In August 2025, we learned how Lufthansa was working on refreshing its employee uniforms for the first time in nearly a quarter century. There’s now an update, as the uniforms have finally been unveiled. If you ask me, they’re honestly not that different from the old ones, for better or worse.
In this post:
Basics of Lufthansa’s employee uniform refresh
Every so often, we see airlines overhaul their employee uniforms, to reflect updated branding, and also to modernize. In the case of Lufthansa, employees at the airline have had the same uniforms since 2002. At this point they feel quite dated, though I’ve gotta say, there’s a certain charm to all of it.
Maybe this is the area where I’m a Lufthansa fanboy, but I grew up flying Lufthansa to Germany to visit family, and there’s something about flying with the airline that reminds me of my childhood… and that includes that nothing has changed with the uniforms since I was a pre-teen!
There’s something I find very calming about the below safety video… I’m not going to lie, I sometimes just play it in the background for… well, absolutely no good reason.
Anyway, the current uniforms won’t be around much longer, as Lufthansa is introducing a new look for all its employee groups, designed by Hugo Boss. The expectation is that these will be rolled out on a widespread basis starting in Q4 2026, and as Lufthansa describes it, the collection includes around 40 new and reimagined uniform pieces.
For quite some time now, Lufthansa has been testing the new uniforms for comfort, fit, and functionality, with a particular focus on the durability of the materials. It’s possible you’ve already seen some Lufthansa employees wearing these in recent months, given the testing that has gone on.
Employee uniforms aren’t just about looks, but they also have to be comfortable and functional. Over the years, we’ve seen airlines have a countless number of challenges when it comes to uniform rollouts, so airlines have become much more careful with this process over time.
Before we take a look at the new uniforms, below is what Lufthansa’s old employee uniforms look like, which will eventually be replaced.
Lufthansa’s new uniforms are sort of uninspiring
Lufthansa has now revealed its new uniforms, so I’ll let the pictures below mostly speak for themselves (at least employees look happier in the pictures than in the runway fashion show videos that were posted on Lufthansa’s Instagram).
This refresh strikes me as being rather underwhelming, unless the goal was “more of the same.” For a moment I struggled to figure out what actually changed, as this is a very subtle refresh of the old design. Now, maybe that’s not a bad thing, but it’s strange given how radically Lufthansa has updated its livery, but then the uniform remains largely the same.
As a reminder, in 2015 the airline went from its blue and yellow livery…
…to being just more focused on blue.
Am I the only one that thinks the new uniforms still look like a better match for the old livery than the new livery?
I was expecting fewer yellow accent pieces, and perhaps a lighter shade of blue, but that’s not what they decided on. I mean, I wasn’t expecting anything super modern or edgy, like at Aegean Airlines or Riyadh Air, since Lufthansa has a very diversified workforce. But still, this doesn’t strike me as a uniform of the future, if you will.
Here’s how Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter describes the new uniforms:
“Our new uniform is far more than just a piece of clothing; it is an expression of our identity and a promise to our guests worldwide. It is our business card and stands for quality, reliability, and the unmistakable style that our passengers experience on every journey with Lufthansa.”
Meanwhile here’s how James Foster, SVP of Global Marketing at Hugo Boss, describes the uniforms:
“Working closely with Lufthansa, we have combined tailoring expertise with aviation know-how. The new looks represent quality, durability, and our shared commitment to excellence. We look forward to accompanying Lufthansa in the next chapter of its journey – both in the air and on the ground.”
Bottom line
Lufthansa is in the process of rolling out new employee uniforms, representing the first uniform refresh at the German Star Alliance carrier since 2002. The uniforms are designed in partnership with Hugo Boss, and the expectation is that they will be rolled out as of late 2026.
What do you make of Lufthansa’s new uniforms?
I love the colors however, a bit more creative work could be done to the blazers, ties and shirts. gold crane added to the blazers above the strips, a better smaller ribbon for the stripes. Single button blazers. Restyled hat. Need a bit more color and some changes to make them new not refreshed from the current uniforms. They still look better than most other airline uniforms today. Delta, United, Alaska are absolutely terrible and...
I love the colors however, a bit more creative work could be done to the blazers, ties and shirts. gold crane added to the blazers above the strips, a better smaller ribbon for the stripes. Single button blazers. Restyled hat. Need a bit more color and some changes to make them new not refreshed from the current uniforms. They still look better than most other airline uniforms today. Delta, United, Alaska are absolutely terrible and embarrassing and so are British Airways.
These are so stupid looking. The models are creepy looking. Maybe these are Lufthansa employees? Wow! Talk about ugly! Hahaha! And the bad part is you look stupid dancing in these imiforms.
Terrible double breasted Blazers.
Unless you’re a 70yo investment banking executive going to dinner at your club, double-breasted jackets are totally over.
You must not have much class in your styling. Double Breasted blazers are not out at all and probably never will be....look some up.
I don't really see much difference from the current uniforms. I like the blak shirt and ties for the gents. Regardless LH staff wear their uniforms with pride and look good. Much better than any American airline crew does.
At least they‘re keeping a few yellow touches with the „new“ uniforms. I was sad to see the iconic yellow disappear with the new aircraft livery.
Wow. Really shows what the airline only cares about: optics. Lipstick on a pig!
Lipstick on a pig. Lufthansa Airlines is the weakest performer in its own group (~1% margin vs. ~9% at SWISS), and recent results show subsidiaries are carrying group profitability. Yet Spohr's strategy is to centralize control under Lufthansa while stripping autonomy from higher-performing airlines like SWISS - the very units that have historically delivered better margins and service consistency. This is not convergence toward a best-in-class model; it is standardizing around the least efficient operator...
Lipstick on a pig. Lufthansa Airlines is the weakest performer in its own group (~1% margin vs. ~9% at SWISS), and recent results show subsidiaries are carrying group profitability. Yet Spohr's strategy is to centralize control under Lufthansa while stripping autonomy from higher-performing airlines like SWISS - the very units that have historically delivered better margins and service consistency. This is not convergence toward a best-in-class model; it is standardizing around the least efficient operator and hoping scale fixes the underlying rot.
Spohr is attempting to build a "super-group" through acquisitions like TAP. If he succeeds, the result will likely be the continued erosion of the operational and service advantages that made airlines like SWISS outperform in the first place. There is no clear indication that Lufthansa has solved its own structural issues. Furthermore, unlike Ben Smith at Air France-KLM, Carsten Spohr appears to be a manager whose primary "talent" is managing board perception while overseeing the steady decay of his airline's operational health, labor stability, and premium reputation.
This isn't about margins, and it should never be...get some business.
Vueling.... ???
I do not-see any issues here. Not-see.
LOL I was gonna do that joke
It’s wild anyone is still getting their uniforms designed by Hugo boss after that. You’d think they would have to do a rebrand in 1945, but I guess not!
The war has been over for more than eighty years. It’s time to move on.
Lufthansa has gone from an airline known for operational excellence and quality to just a sad mess. And the 'new' uniform just sums up what Lufthansa represents to me these days - more of the same old sh*t.
Who would have thought 10/15 years ago that Air France or Iberia would be more comfortable and reliable to fly with that Lufthansa?
Groundbreaking
Florals ? For spring ?
so they have removed the yellow strips at the wrists which I thought was a nice touch. Seems to me it's almost same ole same ole.
i'm always amused when airlines make a big splash about a change of uniforms. are such pr events supposed to move the needle or something...
Oh, please.....trivial comment
The men’s look pretty good: sleek & well fitted, as good Hugo Boss suits tend to do. The women’s, on the other hand (other than the pants) look blocky, designed by someone who doesn’t know how women move at this job, what works for their bodies, or how it can make people feel good about themselves.
I’d never seen the Aegean and Riyadh ones before you shared those links, and I love the innovation and...
The men’s look pretty good: sleek & well fitted, as good Hugo Boss suits tend to do. The women’s, on the other hand (other than the pants) look blocky, designed by someone who doesn’t know how women move at this job, what works for their bodies, or how it can make people feel good about themselves.
I’d never seen the Aegean and Riyadh ones before you shared those links, and I love the innovation and joy. However, kudos to LH for at least showing how their uniforms will work on real bodies rather than just on fashion models as the other two do.
It's still the same old frumpy look. Another 'genius' move by Carsten Spohr? Seriously, you Germans need to get rid of Spohr like how the Australians got rid of Joyce (and even clawed back some of the millions of dollars he was paid for basically wrecking Qantas).
Keep the old uniforms, the new ones look “frumpy” and inelegant.
It’ll be the most stylish picket line we’ve seen in decades.
Other than the women's short coat which is chic and very Air France, these uniforms look exactly the same as the old ones...
Uneducated Americans discovering Hugo Boss made uniforms in the 1930s: ‘Gotcha, evil Germans!’ you think German history is just a 12-year DLC pack? The country that gave you cars, aspirin, printing press vibes, Beethoven, and half your engineering textbooks gets boiled down to ‘le bad uniforms’ by people who can’t name a single German state before 1871. Touch some grass outside your cul-de-sac.
Alabama
Still, LH is wearing uniforms designed by the same folks as who designed those snazzy unis that the Waffen SS and Gestapo once wore. It's the first thing that came to mind, honestly.
Oh, btw: Bavaria, Bohemia, Prussia, Saxony.....or would you like me to go back to the Holy Roman Empire. You guys have this smug and ignorant anti-American bias based on watching TV shows starring idiots like the Kardashians. Many of us actually do have an education. From our world class universities that so many of your people try to attend.
The budget went to the event itself, not the redesign.
Hugo Boss designed uniforms for Hitler and Nazis. Look it up.
Gurl, we know.
Yaaasss, queen. Slay.
That may be true, but they absolutely nailed those unis in the 1930s, irrespective of the awful nature of that regime.
Of course, this changes everything. But, the new uniforms won't actually debut until 2032, when all strikes are over and flying resumes.
Fabric seems to cling in all the wrong places. Hence the wedgie face
Well, this certainly makes up for getting rid of carry-on bags on its cheapest fares…
The uniforms look horrible
Are they trying to distract everyone from something else going on..?
1982 called and is asking for their uniforms back
Im not seeing any meaningful upgrade here; it just looks like they've added the option for people to wear high-quality trash bags as a jacket/overcoat.
Looking at the pictures, they all look largely unhappy, with some looking mortified to be wearing these uniforms.
In all honesty, the only "upgrade" I see here is the option of the sweater and dress/skirt combo, which is potentially more comfortable for some rather than just a suit or suit equivalent for all.
the try save money on anything (last "gift" is no more carry-on on discounted Y) but spend millions for this crap....
Very underwhelmed. The female uniforms look like maternity wear. Dinner with Carsten is appropriate for the look on the employees
Yes, they all have "Carsten Spohr face". When your face shows your obvious disdain for the staff, their uniforms and your customers as well.