Hold Up — The New McDonald’s Uniforms Are Actually Really Trendy
By Macaela Mackenzie. Photos: Courtesy of McDonalds.
Fast food and fashion are not typically things we write about in the same sentence. Neither are McDonald’s and outfit inspiration. But the fast food giant’s latest uniforms are fresh off the fashion industry’s griddle — seriously.
McDonald’s is ditching their ketchup-and-mustard polos and serving up two new uniforms at chains across the U.S. — one of which was designed by red carpet favorite Waraire Boswell, whose list of clients includes some of the most well-suited men in entertainment. Ryan Gosling, Will Smith, Bruno Mars, LeBron James, and Sean "Diddy" Combs are just a few who have sported the designer's wares.
For Boswell, the project is personal — the designer actually started his career flipping burgers under the golden arches. “As a former McDonald’s employee, I understand the design and functionality needs of the next generation of uniforms,” Boswell said in an interview with Refinery29. “When I was a crew member, I routinely changed into different set of clothes before leaving the restaurant: I wanted to design a line of uniforms that people would feel comfortable wearing outside of work.”
On that note, the new uniforms are actually rather wearable, skewing more "under-the-radar streetwear brand" than "one-size-fits-no-one" garb. In addition to a convertible denim apron fit for any hipster kitchen or back yard grill, the new uniforms have a definite athleisure-inspired vibe with space age grey logo tees.
McDonald's also commissioned a second uniform collection from British designer Bindu Rivas — featuring grey color blocked tees and golden arch yellow detailing — and is giving each location the opportunity to choose which collection they’d prefer to wear. While this is McDonald’s first designer collab, it’s not unusual for brands to visit the atelier for an upgrade (Vivienne Westwood gave Virgin Airlines's flight crew a stylish makeover in 2014, for example). Getting into the uniform business means major exposure for designers — the latest McDonald's outfits will be seen by 25 million customers daily, reports Refinery29. That’s one hell of a runway show.
The new understated uniforms are a far cry from the last time fashion got into the brand. Back in 2014, Moschino — the leaders in high-end quirk — sent a McDonald’s-inspired collection down the runway that included a super-sized dose of Ronald McDonald red, graphic takes on the brand’s iconic golden arches, and even a Chanel-esque cow print skirt suit. Needless to say, the looks never made it anywhere near the fryer.
The latest designer treatment for McDonald’s might be a far cry from Moschino, but there’s no denying the home of the Big Mac has an oddly impressive amount of style cache.
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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