Guido Maria Kretschmer's collection: Burgundy is the new bright red

There are burgundy leather gloves, cardigans and midnight blue shift dresses. The suit pants are tested for "crease recovery". This means that they don't have to be ironed again immediately after wearing them for the first time, says Grit Gläsel. She takes care of the new Deutsche Bahn outfits. It was previously designed by Guido Maria Kretschmer. The fashion designer is better known from the RTL show "Shopping Queen", in which he rates the outfits of women, couples and celebrities. He had advised the group that colors should be used across the board. The conventional bright red of Deutsche Bahn was not suitable for this. "Burgundy or night blue suits a lot more people," says Gläsel.

43,000 Deutsche Bahn employees are to receive 900,000 new items of clothing by the beginning of August. There are 15 clothing stores in Germany where the new uniforms can be selected. One of them is at Berlin Ostbahnhof. Behind a heavy steel door, dozens of trousers, dresses, shirts and jackets in many sizes from XXS to five XL are hanging on rails. Two changing rooms are available.

Train boss Joanna Sobottka and trainer Mike Leistner advise their colleagues on size, cut and colour. The employees can choose a basic stock. Three bottoms and six shirts, a waistcoat, two jackets or knitwear are then sent home to them. The train staff also receives a quilted jacket or a trench coat for the cold days on the platform. "The clothes are finally cut in a womanly way," says Joanna Sobottka.

Gläsel explains that you shouldn't change the cuts yourself. "A skirt may play around the knee, but not end half a meter before it." There are also some wearing rules. “Both colors always have to be combined for on-board service in long-distance traffic. So burgundy and blue.” Tests with travelers have shown that the two-tone color helps to identify the employees, since business travelers are often dressed in one color themselves. For this reason there is also an accessory requirement. According to Gläsel, the staff must always wear a scarf or tie.

Although Mike Leistner still prefers suit trousers to chinos without pleats, he is very satisfied with the new collection. "Chinos are perhaps more for short trips," he says. At some point, the old trousers would have hung on the legs like a tent.

And what will happen to all the old pants and the rest of the gear? Until now, employees were allowed to keep their clothes, for example to wear them for gardening, says Gläsel. Only the DB approach would have had to be removed. But for the big disposal campaign this year, a concept would still be sought. "Upcycling would be good," says Gläsel. That would also be in line with corporate policy: Deutsche Bahn advertises itself with green electricity and sustainability. According to the press office, the new clothing is also said to have been produced in a fair and environmentally friendly manner. In Macedonia and Bulgaria.