Air Hostess, I Like the Way You Dress…

The Japanese fascination with the air hostess uniforms given to employees of Japan Airlines (JAL) has prompted such a high demand for the goods that a black market has been created.

Although shops selling replica uniforms are very common on the streets of Japan, the desire to own the authentic JAL uniform has created a remarkably competitive market for them, with the genuine article often selling for thousands of dollars.

Those shops supplying the uniforms hope that many more will soon become available as the company filed for bankruptcy back in January.

Suit up!

Going for a job interview can be a nervous experience, and as such anything you can do to make it less daunting is surely a good thing? A good, professional, suit is a great way to give you that boost of confidence; after all, clothes make the (wo)man.

So, it seems understandable to read that Job Centres are handing out almost £10m a year to job seekers for vouchers to enable them to buy suits at high street stores to help them get jobs.

Certainly we've written many times about the work that goes in to making top quality suits and, while high street suits may not be bespoke, or suitable (no pun) for working in the Bank of England, for those looking to get back in to work, a smart suit is a great way to put a spring in the step as those at the interview stage sit down behind a desk to those familiar words of "So, tell me why you think..."

Uniforms on stamps

The Royal Navy is to have its history of uniforms documented on a new set of six stamps that will feature all manner of uniforms, beginning with the gold-crested frock coat of an Admiral from 1795, through to the high visibility uniform of a 2009 Flight Deck Officer, reports the Daily Telegraph.

They also feature an 1805 Royal Marine, an Able Seaman from 1880, a 1918 Women's Royal Navy Service Officer and a Second World War Captain.

Julietta Edgar, head of special stamps at Royal Mail, said: 'Some of our most significant commemorative issues have highlighted the bravery and sacrifice of the UK's servicemen and women, and they continue to play a key role in the stamps that we issue.'

Vice Admiral Sir Alan Massey added: ''These stamps reflect the great history of the senior service and uniquely represent changes in the Royal Navy, from the development of the fleet air arm to the introduction of women at sea. The importance of mail to the morale of our personnel deployed around the world cannot be overstated, and Royal Mail continues to provide us with a terrific service.'

It's a tie (or is it)

A fascinating article on the BBC Magazine website today about the ways in which school pupils undermine the wearing of a tie by coming up with weird and wonderful ways to make them look rebellious and, er, cool.

But, as you'd expect, teachers are not happy. Quoted in the article a principal called Ruth Harker at Shenley Court Academy in the West Midlands says that they they have made the decision to switch to clip-on ties. She said, "It is basically to ensure consistency in the way the ties were tied. It is also to try and avoid this half tied look."

Kids eh! What do you think? Willful defiance or just kids being kids?

Underground thoughts

A lovely little piece of art and journalism we stumbled across on the weekend was this series of interviews with London Underground staff, to 'put a face to the people behind the stations'. A clever concept and nicely carried out too, and one interesting thing to note was the fact that each member of staff interviewed was asked about their uniform.

The responses seem to focus on the negative aspects 'Don't like the trousers - unflattering', or 'least favourite uniform item is the shoes', which is interesting to hear, but perhaps it would be nice to hear about their favourite items too and what they like about wearing the uniform.

Either way though it's useful feedback for the supplier of the uniform and if the shoes really are the least favourite item then at least that means the garments are liked.

The Ashes

We won! We won! Oh isn't it good to have won the Ashes back!

Did you hear Lily Allen on the Test Match Special (TMS) lunch time show being interviewed by Johnathan Agnew? It was quite an interesting interview, underlying the sports wide appeal to people of all generations, and it was intriguing to hear the thoughts of Ms Allen on the game, and its appeal. One of these she noted was the simplicity of the kits, the colour of the "whites on the green", and her dismissal (ha!) of Twenty20 and its kits.

It's true indeed that the sight of cricket whites against lush green grass, standing in the field, and the sound of leather on willow, is an classic piece of English heritage. It's nice to see that even a live-fast rock-hard youngster like Lily Allen can appreciate this, and the simple white clothing of the game still retains its charm, even as day-glo kits are fast becoming the norm.

Building a future

While economic conditions continue to be uncertain, some good news came from the government recently with the announcment that a £1.5bn building scheme would go ahead.

The news will be welcomed in the construction industry and in turn by clothing companies who provide all manner of garments and PPE in to these industries, ensuring future turnover. With many fearing public spending will be cut back in future years to pay back the government's debt, areas such as construction risked seeing budgets cut, but if the £1.5bn scheme goes ahead as planned, it should provide some much needed support.

What do you think? Is this enough, or is more need to safeguard industries such as construction - and in turn the sectors that provide to them - in the midst of the current climate.

Back to school

Okay, so Company Clothing doesn't cover children's clothing, as they don't work, but news that ASDA is to sell an entire 'back to school' wardrobe for £4.75 is certainly blog worthy.

Yet again, low prices are sure to be met with questions of 'how can they afford to make it so cheap?' But, for cash strapped parents in the middle of a recession, it's likely the sound of the packets hitting the bottom of supermarket trolleys will be taking place up and down the country.

Shop floor

We've been very busy lately, especially with a lovely bank holiday cropping up, so the blog got a little neglected. Sorry blog.

As a peace offering we bring you this link to the experiences one Guardian writer had working on the shop floor of a M&S store. Her line about the uniform being 'black nylon two piece' has that air of the dismissive fashionista assuming all uniforms are of such bland, lifeless design - when we know of course nothing could be further from the truth. Is the M&S uniform nylon? If you know let us know below.

Back tomorow, we promise.

Star Trek: reviewed

Space, the final frontier. Etc.

With the Design Innovation Award at our awards being based on the release of the new Star Trek film we thought today we would bring you our opinions on the new film, just released, and take a look at the uniforms on show.

First off it's fair to say the film is fantastic. Warp speed pacing, fantastic set pieces, good characterisation and a clever, intricate plot that teeters on the edge of ludicrious but just keeps its balance. The costumes too are fantastic. The aliens, of course, are eye-catching, but even the red, blue and yellow shirts of the crew look dynamic and funky, rather than simple and plain. No doubt given it's 2,300 they have some fantastic wicking properties too. Although if you ask us, the blue should be the top colour, not the yellow / mustard number.

All in all then we feel particularly pleased that the film / cultural reference point we choose for our awards has delivered with as much verve and aplomb as the enteries we received. Certainly well worth a trip to the cinema.

Reality bites

David Hepworth, founder of Word Magazine and Q and other magazine based things (and so a favourite of Company Clothing), has written a blog post about his experiences with the myriad styles of dress and appearence in the NHS here after a recent trip to A&E following an accident.

It's very interesting to read what he has to say about the lack of a cohesive look in the hospital;

"I can't help but think that it looked slovenly. And when things look slovenly, they can often be slovenly. When you're thrown into this kind of environment, usually in some distress, surely it has to help if you can immediately work out who the people are, what role they fulfil and, also, who's in charge."

Which is a fairly damning indictment and one which carries some weight. After all, his magazine credentials aside, he's a member of the public and as such voices, eloquantly, the concerns many may have had too. While it's just one opinion, it would do well if the NHS where aware of such criticisms and made the appropriate changes. Are they on Twitter?

New chefswear?

Okay, so this is probably perfect ammunition for those who say catwalk fashion is always impractical, but, come on, what an outfit! Tasty even.

You've got the eggs, fried, a croissant or baguette on the head (can't quite tell) and all laid out on a classic red-chequered table cloth.

Perhaps greasy spoon cafes and up market bistros could incorporate something like this into their outfits. All this breakfast talk has made us hungry...we're off for a bacon sarnie.

We were just handed this link, well emailed it, etc, by one of our many Twitter followers - we think it's rather good - more playful fashion designs.

The final countdown

So this is it, in just over 24 hours the Company Clothing Industry Awards will have started and those that are in attendence will be sipping champagne and looking forward to a celebration of the industry, all hosted by the very lovely Myleene Klass. Those of you that aren't going...what were you thinking?! We'll save you a slice of cake.

It promises to be a great night and culmination of much hard work by us, and by you in submitting the garments you worked so hard to create, and it's great that, especially in the tumultuous times, we are able to bring such a vibrant, diverse and creative industry together to celebrate and share in its achievements.

Fashion is so fickle and often unrealistic, but our industry clothes real people for real jobs, from train drivers to police officers to chefs and bank staff, and we hope the awards night will prove a great opportunity for you to all come together and bask in your achievements.

The blog tomorrow will probably go missing due in the coming and goings in ensuring every last detail is taken care of, but we look forward to seeing you there, and if you have any last minute queries check the website and if it's not on there, get in touch.

BOA seeks tenders for formal and parade wear for Team GB

A serious story for a moment, concerning the Olympics and the chance to perhaps design and supply the uniform for the formal and parade wear of Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Right, in best Boris Johnson whiff-whaff-is-coming-home voice:

"The British Olympic Association (BOA) is now seeking tenders for the appointment of the supplier of formal and parade wear for Team GB for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The chosen partner will supply Team GB clothing including the official suit that will be worn on all formal occasions, as well as providing a distinctive parade uniform for Team GB members to wear at the opening ceremony.

The tender is for the design and supply of clothing for a team of 150 athletes and support staff, of all sizes and ages and is a chance for a UK company to showcase the best of British design on the international stage. The BOA is looking to appoint the supplier who can best handle the process of design, production and delivery.

Commenting on this tender launch Chief Commercial Officer Hugh Chambers said: ‘For many, representing your country at an Olympic Winter Games is a once in a life time achievement. Team GB athletes walking out in to the stadium during the Opening Ceremony in Vancouver will feel a huge sense of pride and we are looking for an exceptional partner to work with who can dress our athletes in a manner fitting for such an occasion.’

Suppliers of past uniforms include names such as Lee Cooper, Roots, Ben Sherman, Marks & Spencers, Aquascutum and Next.

Any interested parties should submit their proposals to Jo Kingston jo.kingston@boa.org.uk or 020 8871 2677 ext 207) at the BOA by 20 March."

Right there you go - something to think about and perhaps get working on!

What? I should have buttoned up my suit? Poppycock!

Simply Red

Virgin has chosen to celebrate 25 years in the biz by highlighting the impact they made to the world of air travel in their eye-catching red uniforms. Try here if your youtube is blocked.

The ad, which features 80s references a-plenty - miner's strikes on the front pages, massive mobile phones, Wimpy bars, and soundtracked by seminal hit 'Relax' - underline the impact a distinctive, eye-catching uniform can make. Indeed the other air hostesses in the advert are portrayed wearing drab, grey outfits that are completely outshone by their rival's red ensemble.

As we found when we covered the new Emirate Airlines uniform design and rollout, airline uniforms are a fundamental part of brand image and Virgin clearly know this, using theirs as the focal point for this ad campaign.

What are your favourite memories of 1980s nostalgia - clothing or otherwise?

Wearing your heart on your sleeve

We often write about fantastic, hi-tech fabrics and fibres in Company Clothing, and with new fibres that are able to monitor the health of the skin and the body it seems it is something we will be covering in more detail for many years to come.

The new fibre works by monitoring the wearer's vital signs and could be used by people in ill health, young babies, or even those in the military and emergency services. How long it takes for this technology to become the norm is of course another matter, but no doubt in a few years time it will be being trialled for the first time and then rolled out and when it does, you can rest assured Company Clothing will be there to bring you the latest news.

Have a great weekend!

Streets of shame?

As regular readers will know a few weeks ago we blogged about the potential use of high-visibility clothing to 'shame' offenders on community service and highlight the work they are doing to the community. Needless to say it drew some debate from several quarters as we noted.

As of yesterday the new scheme which sees offenders in bright orange tabards started and the debate went from hypothetical to reality.

Jack Straw said of the scheme and its goals: 'They're not medieval; it's not to do with the stocks. It's not to do with shaming. The shame the offenders feel is the shame and humiliation of having committed the offence and then going to court and having a criminal record. What this is about is enabling the public to see that justice is being done.'

A strong argument you might think, but clearly some disagree. But what do you think about this? We are an industry involved with high-visibility clothing in its more traditional uses but this is an emotive subject and one could run and run.

Dog is new stationmaster

With the terrible news that John Sergeant is off Strictly, we felt a fun story was in order for today's blog entry. So we were pleased to come across the story of a dog being made stationmaster of a small railway station in Japan. As you can see from the picture there's something strangely commanding about him - you wouldn't risk jumping the barriers with him snapping at your heels. There's even a little video of the fella in action here.

Last week we reported on Hatty the dog being made to wear high-visibility clothing so it seems dogs in workwear - either PPE or corporate wear - is becoming something of a trend. What other jobs could dogs do, and what uniforms would they need to do them?

Dressed to shame?

Sir Ian Blair has brought a debate back to the fore that's been bubbling away for many years. He called for criminals on community service to wear uniforms so that, "people can see those people (offenders) have been sentenced to a community project."

However, as long-time readers of Company Clothing will know, this is not a new topic. In 2005 Hazel Blears called for a similar scheme and much backlash ensued, from MP Ann Widdecombe ("it might be worn as a badge of honour") to civil rights group Liberty ("degradation is no way of engendering a culture of respect").

In America this type of activity already exists, in a predictably bizarre way, with people being made to wear chicken suits to be shamed for their crimes. While it is obvious the UK would never take things to this extreme the question is still yet be resolved around uniforms for offenders on community service.

What do you think? Is this something that should be brought in or is it a step too far? What if the uniform was made to be tasteful and smart rather than designed to be bold and make them standout for the wrong reasons? Would that make it more acceptable?

Protesting the badge

As some of you may remember we recently blogged about the resentment that many war veterans and their partners had felt by news that the American army insignias for the 1st Infantry Division was to be used on clothing.

The story continues to make the headlines with the news yesterday, on the 90th anniversary of the Armistice of WWI, that many veterans had been out actively protesting against the clothing now on sale with these insignias, with that famous American brand, Sears, the recipients of their protest.

It is doubtful the US Army ever thought their decision to license the insignia for commercial clothing would cause such debate but it underlines the emotional strength such insignias and clothing can have and that to open them up for anyone to wear dilutes what makes them special.
What do you think about this?