Source: Chicago Business Journal

Another irritant from the Jeff Smisek era at United Airlines is being addressed at the Chicago-based carrier. Three years ago, at the height of Smisek's extraordinarily rocky reign as United CEO, the carrier introduced new uniforms created by a down-market uniform provider Cincinnati-based Cintas (NASDAQ: CTAS). At the time, some viewed United's "fashion" statement, like that made with the coffee United served on board, as another effort by Smisek and his management team to cut corners and, of course, costs.

But now, with Smisek abruptly exiting last fall, United Airlines is about to unveil reworked uniforms for some of its key employee groups, including thousands of customer-service agents and flight attendants. Cintas is still providing the uniforms, but with a different mandate from United management. The new uniforms being tested reportedly include higher-quality fabrics, reinforced pockets and blazers with a more functional construction.

Changes are coming to the uniforms shown here that United Airlines employees started wearing in mid-2013.

Sources among United's ranks of flight attendants said the outfits introduced in 2013 were of poor quality, with baggy pants and blazer coat pocket flaps that weren't properly attached. "I had to wear my dress jacket with the flaps tucked into the pockets," said one flight attendant source.

A team of 120 United employees is now testing the reworked Cintas uniforms. More changes could come based on the feedback from the uniform testers, with final versions of the new uniforms expected to be available in early 2017.

New employees will have to purchase their first revamped uniforms. But employees already stuck with the old version of United uniforms will get the new ones free of charge, a veteran United flight attendant said.

Though United opted to work with Cintas on its new uniforms three years ago, other carriers over the years have employed well-known fashion designers, including Virgin Atlantic Airways, which worked with noted British designer Vivienne Westwood on new uniforms in 2014. Singapore Airlines has worked with Pierre Balmain, and China Eastern with Christian Lacroix. Gianfranco Ferre designed uniforms for Korean Air.

Earlier this year, Alaska Airlines, which is acquiring Virgin America Airlines, said it had retained Seattle-based fashion design Luly Yang to design new uniforms for the carrier's front-line employees.