Eurostar unveils its new gender-neutral uniform for staff complete with Dr Marten boots and skirts for men to ’empower staff to express their individuality’

Eurostar has revealed their brand new gender-neutral uniforms which includes skirts for men, a graffiti neckerchief and green Dr. Marten boots.

The redesign is the first new uniform in over a decade and includes 54 individual items of clothing designed to ‘fit all genders, body types and personalities’ and aims to ’empower staff to express their individuality’.

Following over two years of deliberation, to make sure the clothing fits the practical needs of Eurostar’s staff, the outfits were unveiled yesterday at Paris’ Gare du Nord station. 

Taking inspirations from the European destinations serviced by the high-speed rail line, the uniform includes: a navy blue monochrome suit – in a nod to France – neckerchiefs emblazoned with graffiti influenced by the street art of Brussels and Amsterdam and finished off with a pair of iconic British Dr. Marten boots.

Emmanuelle Plescoff, the designer behind the new collection, said: ‘Working with Eurostar has been a unique experience, as it is the first time I have seen a company place such strong emphasis on involving its employees in the creative process. 

‘This collaboration has resulted in a collection that balances simplicity, reliability, and a metropolitan flair, symbolized through signature accessories like green Dr Martens and a graffiti neckerchief.’

With sustainability in mind, the new uniforms are made out of recycled polyester and organic cotton. 

In addition, a recycling campaign to repurpose the old uniforms will be launched to ensure the materials are reused in products such as in mattresses and hanging basket liners.

Following over two years of deliberation, to make sure the clothing fits the practical needs of Eurostar’s staff, the new uniforms were unveiled yesterday at Paris’ Gare du Nord station

Eurostar’s new uniform includes skirts for men as well as green Dr Marten boots. The redesign takes inspiration from the European destinations serviced by the high-speed rail line

Speaking at the launch, Eurostar’s CEO – Gwendoline Cazenave – said: ‘The new look is a reflection of who we are. It shows Eurostar heritage and our European spirit going forward. Chic, elegant and iconic. 

‘Just like our team. From the moment our team wear it, our customers know they are in caring hands and that we will make them live something special. We are proud to launch it today, as we are on our way to grow and welcome 30 million passengers to enjoy the unique Eurostar experience.’ 

Eurostar are not the first travel company to introduce a gender-neutral uniform.

In 2022, Virgin Atlantic updated its uniform policy to remove gendered clothing requirements which allowed plane crew and pilots to choose which uniform they wear: the company’s ‘red’ option, previously most commonly worn by female flight attendants, or the ‘burgundy’ option, previously worn by male flight attendants. 

This included allowing men to wear skirts and women to wear trousers, as well as increasing the uniform options available to non-binary staff members.

Virgin also rolled out optional pronoun badges which enable staff and customers to display which pronouns they wish to be referred to by. 

The airline declared itself ‘the most inclusive airline in the skies’ and the changes were received positively by staff.

But reaction to the new policies has been mixed online, with some praising the company’s diverse attitude while others claim it is a waste of time. Others have questioned why the company doesn’t give its staff a pay rise instead or lower ticket prices.

The redesign is the first new uniform in over a decade and includes 54 individual items of clothing designed to ‘fit all genders, body types and personalities’

In 2022, Virgin Atlantic updated its uniform policy to remove gendered clothing requirements which allowed plane crew and pilots to choose which uniform they wear 

One social media user said: ‘I would bet that the majority of Virgin Atlantic staff would rather have a pay rise than this.’  

Meanwhile, British travellers on the Eurostar will have plenty of time to admire the new uniform as they face travel delays due to the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (ESS).

From October 12, Brits will be asked if they have booked an overnight stay, a return ticket, if they have medical or travel insurance and whether they have enough money to cover their trip. 

Any passenger answering no will be unable to use e-ticket gates, instead being forced to speak to a French border control officer, causing possible delays to their journey.

Travellers answering yes will be able to use electronic gates as usual.

The new rules are set to add an extra 10 minutes to Eurostar check-in times, and will only be rolled out to business and premium class passenger originally.

Standard passengers will start using the new system on January 12, with passengers told to arrive at St Pancras 75 minutes before their train departs.

Travellers will also need to undergo biometric checks including fingerprints and photographs at the border rather than using passport stamps in an attempt to bolster border security.

At St Pancras, 49 kiosks where UK passport holders undergo face, fingerprint and passport scans have been built, costing around £11million.