Virgin Atlantic has prioritized the inclusivity of their staff in an updated uniform policy - completely scrapping gendered uniforms to allow their staff to wear clothing that represents their true identity.
Cabin crew, ground teams, and pilots will now be able to decide whether they sport Virgin's bright red uniform, commonly worn by women, or the burgundy option, which the company's male staff has typically worn. In fact, staff members will be able to choose to wear skirts or trousers, regardless of how they identify, the Daily Mail has reported.
Uniform options are set to be increased for non-binary staff members as well.
One cabin crew member, Jaime Forsstroem, expressed their happiness at the updated policy, telling ITV: "The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear."
Per the television network, the airline is also set to provide staff with gender pronoun badges, and passengers also have the option of requesting their preferred badge at check-in.
Not only this, but Virgin has additionally updated their ticketing system so that those holding passports with gender-neutral pronouns feel included - these flyers can choose between using "U", "X", or "Mx".
Virgin Atlantic’s chief commercial officer, Juha Jarvinen, stated: "At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are."
“That's why it's so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns," Juha added, via ITV.
British modern punk and new wave fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood designed the trademark uniforms that have been worn by staff since 2014. In 2019, Virgin removed its policy that required female staff to wear makeup and began providing them with trousers in addition to skirts.
The airline, which was established in 1984, posted a campaign video promoting its latest policies to Twitter on Wednesday (September 28). Their Twitter account's bio reads: "We've always championed individuality. Here's to those that were born to fly. Those who see the world differently."
The short clip depicts a diverse range of people with various identities all sporting the Virgin uniforms in their own ways, and even includes a cameo from RuPaul's Drag Race judge, Michelle Visage.
Virgin captioned the video: "We've changed our uniform code to give our crew, pilot and ground teams the option to choose which of our iconic uniforms, designed by Vivienne Westwood, best represents them," adding the hashtag #SeeTheWorldDifferently.
Many users tweeted their support for the change, with one person writing: "I'm loving this. About time uniform reflects the [staff] who may wear it instead of remaining stagnant and stuck in outdated enforced gender biases. One thing that would fully put me off a flight attendant role was the fact that you were stuck with skirts etc as a woman."
"Enabling people to bring their true self to work empowers them to bring their best self to work," someone else added.
Though, as always, not everyone was supportive. Many Twitter users took the opportunity to mention that the airline should have prioritized pay rises for their employees instead.
"Speaking to many pilot friends at virgin, I think they'd be a whole lot happier with a pay-rise (they are paid far less than their colleagues at Delta), and less grueling rosters [sic]," a user commented.
"Although I think many thought the current outfit was good, and would have preferred lower fares / holiday prices etc [sic]," another wrote.
Earlier, Estelle Hollingsworth, Chief People Officer at Virgin Atlantic told the Daily Mail: "We champion difference and individuality, and it's by encouraging all of our people to truly be themselves at work that we uphold an inclusive environment where they each can thrive."