In-depth interview with Stan Herman...

What goes into designing a uniform? Apparently a lot...

Stan Herman, award-winning designer and Jet Blue uniform designer discusses his 30 years of experience and his thoughts on the Bills and other professional sports uniforms in this in-depth interview.

“I am the biggest uniform designer in America,” Stan Herman claims proudly. “I don’t know if there is such a thing other than me.”

Herman's uniform client list has included United Airlines, Avis TWA, McDonald’s, FedEx, Amtrak, and most recently, Jet Blue.

Listen to what Mr. Herman has to say…

Brand Identity

The uniform plays a huge role in a corporation’s brand identity among consumers.

“It is critical,” says Herman. “Look at Fed Ex, UPS, and Jet Blue. When you hear the name you remember them and catch a visual of the uniform. With jetBlue we really created the brand identity through the uniform.” pull out quote

That concept, says Herman, also applies to sports team uniforms. “In sports, and football especially, it is a subliminal thing,” he says. “Fans think of the color, they think of shape. Some of them know and some of them don’t, but it is interesting how detailed the memory is of someone who knows.”

The uniform design process

According to Herman, the keys to designing uniforms are rather straightforward: meet with the decision makers, determine their objectives, elicit opinions and feedback, then finish the job.

“We meet a team of people who will make the decision and that has to be it. They have to be the decision makers,” he says. “I try to meet with the President at least once so I get his or her input. Then, we have focus groups, which didn’t work with jetBlue because it was so quick. Then, I go back design it and give them a uniform they want and add an artistic flair. Like any professionals, we cut to the chase once the job is ready to be done."

Form follows function

While aesthetic design and creativity certainly have a place in uniform development, Herman is careful to point out that functionality is the most important variable.

“Uniforms have to function,” he says. “They are worn constantly, day in and day out. They are washed, they are cleaned. It also has to be functional to the specific job description. We do not reinvent things. We try to get the most functional fabric that looks the most like ready-to-wear. I try to make it not look like a uniform unless that is needed.”

Jet Blue Airways

One of the more recent uniform projects on which Mr. Herman has worked was for Jet Blue Airways. The airline had a very specific goal: to position itself as pre-eminent airline for New Yorkers. It was with that in mind that Herman set about helping jetBlue create a brand identity consistent with that goal.

“They are a fresh breeze to me,” said Herman of Jet Blue. “They’re so young, full of energy. Their goal was to be the quintessential ‘New York Airline.’ They wanted to look chic and we all decided it should be black because all New Yorkers wear black, maybe some white touches here or there. Then they named it Jet Blue and there was no way to do a black uniform.”

Lessons learned

If his many years in the business have taught Herman anything it’s that the uniform game is dynamic and constantly changing. A key to his success and viability had been the ability to adapt.

“Each company is different,” he says. “For example, jetBlue didn’t test a lot. It could have flopped but it didn’t. It didn’t have history so it was very simple. The exact opposite was true for Amtrak We could not lose the traditional look of the uniform. We had to modernize it but never lose the tradition of it because that is what they wanted.

Professional curiosity

While he was not involved in the Bills new uniform process and has never designed a sports team uniform, Herman will be very interested in what the Bills new look will be when it is unveiled on June 8.

“The Buffalo Bills have a long and storied history and tradition,” he says. “The name alone is one of the better names…it is part of Americana. It is a very powerful brand and I will be very interested to see what (the new design) looks like.” (pull out quote)

Uniform Q&A...

Q: How do you avoid the color match problem (like the purple of the Minnesota Vikings helmets/jerseys)? Do you choose fabric color first then match paint, or vice versa?

A: The matching has been made easier over the last ten to twenty years by pantones. There are pantone colored numbers. There are pantone on fabric pantone on acrylic, pantone on paper and say I choose pantone blue 454- (ed. note - Pantone 454 is a light tan.  Hmmm...) that is the blue that every manufacture, no matter if they are creating the helmet or the jersey, has to go by.

There is never a perfect match. It is still very difficult from fabric to fabric to match it up. If you are a smart designer, you blend colors.

Q: How do you avoid problems like the Seahawks have encountered with getting the deep blue thread in to produce the blue in their jerseys and other merchandise product?

A: Any deep, customized color can be difficult. Every time you go past a certain “red line” as we call it, and go into deep tones, you can give manufacturers problems.

Uniform fabric people have really worked out formula dies for fabric. If you stray from it and do custom colors you have to do a lot of testing before you do it.

Q: What we really want to know is…Will JetBlue be bringing the Bills to Minneapolis for Sept. 15 Vikings match up and when can we expect service from Minneapolis on a regular basis to Buffalo? - Norb

A: I checked with my friends at JetBlue and although they will not be flying the team to Minnesota for the Viking game (all their aircraft will be busy flying passengers to places like New York City and California), they will be rooting on the team to victory. JetBlue has no plans to start service to Minnesota as of now, but why not fly them to Fort Lauderdale and check out the Bills/Dolphins game on Oct 20th? It's a lot warmer than Minnesota.

Q: What are your feelings about a "special occasion uniform" that may be a dressier or different version of their typical uniform? - Joe

A: The question is a good question. When money was no object, you could do special uniforms. I have done them for Federal Express when they had a big golf outing; we did special jackets for all the executives. There were special t-shirts done for the company itself that they could only wear for a certain period of time.

I think it would be an interesting idea for an NFL team to have a special uniform for special occasion.

Q: Did Cast Away have to ask Fed Ex for permission to use the uniform? - Shawn Pearce

A: They did have to ask permission and Fed Ex was very pleased and proud and I was at an affair and I told him that I dressed him. He loved that movie and of course you have to get permission. That is just the way it goes.

Q: Do you think the Bills should change their colors? Why?

A: I, of course, have not seen the new uniforms and as I read their history I found out that they have not changed their colors in a long time. Given the fact that they are high on this new quarterback and "era in Bills history" I think a big change would be good.

If I were asked to do a new Buffalo Bill uniform, I would rather do the whole and complete thing than parts and pieces. I understand that the NFL has very specific processes and that probably would not work for me. From a designer standpoint it is wonderful to make your own statement.

Q: What are the Colors that most representative of Sports? - Becky

A: When I think of sports I think American Dream, so definitely the primary colors. I would say red and blue. If I were to design a sports uniform I would go far away from the primary colors.