Eurostar has announced its first gender-neutral uniforms, which the cross-Channel operator says are designed to reflect its international identity and allow staff to express their individuality.
But the move has drawn harsh criticism from campaigners, who described it as following a “tired trend” unlikely to boost the brand.
The uniforms were presented at Paris’s Gare du Nord during the autumn fashion week, and shall now be rolled out to Eurostar’s 2,600 train and station staff.
They have been designed by Emmanuelle Plescoff, who once worked with the French fashion giant Christian Lacroix. It features more than fifty items, including trousers, skirts, scarves and boots.
Eurostar said the collection had been made “to fit all genders, body types, and personal styles, empowering staff to express their individuality.”
But the launch drew criticism from campaigners, with Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at the sex-based rights charity Sex Matters saying that “Rebrands such as this generally aim at bringing an organisation’s image up to date. This one is instead catching the tail end of an already-passing fad with uniforms intended to enable staff to express their so-called ‘gender identity’.
“Unisex uniforms have been around for many years, but the language used for this launch positions it as inspired by gender identity ideology, the fringe belief system that what makes people men or women is their self-expression rather than their unchangeable biology. It’s based on a vision of workplaces as places where staff are validated in their personal ideologies and even fantasies about themselves.
“Following this tired trend is unlikely to give any brand a boost. What really matters is that customers and other staff are not expected to pretend to think that men wearing skirts are actually women.”
The uniforms, which were developed over the course of two and half years, saw eight employees consulted on what they expected from a new kit.
It is the fourth uniform in Eurostar’s 30-year history and replaces a collection designed by Jermyn Street Design in 2014.
The introduction of gender-neutral uniforms follows similar steps in the airline industry. Virgin Atlantic in 2022 removed its “gendered” clothing rules, allowing crew to wear whichever outfit they preferred, while making makeup optional and permitting tattoos.
Eurostar has been approached for comment.