After more than two years of planning, Eurostar has unveiled its new gender-neutral staff uniforms—featuring skirts for male employees, bright green Dr. Martens boots, and graffiti-patterned scarves. The company says the redesign, its first in over a decade, aims to “empower staff to express their individuality” and accommodate “all genders, body types and personalities.”
Because apparently, when you’re running international high-speed rail, fashion should take center stage.
The flashy uniform collection was revealed at Paris’ Gare du Nord station, where Eurostar showcased 54 new items of clothing. Taking inspiration from European cities along its routes, the navy monochrome suit nods to French style, while neckerchiefs are splashed with graffiti art said to reflect the “street style” of Brussels and Amsterdam. Rounding out the look? A pair of unmistakably British Dr. Martens—this time in green, because why not.
Among the most eyebrow-raising additions: male staff now have the option to wear skirts. Because nothing says “efficiency and professionalism” quite like blurring the lines between a staff uniform and a fashion runway.
🇪🇺🚆Eurostar trains launches ‘gender neutral’ uniforms for staff including skirts for MEN.
The train company has said its new uniform, which includes the options of Dr Marten boots, skirts for men and graffiti-print scarves will ‘empower staff to express their individuality’… pic.twitter.com/Oxxt3sK23y
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 1, 2025
The uniforms are made from recycled polyester and organic cotton—a nod to the usual corporate virtue-signaling about sustainability. Eurostar says it will launch a recycling program to repurpose the old uniforms into mattress stuffing and hanging basket liners. (Yes, really.)
Designer Emmanuelle Plescoff, who led the project, praised Eurostar for its inclusivity-first approach. “It is the first time I have seen a company place such strong emphasis on involving its employees in the creative process,” she said. “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.”
Sounds practical. Or at least it might, if staff were headed to a street art exhibition instead of managing international rail safety.
Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave praised the new look as embodying the company’s values and vision. “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,” she declared at the launch event.
Cazenave also promised that the new wardrobe will somehow assure passengers they are “in caring hands.” Because as any seasoned traveler knows, graffiti neckerchiefs are the universal symbol of customer service excellence.
Eurostar isn’t the first to hop on the gender-neutral fashion train. Virgin Atlantic made waves back in 2022 with a similar overhaul, removing gendered dress codes and letting staff wear whichever uniform they preferred—skirts for men included. The airline also introduced optional pronoun badges for both staff and customers, calling itself “the most inclusive airline in the skies.”
The announcement was met with mixed reactions online—some applauded the move toward inclusion, while others rolled their eyes, questioning whether these gestures actually improve work conditions or lower ticket prices. Spoiler: they don’t.
From today, 2,600 @Eurostar colleagues will wear a new uniform: #inclusive, #versatile and co-created with our teams. Unveiled at Paris Gare du Nord, the 54-piece collection reflects who we are today — one #Eurostar, united in diversity. ✨ pic.twitter.com/r10rnzeXDE
— Eurostar Newsroom (@NewsEurostar) October 1, 2025
