Virgin Atlantic – to make-up or not make-up

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members are easily recognisable by their scarlet uniform, matching shoes and bright red lipstick. This may no longer be the case as the airline recently ditched its mandatory make-up rule.

For years, female cabin crew for Richard Branson’s airline have been required to wear make-up to “complement the uniform”. For years they were given ‘lessons’ in how to apply it and what colour palette to use, during the initial training course.  This rule is not unique to Virgin Atlantic, other major airlines around the world also ‘suggest’ that female crew wear make- up while in uniform.

While I don’t agree that cabin crew (or flight attendants, across the pond) should be objectified by being forced to wear heavy, stage-like make-up, I don’t see what is wrong with a massive brand such as Virgin Atlantic or any other airline wanting their staff to look well turned out and yes, maybe a little glamorous.

Proud to look my best in my uniform

As former cabin crew for another major UK airline, I was proud to wear my uniform, tie my hair up neatly and wear a complimentary amount of make-up. I am pretty sure it didn’t make me an object of desire and I certainly never had my butt grabbed by sleazy businessmen.

Wearing make-up didn’t make me any better or worse at my job, it didn’t make me any more or less safety conscious. After all that’s the main purpose for cabin crew being onboard. It did make me feel that I had made an effort to look good while doing a job that I loved and being the best ambassador I could for my company.

When did it suddenly become wrong to want to look your best? Be it wearing flattering clothes, styling your hair to suit your face or wearing make-up to enhance your features.  Yes, some women look good without make-up but while the fresh-faced look can work in certain roles, there are others where even the subtlest touches of colour make all the difference.

Make-up isn’t anti-feminist

There’s nothing sexist or non-feminist about a woman wanting to wear make-up to look attractive, for herself, not anybody else. Although reading the many comments of this Virgin Atlantic news on social media it seems I am in the minority.   Facebook and the Twittersphere is full of praise for Mr Branson and full of vitriolic attacks on people who disagree and on other companies which have not yet followed suit. Comments filled with hashtags #nomakeup #mychoice #girl power…really?  For me it’s a case of #politcalcorrectnessgonemad.  There were even some wild comments about all make-up being produced in sweat-shops and should be boycotted at all costs – give me a break.

What’s next?  Airlines shouldn’t be able to tell crew to tie their hair back? – it’s a safety and hygiene issue. Or shouldn’t be allowed to recruit based on height and weight – also a safety issue. Ok, a make-up requirement has nothing to do with health and safety but to me, ditching it just seems to be another downside of the snowflake society we live in where nobody wants to be told what to do, and I for one don’t know where it’s going to end.

Time for trousers

I will, however, applaud Virgin Atlantic for the other policy change it made, in giving female cabin crew the option to wear trousers as part of their uniform.  The airline I worked for brought trousers in for its female staff a number of years ago and they were a Godsend when flying to destinations where the temperature regularly hit 20-below in the winter. This was nothing to do with not wanting to wear a skirt in case it was deemed as ‘too sexy’ it was a simple case of not wishing to get hyperthermia walking to the crew bus in a freezing airport car park.

Equal rights for all

While I await the comments from people who want me burnt at the stake for my point of view, I will say this, I am not anti-feminist, I don’t advocate women’s rights, I believe in equal rights for everyone irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, political affiliation or age. I also believe in my own right to an opinion, after all isn’t that what members of the first wave of feminism fought for?