For a long time, air hostess uniforms fueled unwanted fantasies. A problematic situation caused by some airlines that wanted to force “sexy” outfits on their employees. In the wake of MeToo, as well as questions about gender, companies have decided to rethink their example, like WestJet. The low-cost Canadian company unveiled its new collection of uniforms for its staff this week. Professional clothing that takes into account two main criteria: safety and inclusivity.
“These uniforms meet the diverse needs of WestJet’s (…) crew and provide a look that will stand the test of time and be worn with confidence.”Designer Julie Grbak, who designed the new line, said in a statement released by WestJet. The result is a non-gender uniform in duck blue (the color used by the company for 26 years) that aims to break free from sexist and gender norms. All airline trades were consulted to design them. The purpose: ensure that these work overalls are as close as possible to the needs of the workers. The latter thus adapt to all gender expressions, but also to all morphologies. They are, for example, better suited for people with large builds.
“Our WestJetters spend a lot of time in their uniforms, so it was very important to us to create a product that met the highest safety standards that reflected the different team members responsible for taking care of our guests (customers).said Leah McDonald, director of training and uniforms.
Inclusion policy for the LGBTQI+ community
This new line of professional clothing is part of a policy that WestJet has been trying to implement since 2017. In addition to the uniforms, the company has redesigned its name tags. A way to include staff belonging to the LGBTQI+ community. Thus, additional space has been added for pronouns with which people identify. The tattoo policy has also been revised. Flight attendants no longer have to hide them, the goal is for everyone to be able to “celebrate” their individuality.
Pinkwashing or sincere approach? It’s hard to say. However, WestJet is not the only company that wants to implement an inclusive policy for its staff. Alaska Airlines has also designed a clothing line that is more in tune with its employees. Last March, the American company changed its uniform guidelines “To provide more freedom and flexibility in gender expression for all”as he said in a press release.
Other companies have also made noise, this time more so in connection with the fight against sexism in the airline industry. Ukrainian airline SkyUp has ditched skirts and heels for its female flight attendants and replaced them with trousers and sneakers.
Source: Le Figaro
