Find out how a uniform rollout turned into a legal lesson for HR leaders at major US employers
Delta Airlines’ uniform overhaul landed in court after employees alleged that new outfits from Lands’ End caused property damage and health complaints.
On October 23, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed a lower court’s decision in favor of Lands’ End, closing the door on claims brought by groups of Delta employees. The case arose after Delta partnered with Lands’ End to supply updated uniforms, distributing nearly 100 types of garments to 64,000 employees. Not long after the rollout, hundreds of employees reported that the uniforms transferred dye onto their property and that they experienced symptoms such as rashes, itchiness, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, memory issues, coughing, breathing difficulties, and vocal cord problems.
Two groups of employees brought lawsuits against Lands’ End. The Gilbert plaintiffs, a group of five, filed a putative class action seeking compensation for property damage and for breach of express warranties under Delta’s contract with Lands’ End. The Andrews plaintiffs, comprising 605 individually named Delta employees, brought product liability claims, alleging that the uniforms were defectively manufactured and designed, and that Lands’ End failed to warn of the alleged defects.
The record included laboratory test results and expert reports in textile chemistry, epidemiology, toxicology, and dermatology. Tests...
“This has been one of the most difficult and traumatic periods of my life.” It’s pretty wild how quick a lawyer threatening a lawsuit can bring a person, company, whatever, to heel. And Ian Battri...