Virgin Atlantic's Uniform Update Lets Crew Show 'True Identity'

Virgin Atlantic introduces gender-neutral skirts/trousers
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 28, 2022 11:24 AM CDT

Airlines are known for their often-rigid rules around the uniforms their crew members wear, often leading to complaints that the garb is impractical, uncomfortable, and outdated. Virgin Atlantic is now attempting to remedy the "outdated" part by releasing a new policy that gets rid of "gendered uniform" requirements and encourages its onboard staffers to "express their true identity" via its new outfits designed by Vivienne Westwood, reports the Telegraph. What that means is that pilots and flight attendants can now feel free to don a red Westwood skirt if they want, or burgundy Westwood trousers, "no matter their gender, gender identity, or gender expression," the airline says, per the Guardian.

"At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are," Juha Jarvinen, the airline's chief commercial officer, says in a release. "That's why it's so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work." It's all part of the company's efforts to brand itself as a welcoming and inclusive one, with other new options including pronoun badges for both crew and passengers, as well as a ticketing system that permits people with gender-neutral markers on their passports to use the same markers when booking a flight. The airline is also set to begin mandatory inclusivity training. (More Virgin Atlantic stories.)

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