Would you call these uniforms 'boffo'?

Because at least one PR person did. In a press release entitled "French Fashion Designer Stephane Soh Unveils Boffo New Airline Look," we learn of the new duds being worn by the flight attendants of China Southern Airlines. Here are some more quotes from the boffo press release:

"... chic ..."
"... would turn heads from the catwalk of any Paris or New York fashion show ..."
"... an unmistakable message to the airline world that we have arrived on the global stage … and we are here to stay ..."
"... gone are the old days of Militaristic-style uniforms of one solid color ..."
"... a bold statement to say this is who we are ..."
"... now is the time to strut our stuff! ..."
"... Mr. Soh’s concept is to create a unique 'Oriental Culture' ..."
"... [t]he designer took the Orient as his canvas and molded in the aesthetic essence from the East while using functionality from Western elements to craft this charming new identity ..."
"... winter coats and aprons as well as varieties of suits, shirts, vests, pants and even a windbreaker ..."
"... fluid designs accent the natural beauty of each of the Flight Attendants ..."
"... red and blue striped fabric are bold and empower each uniform with its own lively appeal ..."
"... China's best woolen cloth ..."
"... shirts from with famous Japanese manufacturers ..."
"... Italian cashmere ..."
"... electrostatic and wrinkle-free … yet are waterproof and breathable ..."

We read the release before we saw the images, and we have to admit to being rather underwhelmed by the chic and bold and charming new outfits. In fact, we thought perhaps we were looking at the "before" images ... like, ones from the 1960s or 70s ... but then remembered that China Southern was founded in 1991. We looked up "boffo" and our dictionary told us it could mean "resoundingly successful or popular" and "boisterously funny." Neither one really fits. The uniforms are fine. They are unoffensive. They seem pretty normal. (But they are indeed an improvement on what came before them. See here, here and here.)

But who the hell really cares? These are airline uniforms. Aren't there more important aspects of an airline to focus on? Like maybe the -- oh, we don't know -- planes or pilots? Evidently not, if you believe everything you read in press releases (and we do):

The overall effect is warm, clean and elegant … and clearly places China Southern on the same International platform as any of the world’s best airlines.

Boffo, indeed.

We Googled "Stephane Soh" and all we got were references to China Southern's uniforms. Anyone ever heard of him?

For more photos of airline uniforms, go here, here and here.