British Airways allegedly advised its female crew members to wear specific undergarments with their new sheer uniforms, but have since removed the recommendation.
According to The Sun, the airline’s old instruction was updated after the new branded uniform was released. Previously, per the newspaper’s report, the British Airways requirement stated: “Undergarments should be plain white or nude, with no lace, patterns or writing.”
The new British Airways uniforms, designed by Ozwald Boateng, were first announced in January. It wasn’t until September that the brand-new garments were handed out. Until then, the airline hadn’t made any changes to its uniforms in 20 years.
Female crew members were supposedly feeling embarrassed due to the number of passengers who commented on their bra visibility. Now, the old dress code has been overturned.
Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson for British Airways detailed the requirement reversal. “We’ve removed a recommendation from our uniform guidelines and will continue to listen to our colleagues about what works best for them,” the representative proclaimed. This change comes after resistance by the flight attendants’ union.
What’s more, British Airways said it doesn’t tell crew what underwear to wear, and that the wording in the previous guidelines was meant to be taken as a recommendation. That being said, the guidelines were intended to be flexible with the ability to evolve based on employee feedback.
“Incredible that we found ourselves in the awkward position of having to discuss what underwear our female members were ‘allowed’ to wear in 2023,” the British Airways Stewards and Stewardess’ Union said to its members, per a Paddle Your Own Kanoo report.
“However, with a huge number of female members, that was exactly the uncomfortable place in which we found ourselves,” the statement continued. “It could be argued that we wouldn’t have even been in this position if the blouse wasn’t transparent in the first place!”
According to the Paddle Your Own Kanoo article, this isn’t the first time the airline has faced a uniform complaint. In 2019, British Airways was reportedly hit with backlash for publishing a similar set of underwear guidelines due to its white, transparent shirt.
Per the outlet’s report, the Unite union leader criticised the airline’s uniforms for being too see-through and added how there was an apparent “sexualisation of the uniform”.
“In the 21st century, it is clearly neither appropriate nor acceptable that women should be put in a situation at work where they can be demeaned for their choice of undergarments,” the assistant general secretary of the union, Diana Holland, noted.
At the time, British Airways denied the allegation that it “disciplined” its crew members for wearing specific underwear.
