Eurostar has unveiled its first ever gender-neutral uniform to empower staff “to express their individuality”. This includes male staff being able to wear a skirt to work.
The new apparel range for the staff of Eurostar, the international high-speed rail service that connects Western Europe with the UK through the Channel Tunnel, was unveiled at Eurostar’s Gare Du Nord terminal in Paris on Tuesday, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Eurostar described the collection as being “interchangeable and made to fit all genders, body types, and personal styles, empowering staff to express their individuality”.
It features more than 50 items and replaces the uniform introduced in 2014 that was designed by London-based Jermyn Street Design.
The new uniform has been designed by Emmanuelle Plescoff, who previously worked under French designer Christian Lacroix. Eurostar's chief executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, described the new uniform range as “chic, elegant and iconic”.
Eurostar's move to gender-neutral clothes is similar to the scrapping in 2022 of “gendered uniforms” by the Virgin Atlantic airline, in order to allow staff to “wear the clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves”, the Telegraph notes.
It adds that Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is aiming to compete with Eurostar when Britain opens up the Channel Tunnel to a second operator in 2030.
The new Eurostar uniform took two and a half years to create following consultations with 80 employees on practical requirements.
Eurostar unveiled its new uniform during Paris’s autumn fashion week and plans to introduce it among all 2,600 train and station staff immediately.
Photo: Eurostar unveils its new uniform at its Gare Du Nord terminal in Paris. (Credit: screenshot of original photo by Pierre Caudevelle.)
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