Jet crew's etiquette manual embarrasses Abercrombie & Fitch CEO

The male actors and models who worked on Abercrombie & Fitch's Gulfstream jet had crystal-clear rules for serving CEO Michael Jeffries, right down to the sort of underpants to wear.

Clean-shaven males had to wear a uniform of Abercrombie polo shirts, jeans, boxer briefs, flip-flops and a spritz of the retailer's cologne, according to an "Aircraft Standards" manual, disclosed in an age-discrimination lawsuit brought by a former pilot.

Among the 40-plus pages of detailed instructions: black gloves had to be used when handling silverware and white gloves to lay the table, the Phil Collins song had to be played when passengers entered the cabin on return flights and Jeffries' dogs had different seating arrangements based on which ones were travelling.

The embarrassingly detailed document came to light this week at a time when Jeffries' management style is being questioned. Abercrombie's shares have halved in value this past year, and activist investor Ralph Whitworth is pressing for changes at the top, a person familiar with the matter said.

While Jeffries' penchant for detail helped turn Abercrombie into a global brand, the 68-year-old CEO is struggling to reverse sales as shoppers grow weary of the brand's sense of fashion and risqué marketing.

At least one private-equity firm considered the idea of a takeover before walking away over concerns about Jeffries's leadership, according to a person familiar with the matter.