“Fashion is developing” justified itself. Australian airline Qantas announced on Friday that it would abolish the gender uniform, allowing male cabin crew to wear makeup and female cabin crew to forgo stilettos.
Qantas said it had revised its rules to better reflect modern expectations and to make uniforms more comfortable for its employees from “diverse cultural backgrounds”. The company has been criticized in the past for its strict dress code, which included banning handlebar mustaches, controlling the length of sideburns and selecting the perfect eyeliner shade.
Dress for a new era
The new guidelines follow union demands, which have included urging Qantas to remove the requirement for female employees to wear makeup. “Fashions evolve and so do our style guidelines over the years,” the airline said in a statement. “Our uniform standards have always reflected the times.”
Qantas said the new “style and hygiene guidelines” would replace the old “masculine” and “feminine” categories. Now, the cabin crew can choose whether or not to wear makeup, choose flat shoes and long hair, as long as they wear it in a ponytail or bun.
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