton jacket, of light blue and white, is available for warm weather. Dress shirts are solid white, white on white, light blue or ecru.

Red Coat uniform is a red jacket with gray pants, all in Swedish knit polyester with wider lapels for the jacket. Dress shirts are white, white on white and light blue, worn with a wide red/white/blue striped tie. Optional gray vest available after 1973, to wear under red jacket.

A striking new uniform for women by Identity Designs Division of Koret of California. Features the Delta tri-colors of red, white and blue inset in front of a short-sleeve double-knit polyester dress. Large Delta logo name badge worn centered.

Blue dress can be worn with a jacket trimmed in red and white, and red dress can be worn with jacket of blue trimmed in white. Long-sleeve tunic and pants option also added after 1973.

1976
Women wear uniform designed by Pat Ashley for Omniform, who also created Delta flight attendant uniforms worn 1975-1978, to “posture Delta personnel as a professional and contemporary work force. To bring a new look to Delta, and reinforce a corporate identity that outstanding in the airline industry.” Employee input came from a nine-member uniform advisory committee, which asked for a uniform “easy to work in; tailored but feminine.” Uniform required for airport and city ticket office agents and optional wear by reservation agents, stations clerical staff and teletype/radio operators.

This was Delta’s first female ACS uniform with mix-and-match pieces and accessories. The basic pieces – a knit polyester blazer jacket, a shirt-style belted jacket, slightly flared pants, vest, tunic, skirt, dress and jumper – came in navy blue, camel and peach. The striped cardigan sweater set came in navy blue or ecru, with option to have “DELTA” across the front of the sweater vest. Blouses, turtleneck sweaters and scarves came in light blue, light peach, ecru and a “Delta Cities” pattern.

For more information, see this 1976 news release and the "Wear & Care" guide.

1980s
Men continue to wear navy uniform. The ties are updated. Shown here, a navy blue tie with small red Delta "widget" logo pattern.

ca. 1984
Women wear navy blue uniform by Greif Companies with blazer jacket, vest, skirt with plain or 1-pleat front, pants and jumper dress. Long-sleeve sweater and cardigan sweater set. Blouses of white, gray or white with red pinstripes. Neckties and scarfs have red, blue and gray striped pattern. Two belts: navy leather or thin serpentine goldtone metal belt with “DELTA” engraved on the buckle.

1991
On November 1, 1991, new uniforms for men and women of navy blue or gray tropical weight polyester-wool blend fabric introduced. Navy blue is the most popular choice. Women wear optional red/gray paisley scarves and pre-tied bows. Navy sweaters available in a variety of styles. Passenger Service Agents, or “Red Coats,” may wear either navy or gray pants with the red jacket.

For more information, see this 1991 Delta Digest article.

1995-2001
ACS uniform collection is streamlined with fewer pieces. Jackets, pants, coat dress and skirt are navy blue. Women's red/gray patterned scarves come in two shapes: oblong bias or square. Two of the white blouses have a jewel neckline and mandarin collar. Men wear white shirts with three choices of ties: blue with red/black repeating pattern, gray with light gray/black repeating pattern, and wide stripes of black/gray/red/ecru. Sweaters are vest, long sleeve and cardigan styles. See ACS Uniform Guidelines booklet from 1999.

1996
All public contact employees may wear an "Olympic Dreams, Delta Wings" scarf and tie made by All-Bilt Uniform Fashions to commemorate Delta as the Official Airline of the 1996 Olympic Games.

1997
Delta introduces a new Delta First Concierge Service, a meet-and-greet program to help guide premium customers through New York-JFK airport. Navy blue uniform has large gold crest on front left of jacket.

1999
In December 1998, Delta’s first and business classes on international flights become a single section of luxury seats called BusinessElite. In May 1999, Delta begins supporting BusinessElite with a new level of personal service. BusinessElite Concierge Agents meet all flights with BE service, assist BE passengers to connecting flights and offer assistance through customs and baggage claim.

First BusinessElite concierge uniform, briefly worn in 1999, is a gray suit with white embroidered crest on jacket and necktie with gray/black/light gray alternating block pattern.

Second BusinessElite Concierge uniform (shown here) has navy blue and black “birdseye” tweed jackets: single breasted blazer for men, double-breasted collarless blazer for women agents. Textured gold tie and scarf with navy highlights. Large goldtone metal name badge with BusinessElite logo.