To quote an inexplicably popular sitcom that's about to churn out another Christmas special: what's occurring? TfL has just announced its staff are getting an early Christmas pressie — new uniforms! As of December 2024 you'll spot a employees strutting their stuff in a refreshed range of two-tone blue outfits trimmed with white: polo shirts, overcoats "fleecington" jackets, cardigans — plus accessories inc. hats, scarves and ties. The whole kit and caboodle.
Haven't they just done rebranded uniforms? That was back in 2015, grandad/ma! That's when HemingwayDesign wove some serious va-va-voom into the look — putting the iconic roundel front and centre. Hemingway Design have been used again for this next generation of threads, again in cahoots with uniform specialists Cooneen.
Speaking of roundels, why are they white in the new design? The bold flashes of red on the outbound uniform undeniably looked great, but the feedback from visually-impaired customers was that the roundels needed to be brighter and bigger — making staff easier to spot in a crowd.
What else is different this time? Actually, a lot of the old design motifs (highlighted pockets and zips, elongated roundel bars, trimmed polo shirt collar and sleeves) have been retained. Colour-wise, there's less dark blue/red and lots more cool blue in the mix. Something we won't notice, but TfL staff will, is the use of softer, more breathable fabrics. ("The fabric felt breathable and not itchy!" runs a surprised-sounding employee quote in the press release, suggesting TfL staff have been scratching away for almost a decade in the current garb.) Head scarves and vegan alternatives to leather belts/shoe designs will be made available. But yes, overall, the motto is lighter and brighter.
Something's bugging me about that polo shirt... what's it reminding me of? A nurse's uniform, perhaps? Maybe they should have completed the look by pinning an upside-down roundel watch on the front of each one.
High point: The new knitted cardigan, which they should definitely sell in the Transport Museum shop, although they probably won't because then there'll be thousands of hipsters milling about London looking like they work at Goodge Street station.
Low point: Got to be that lime green tram tie/blue sleeveless zipper jacket look. It gives of a kind of 'assistant manager at a mid-range supermarket' vibe. Then again, what colours actually GO with tram green?
