Airline Virgin Atlantic has introduced a new set of uniforms for its staff members as part of its growing efforts to become more diverse. Now, all uniforms are available for all members of the flight crew, without any limitations based on gender.
Historically, many airlines have included a gendered dress code that requires women to wear makeup and skirts, but Virgin has decided to leave those requirements in the dust with a new set of Vivienne Westwood-designed uniforms. Staff members can choose from red or burgundy uniforms — or between pants and skirts — at will, depending on what they feel best represents them
Virgin is also rolling out optional pronoun badges for all Virgin staffers. Soon, if a staff member chooses to do so, they’ll be able to don a pin with their preferred pronouns. Flyers can also ask for one at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.
And yes, Virgin’s new gender policy works for flyers, too. According to Virgin’s press release, the company has updated its ticketing system with gender-neutral markers. The ‘U’ or ‘X’ gender codes, though, can only replace more traditional ‘M’ or ‘F’ codes for passengers who come from a very small number of countries that allow gender-neutral passports to be issued. For flyers from other countries, Virgin is working on amending communication preferences for flyers, so even if their passport identifies them as one gender, they’ll be able to let the company know they prefer to be addressed in a different way.
Virgin has been killing it lately, allowing women to wear flats and trousers back in 2019 as well as easing policies surrounding visible tattoos more recently. The new uniforms and gender policy is part of that growing effort to dismantle our traditional roles about what constitutes “acceptable” presentation in the workforce.
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