Black and white is the new orange in a Michigan county where the sheriff has made a wardrobe change for prison inmates after a TV series popularised the vibrant colour associated with prisoners.
The Saginaw County Jail is replacing its orange prisoner jumpsuits with horizontal black and white striped jumpsuits because the prison life series Orange Is the New Black has led locals to make their fashion choices inspired by the show, a sheriff said.
Said Sheriff William Federspiel: "For me, it was an easy decision. It was a cost savings and it breaks away from that cultural coolness. It's not cool to be an inmate of the Saginaw County Jail."
Federspiel said the stripes will help the public differentiate between an inmate and a fashionista.
The decision to change the jumpsuits was spurred by a juror who recently wore all orange during a trial, said Federspiel, who has only seen snippets of the hit dark comedy aired on streaming service Netflix.
Some of the 500 jail inmates in the central Michigan county have complained about the new jumpsuits, Federspiel said.
"I tell them that if they don't like the clothes I give them, then don't show up at my door," he said.