Uniforms

Starting next month, Virgin America 's in-flight crew members will sport a new look. The airline, which turns 5 on Aug. 8, plans to roll out new uniforms designed by Banana Republic, with creative input gleaned from a design competition and suggestions from flight crew members too. The buzzwords designers use in describing the wardrobe change: "utility chic. " (Here's a photo gallery of the new look.) The new uniforms are combinations of red, white and black.

Re "Ralph Lauren to make 2014 Olympic uniforms in U.S.," Business, July 14 You can't blame Ralph Lauren or any of its competitors for having their garments made in China. It's the U.S. government that needs to step up and offer attractive incentives to American designers and businesses to produce their products domestically. Otherwise, "Made in the USA" labels will become extinct. Gregory Diamond Los Angeles Americans have every right to be outraged by the disclosure that Team USA's uniforms for the 2012 Olympic Games are made in China.

Virgin America's pilots and flight attendants are going to look a lot more stylish in midair. The airline partnered with Banana Republic to design new uniforms for its 2,000 in-flight and airport crew members that will debut Aug. 8. The uniforms -- which look like pieces that might be worn by a chic world traveler with a penchant for the colors red, black and white -- include apparel for both men and women. Both Banana Republic and Virgin Atlantic will sell clothing items inspired by the new uniforms starting Aug. (for security reasons, the pieces available for sale won't be exact replicas)

Hang on to your tweed beret -- it appears future Team USA uniforms will be made stateside. At least that's what clothing designer Ralph Lauren promised Friday following a patriotic dust-up in recent days regarding the Chinese origin of the uniforms American athletes will be wearing during opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The U.S. Olympic Committee says it's too late to swap out uniforms made in China for American ones for the London Games, but Ralph Lauren says American athletes will be wearing "Made in the USA" labels when they arrive in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

At the Olympics in London, U.S. athletes are set to parade proudly behind the American flag in opening ceremonies later this month, but their made-in-China uniforms from designer Ralph Lauren are already creating a stir - and it's not just those wacky berets. The decision to have the red, white and blue uniforms manufactured in China has provoked a storm of criticism in Congress, where "made in America" is always a popular election-year theme. The issue has rippled across the nation with frustration, resignation and understanding as the preppy outfits unveiled this week drew some unexpected attention.

WASHINGTON -- Team USA may be comprised of America's best athletes, but their uniforms have a more foreign origin. The patriotic red, white and blue outfits designed by Ralph Lauren to be worn during the opening ceremony were made in China. Questions over whether overseas companies should be assembling the U.S. team's uniforms made their way to Congress on Thursday, with House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responding to the revelation first reported by ABC News . “We take great pride in our Olympic athletes and try to watch them through as many of the trials as possible.

The mass-produced tomatoes we buy at the grocery store tend to taste more like cardboard than fruit. Now researchers have discovered one reason why: a genetic mutation, common in store-bought tomatoes, that reduces the amount of sugar and other tasty compounds in the fruit. For the last 70-odd years, tomato breeders have been selecting for fruits that are uniform in color. Consumers prefer those tomatoes over ones with splotches, and the uniformity makes it easier for producers to know when it's time to harvest.

New York Yankees legend Don Larsen said Thursday he wants to pay for his grandkids' college education by auctioning off a prized possession -- the uniform he wore when he pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. People from around the world will be invited to make bids online or via phone this fall with Steiner Sports Memorabilia. Steiner Executive Vice President Brett Schissler estimates the uniform will sell for up to $2 million. Larsen is now 82. He pitched the perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In the course of researching Western's 100 years in the costume business, we came away with what felt like 200 years' worth of interesting anecdotes, fun facts and little-known aspects of the company. Among them: Military Might: On occasion, Western's expertise in military uniforms has been called into action beyond the front lines of a movie set. The costume house lent thousands of its uniforms to an unprepared California National Guard in the wake of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, according to reports in the Los Angeles Times.