Abercrombie CEO’s Specific Dress Code For Model/Flight Attendants
Michael Jeffries, Abercrombie Fitch Co. CEO, exacted a dress code for the flight attendant-slash-models that went with him on his Gulfstream jet.
According to NBC News, Jeffries, who turned Abercrombie into a hot teen brand by sexing up the image of the the all-American jock, had 40-plus pages of rules that he expected his flight attendants to follow, according to court documents filed in August in the Eastern District U.S. Court in Philadelphia. The documents were by 55-year-old private jet pilot Michael Stephen Bustin, who filed suit in 2010 saying that he was only fired because of his age.
According to the manual, there was a precise uniform to be worn. This consisted of jeans worn “at the hip,” polo shirts and flip-flops. Sweatshirts could be worn, but only if the staff all coordinated their wardrobes.
If the temperature fell below 50 degrees, then a winter coat was required. The collar had to be turned up and the bottom button had to be left unbuttoned. Hats were required to be worn when the temperature dropped below 40 degrees, with the brim folded two inches.
No matter what type of weather, flip-flops were required to be worn while flying and greeting passengers. Also required for male attendants: boxer briefs and Abercrombie cologne “spritzed” over their uniforms.
The court filings detail other specific demands by the CEO including Jeffries’ three dogs had to have specific in-flight seat assignments and requests had to be had to be answered with the phrase, “No problem.”
Before the recession, Abercrombie Fitch was known for its high numbers, but the popular teen retailer has hit turbulence as competitors such as American Eagle started offering lower prices.
“The second quarter results we are reporting today are disappointing and below our expectations coming into the quarter,” Jeffries told investors on Abercrombie’s third-quarter earnings call in August, when the company reported that same-store sales fell 10 percent year-over-year.
