Eurostar Uniform Skirts Now Unisex

[TSH]

Leaving aside the talk about Tories and other closed-minded conservatives for a moment, while this is good news, I'm not holding my breath that this will be anything more than a drop in the ocean. That, of course, largely stems from the reaction the public still won't move past whenever a bloke in an unbifurcated garment is present.

Not surprisingly, William Sitwell in the Torygraph doesn't like the skirt option: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/1 ... e-uniform/[Edited to add quote]

The headline is just completely moronic (it's titled differently in the paywall that I used, but it's just as nonsensical). A man wearing a skirt isn't shoving his "gender preference" in your face, you prick. I wish these reactionary, regressive rejects would just come out and actually express their own thinly-veiled distaste towards fashion freedom for men, rather than writing dross like this whining about transportation services providing employees more uniform options. That's literally what's happening here, and Sitwell spends a large amount of time focusing solely on a man in a skirt to make his case because it infringes on his own insular traditional views when it comes to gender roles.

'So down the catwalk, or rather, through the carriage, came a man in a skirt. I mean he looked like a man – he had a beard – but he might have been self-identifying as one of those other sexes. Because, as we are learning, many humans now like to take a leaf out of the mushroom fraternity, among whom there are some 36,000 genders.'

This dumb conservative talking point about gender identity never gets obnoxious. He also concludes his rubbish article by doubling down on his own ignorance with this stupid "self-identification as a different species" analogy that so many other idiots of his ilk do when they don't understand a single thing about transgender people and just screech "WOKE" into the void.

He sees a bearded male-looking employee wearing Dr. Martens, angle socks, and a skirt (the horror), and calls the display "vulgar and abrasive". This is why it's reasonable to call these people reactionary. If the employee is still doing their job effectively and efficiently, who the hell cares what they wear, as long as it's not against the dress code? He's making this into something it isn't (an "ego stroke of individuality") just because he's personally bothered by it; he calls the outfit absurd, but him going on about something this trivial is equally ridiculous. Had the employee made provocative or suggestive gestures, the "vulgar and abrasive" bit would actually make sense, but he's getting up and arms over a masculine-looking person wearing a skirt and invoking the "crossdressing" and "transgender" labels when he has no idea what either of those things actually refer to. Where does the Telegraph find these simpletons? Oh, right. It's biased towards the Right, which explains why it's written by buffoons, and subscribed to by buffoons, and why people here keep referring to it as the "Torygraph".

Giving men the option to wear skirts and make uniforms overall gender-neutral doesn't undermine the point of the uniform — that's asinine. It's GIVING more options for employees while also adhering to dress code. Anyone arguing otherwise is a toolbox. The only reason why this is even remotely controversial is because it includes men-in-skirts and transfolk. Can't have that pesky wokeness in the workforce now, can we?

Didn't go down well with the news readers at Sky News Australia!!

Eurostar must be on the right track then . Considered a commendation in the civilised world.

Since Sky News Australia is basically just another version of Faux News, I'm glad it pissed off the conservative base over there. With all that pro-Trump rhetoric, it's backfiring on them in the best possible way. To hell with fascism and anyone who supports it.

[crfriend]

Since Sky News Australia is basically just another version of Faux News, I'm glad it pissed off the conservative base over there. With all that pro-Trump rhetoric, it's backfiring on them in the best possible way. To hell with fascism and anyone who supports it.

As I pointed up to my elder aunt yesterday evening, the Thousand Year Reich lasted about 15 years. The same thing will happen to the fascists right in the US. It's just going to take time. And where are the cops when you need them -- and I'm not talking ICE, I'm talking the ICC. It'll eventually collapse on its own, but I'd like to see a concerted effort from other nations to set the thing straight.

Of note, the USA had a rather substantial NAZI Party of its own in the 1930s -- and what we've got now proves that the sentiment is still there. I wish we could adopt the German model on dealing with it (although that seems to be faltering a bit with the worldwide "lurch to the right" that began in the 1980s with the rise of the reactionary and the neo-cons). Things like this are one of the reasons that the current Leader of the USA is so desperately trying to rewrite history. History will win, of course, in the end -- but that may take generations.

[FranTastic444]

C'mon guys, let's see the positives in this news. Will any current employees wear the gear day 1? Maybe not. But I'm pretty sure there are guys out there who upon reading this news *might* think of Eurostar as a future employer and *might* try the full dress code out if / when they get there. Also, maybe the next time Europe gets a heatwave, there might be some of the existing male employees who pluck up the courage to go for the skirt in lieu of shorts.

Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say. And mixing my metaphors, they (whoever they is) also say "build it and they will come". First, the framework has to be in place for a guy to wear a skirt if he so chooses, without getting into the realms of choice of clothing being a protest (typically of shorts not being an acceptable option in warm weather).

Other points of interest (to me, at least) in this news -

• Encouraged to see that they specifically call out making uniforms for different body sizes as well as genders.
• Those shoes second from left look great. Hope they come in male sizes as well as female.
• Will tights be tolerated for guys (if they so choose) - presumably so?
• The guy on the far right as we look at the picture has the pick of the outfits as far as I am concerned.
• I am a fan of DM's and wore them extensively in my younger years. Not sure I'm convinced on the green, though. I would have to see it in the flesh, I think. Maybe sticking with black would have been a better choice?

[Brad]

I was wanting to read this but I need to pay a subscription.

I checked and you can beat the paywall by opening the link and then QUICKLY hitting "stop". Then you can read the article without paying. This works on many (but not all) sites.

[Brad]

If the man on the far right was wearing pantyhose and heels, that would REALLY be something.

[jamie001]

If the article that an OP posts is behind a paywall, can you please in the future copy the text and paste it here into the thread?

Thanks.

[Barleymower]

If the article that an OP posts is behind a paywall, can you please in the future copy the text and paste it here into the thread?

Thanks.

It was posted Jamie, here it is again:

Here's the text from the article:


Eurostar presented its new uniforms in Paris-Nord station during a catwalk on board one of its trains
Eurostar unveiled its new uniform, including Dr Martens footwear and graffiti-print neckerchiefs, at its Gare Du Nord terminal in Paris Credit: Pierre Caudevelle

Eurostar has unveiled its first ever gender-neutral uniform, introducing a collection featuring skirts, trousers and Dr. Martens boots.

The new staff apparel range, unveiled at Eurostar’s Gare Du Nord terminal in Paris on Tuesday, features more than 50 items including graffiti-print neckerchiefs and replaces a uniform introduced more than a decade ago.

Designed by Emmanuelle Plescoff, who previously worked under French designer Christian Lacroix, the collection is “interchangeable and made to fit all genders, body types, and personal styles, empowering staff to express their individuality,” Eurostar said.

Gwendoline Cazenave, chief executive, called it “chic, elegant and iconic”.

The move to gender neutral clothes follows the scrapping in 2022 of “gendered uniforms” by Virgin Atlantic.

When they were first introduced, the airline said it would allow staff to “wear the clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves,” while making makeup optional and allowing crew to sport visible tattoos.

Virgin Atlantic uniform
Virgin Atlantic encouraged staff to ‘be their true selves at work’ when it released its new uniform Credit: PinPep
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is aiming to compete with Eurostar from 2030 as Britain opens up the Channel Tunnel to a second operator.

A submission on the scheme said the service would be “innovative, bold and unmistakably Virgin.”

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.

Eurostar said the new uniform was "interchangeable and made to fit all genders, body types, and personal styles"
Eurostar said the new uniform was ‘interchangeable and made to fit all genders, body types, and personal styles’ Credit: Pierre Caudevelle
It said the design combines fashion elements from its four main markets, including French “navy blue monochrome and simple cuts,” a neckerchief inspired by street art from Brussels and Amsterdam, and green Dr. Martens, described as a “British icon of self-expression.”

Staff will also be able to choose from shoes or punk-era eight-hole boots.

The uniform took two and a half years to create following consultation with 80 employees on practical requirements, which led to the use of stretchy sports-inspired fabrics.

Eurostar said its old uniforms will be recycled into products such as mattresses and hanging basket liners.

The new collection will be the fourth in the firm’s history and replaces one designed by London-based Jermyn Street Design and introduced in 2014.

The company, which is controlled by French state railway SNCF, attracted 19.5 million passengers last year and aims to increase the total to 30 million by the end of the decade.

Join the conversation

[jamie001]

Barley,

Thank you for posting the article. It is interesting that if a biological female opts for a more masculine uniform, no one even bats an eye. On the other hand, if a male opts for the more feminine uniform, the conservatives go crazy and say that it is the end of the world! I see a lot of women on American television wearing suits and ties and no one even comments. When will we lose this double standard? Will it take several hundred more years, or will it never happen?

[Seb]

I was wanting to read this but I need to pay a subscription.

I checked and you can beat the paywall by opening the link and then QUICKLY hitting "stop". Then you can read the article without paying. This works on many (but not all) sites.

Apparently noscript addon for Firefox also works, I had no trouble reading the article so I assumed it was openly published.

[Barleymower]

Barley,

Thank you for posting the article. It is interesting that if a biological female opts for a more masculine uniform, no one even bats an eye. On the other hand, if a male opts for the more feminine uniform, the conservatives go crazy and say that it is the end of the world! I see a lot of women on American television wearing suits and ties and no one even comments. When will we lose this double standard? Will it take several hundred more years, or will it never happen?

I have posted about this phenomenon Jamie.
viewtopic.php?t=25708
Connor Beaton says that men define themselves in opposition to women. That is men remove themselves as far away from women they can get. In so they can define themselves as more masculine.
Trouble as I see it, is women are taking on more masculine roles and clothes, leaving less and less for men. Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that and act all tough. Or they can go the other way and wear the same clothes as women and say "it doesn't worry me".
For most men this is easier said than done. So they get aggessive and depressed.

[STEVIE]

Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that or they can go the other way and wear the same clothes as women and say "it doesn't worry me"

Or some of us just say, what the heck and do both.
Once upon a time, I smoked a pipe as well, that truly messed with some heads.
Steve.
PS Apologies for messing with the quote BM

[Mouse]

Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that or they can go the other way and wear the same clothes as women and say "it doesn't worry me"

Or some of us just say, what the heck and do both.

Yes Works for me!!!

[mr seamstress]

Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that and act all tough.

You must never ever heard of about the bearded lady. Women can grow facial hair just like men can grow boobs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_lady

Enjoy the reading about the bearded lady.

[Barleymower]

Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that and act all tough.

You must never ever heard of about the bearded lady. Women can grow facial hair just like men can grow boobs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_lady

Enjoy the reading about the bearded lady.

Yes I've seen. I've also conjoined twins, which proves that humans have two heads.

[Barleymower]

Men have a choice either grow a beard because at least women cant do that or they can go the other way and wear the same clothes as women and say "it doesn't worry me"

Or some of us just say, what the heck and do both.
Once upon a time, I smoked a pipe as well, that truly messed with some heads.
Steve.
PS Apologies for messing with the quote BM

I've seen you in your younger days with the pipe. You are a rebel Steve. Kahuna's like water melons to do that in Scotland.

Beaton also says that when a guy meets a women he likes, a lot of emotion pours uncontrollably out.... feminine qualities or so they are seen. He has to learn to deal with all the supressed emotions that he can't stop.

I think though most men here are dealing with things they have supressed their whole lives (me). Although some say it's just comfort, medical reasons, i slipped in the shower and when I stood up I was wearing a skirt etc.

That's what I like about the Cafe. Generally speaking the guys support each other, rather than destroy each other like another forum.