Australian airline Qantas announced on Friday that it would be phasing out its gender uniforms, allowing male cabin crew to wear makeup and female crew to refrain from wearing heels.
Qantas said it has revised its rules to better reflect modern expectations and to make the uniforms more comfortable for its employees from “diverse cultural backgrounds”.
The company had been criticized in the past for its strict dress code, which included banning moustaches, controlling the length of sideburns and specifying ideal eyeliner colors.
The new guidelines follow demands from unions, which include calls for Qantas to end the requirement to wear make-up for female staff.
“Fashion evolves over the years and so do our style guidelines,” the airline said in a statement. “Our uniform standards have always been up to date.”
Qantas clarified that the new “Style and Hygiene Guidelines” will replace the old “men’s” and “women’s” uniform categories.
Now cabin crew can choose to wear makeup or not, opt for flat shoes, and wear long hair as long as it is in a ponytail or bun.