Dear Reader,
Again, the Editorial Team of TextileFuture is proposing to you three features for your reading.
The first two features were firstly published as fashion items in the Wall Street Magazine.
The TextileFuture Newsletter first two items are entitled “Fashion: White Shirts Gone Wild: How the Wardrobe Basic Became Surprisingly Exciting – Fashion: White Shirts Gone Wild: How the Wardrobe Basic Became Surprisingly Exciting”
The third feature is from McKinsey and introduces you into the world of “How to become a tech-forward business”
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The TextileFuture Editorial Team wishes you a nice and successful week, accompanied by our best wishes!
We hope that you do like our selection for your own reading.
The Editorial Team of TextileFuture
That is the beginning of the first item:
Virgin Atlantic changed its uniform policy in 2022, allowing all flight crew members to wear whichever uniform they wished. It’s among the increasing number of airlines opening up their dress codes as conversations about identity evolve. Virgin Atlantic
By guest author Rory Satran from the Wall Street Journal Magazine.
Jan. 28, 2023
When Tyler Curry joined JetBlue in 2022, he was surprised to learn that the airline offered its employees the choice to wear whichever uniform they wanted, regardless of gender. The New York-based in-flight crew member had not worn dresses before, but, intrigued, he asked a female colleague if he could try hers on. He liked the way it looked, so he “took a leap of faith” and ordered the dress.
“I used to be one of those people that would walk through work with my head down, just keeping to myself, and when I wear the dress, it makes me feel more confident,” he said. “Now I walk through the airport with my head up.”
Mr. Curry said he’s had nothing but positive feedback about his look. He remembers one passenger telling him that she loved her kids seeing this kind of diversity on a plane, “so when they grow up, they can be who they are.” Mostly, passengers tell him, “You look amazing,” he reports, and they just wonder how he manages to walk in heels for as long as he does.
Long bastions of traditional gender roles and rigidly defined uniforms, airlines are opening up their dress codes as conversations about identity evolve.
For some airlines, this means expanding the uniform policy to allow people of all genders to select whichever uniform kit makes them most comfortable. In 2021, Mr. Curry’s airline JetBlue was ahead of the curve in opening up its uniform and hair and makeup policy to be “gender-inclusive,” permitting employees to choose any options regardless of their gender. In 2022, Alaska Airlines and Virgin Atlantic began allowing all flight crew members to wear whichever uniform they wished, regardless of gender, and introduced badges indicating pronouns. And Canada’s WestJet redid its uniforms in 2022 with an eye to gender inclusivity, letting employees choose between “Lakes” and “Rocky Mountain” collections instead of “women” and “men.”
Uniform styles are also being redesigned to appear less traditionally gendered. Alaska is developing new gender-neutral uniforms with input from cabin members. In 2021, Iceland’s Play Airlines debuted non-gender-specific uniforms like boxy blazers and pants, paired with sneakers instead of high heels and brogues. Korea’s low-cost Aero K airline boasts contemporary-looking pieces for all genders like diagonal-stripe tops and navy jackets.
British Airways, which is rolling out new uniforms designed by Ozwald Boateng this year, is keeping gender demarcations in place but announced last year that it would allow male crew members to wear makeup, jewellery and handbags.
Some airlines are opening up their dress codes, letting any attendant choose dresses, suits or high heels.
A friend of mine recently snapped a photograph of a Delta crew member apparently on duty at JFK airport, wearing the classic men’s suiting uniform along with a pair of stiletto heels. In a statement, Delta said, “In recent years, our flight attendant uniform guidelines have evolved to better meet the needs of our people, which now offer our flight attendants the freedom to select pieces from a multitude of uniform collections, regardless of gender identity, provided they are worn with properly matched garments and accessories.”
These moves are notable in the context of an industry that has sometimes lagged behind the times. “Flight attendants’ uniforms have historically been very gendered,” said Kathleen M. Barry, a historian and the author of “Femininity in Flight: A History of Flight Attendants.” Even as politicians and business people of all genders began to favour pantsuits in the 1990s, and androgynous streetwear became the norm in the 2000s, airplanes were throwback zones full of chignons and nude hose for women and three-piece suits for men.
In the early days of the profession in the 1930s, female flight attendants were on-flight nurses. They evolved to become safety and service professionals who were required to wear dresses, high heels, makeup, submit to regular weigh-ins—and be single. Early guidelines from some banning broad noses were outright racist. “Stewardesses were hired as decorative waitresses with geisha-like instructions,” wrote Gloria Steinem in her 2015 book “My Life on the Road.”
In the late 1960s, the Texas carrier Braniff, now defunct, premiered its “Air Strip” campaign, promoting Emilio Pucci’s new miniskirted uniforms for its “hostesses”—designed to be removed in a series of outfit changes while onboard. Lest a passenger worry that the striptease distract from his service, one 1966 ad reassured him that, “Each change is made in a flash, which allows her to give you constant attention.”
Because of that gendered history, Jamie Forsstrom, who is nonbinary, said they wondered at first if there was a space for them in the industry—even though they were passionate about pursuing a career in aviation. Now a Virgin Atlantic cabin crew member based in London, Mx. Forsstrom was able to choose the burgundy (traditionally male) uniform when they joined the company in 2022.
“I felt ever so slightly overwhelmed, because finally I was able to wear the uniform I’ve always wanted to wear,” Mx. Forsstrom said.
Over the decades, advocacy for inclusion of genders, people of color and different body types has been significantly boosted by flight-attendant unions. Taylor Garland, spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said, “The flight attendant profession has been steeped in discrimination and sexism from the beginning of its existence as a career, and our union has fought back every step of the way.”
Must all airlines change, and how much? Federal law in the U.S. does uphold the right for employers to implement a dress code. But recent lawsuits in various states have challenged the notion that such a dress code may be sex-specific without being discriminatory. An article on the legal website JD Supra advises: “Employers that currently maintain sex-specific dress codes and grooming standards without a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) reasonably necessary to the regular operation of their businesses may want to consider implementing gender-neutral dress codes and grooming standards.”
Airlines that don’t change with the times may be subject to lawsuits. In 2021, before Alaska Airlines opened up its uniform policies, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter on behalf of crew member Justin Wetherell, who is nonbinary, saying that the gendered uniforms were discriminatory. In December 2022, the crew member filed a human-rights complaint against the airline in Washington state. The flight attendant did not respond to requests for comment, and Alaska Airlines said it could not comment on ongoing litigation.
“At the end of the day, a lot of what management does is sell a product,” said Kiara O’Bryant, Alaska AFA uniform chair. “I would definitely attribute this to Gen Z and millennials showing up and saying, ‘Hey, I can do that and be myself at the same time.’”
Here beginns the second feature:
Fashion: White Shirts Gone Wild: How the Wardrobe Basic Became Surprisingly Exciting
Forget everything you knew about crisp, classic button-ups. Designers have given the trusty businesswear companions some arresting updates. Here, how to wrangle them.
By guest author Faran Krentcil / Photographs by F. Martin Ramin/ The Wall Street Journal
Jan. 28, 2023
CLASSIC WHITE button-ups just got exciting. Yes, really. The sportswear staple known for its crisp collar and clean cut, has been revamped in ways that boggle the mind and energize the wardrobe. Witness the bounty of surreal white shirts in the resort 2023 collection from New York brand the Row, including the version shown at left, which would be standard if not for its detachable, puffy white shawl. “That was my Catholic school uniform!” said Megan Bugey, 46, an Austin, Texas, paralegal, of the shirt’s standard form. “But now, it’s trippy.”
This season has seen an abundance of white collared shirts—and they’re anything but uniform. Brunello Cucinelli slashed the businesswear mainstay mid-torso to create an unconventional Wolfette of Wall Street crop top (pictured), and Danish label Tove sells one with a regal peplum. “I love the utility [button-up shirts] have in my wardrobe,” said New York stylist Pamela Shepard, 39, who owns “countless” iterations, including oversize and dip-dyed riffs from Ralph Lauren and J.Crew.
“A white shirt has the ability to pull any look together,” said New York designer Tory Burch, whose spring collection featured styles with softly rounded shoulders and deep necklines that curve like the tops of calla lilies. “It can be powerful, feminine or sharply sophisticated.” Model and author Emily Ratajkowki and actress Sadie Sink each recently donned Tory Burch tops, the former with red trousers, the latter with a quilted black miniskirt.
Even with their artful twists, today’s more extraordinary white shirts can still be basics.
In Victorian London, a white shirt symbolized status, its pristine appearance telegraphing that you had enough servants to fastidiously launder your clothing. Around the early 1900s, the British Raj polo team adopted a loose interpretation—now known as the Oxford—as its uniform. The white shirt took on madcap charm when Audrey Hepburn wore a long tuxedo version as a nightgown in 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and an easy sex appeal when Marilyn Monroe paired hers with jeans that same year. In 1992, for the cover of its 100th anniversary issue, Vogue hired Patrick Demarchelier to shoot supermodels in sharp Gap takes. Sharon Stone followed suit at the 1998 Oscars, sporting hers with a metallic Vera Wang skirt.
Because white shirts never truly went away, it’s tough to pinpoint how they regained such currency. One factor: At the 2022 Academy Awards, Kristen Stewart, Uma Thurman and Zendaya all wore the staple on the red carpet. Meanwhile, women worldwide were remixing their wardrobes for a hybrid work world. “I think we’re constantly made to multitask, and we expect our clothes to do that, too,” said Irish designer Maria McManus, who launched her business with a signature white shirt. Ms. Shepard, the New York stylist, confirmed the top’s versatility: “It’s one of the few things that can work for everyone.”
Even with their artful twists, today’s more extraordinary white shirts can still be basics. Ms. Burch suggests deploying one to “anchor your most interesting and eclectic pieces.” To emulate recent red-carpet ensembles, try a cropped version with a statement skirt. Ms. Shepard advises layering a white shirt with a sculptural collar beneath a black strapless dress for an unexpected flourish. And Ms. McManus likes to add excitement to jeans and flats with an extra-long option: See her shirtdress shown with a pleated skirt at left.
White shirts do have one weakness: They’re white. “Because I’m petite and curvy, I love a big white shirt over a slim pant with heels or boots,” said Jazzi McGilbert, 34, owner of Los Angeles bookstore Reparations Club. “But I always feel like I should have a spare outfit in my car, because one latte and it becomes a wardrobe malfunction.” For that, Ms. McManus suggests investing in one more classic: a Tide Pen.
Styling by Lizzie Wholley, Model Tiffany Lebya/Wilhelmina, Hair and Makeup Kyle Sheehan/See Management
The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.
Appeared in the January 28, 2023, print edition as ‘The White Shirt Goes Rogue’.
Here starts the third item:
McKinsey: How to become a tech-forward business
January 28, 2023
In the face of a business environment plagued with uncertainties, organizations are turning to technology to help lower costs and optimize productivity, and with good reason. Among McKinsey-surveyed companies in 2020 that were able to successfully undergo a tech transformation, 50 % reported moderate to significant impact on realizing new revenue streams, almost 70 % reported impact on increasing existing revenue streams, and 76 ? reported impact on reducing costs. But modernising technology requires companies do multiple things well to capture all the value that’s there for the taking, write partners Anusha Dhasarathy and Thomas Elsner, and senior partner Naufal Khan. Dive into these insights to understand how to compete and succeed in a digital world.
The Tech:Forward recipe for a successful technology transformation
Prioritizing technology transformations to win
McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2022
Seven lessons on how technology transformations can deliver value
Managing the fallout from technology transformations
Tech-enabled business transformation: The trillion dollar opportunity
From the Tech: Forward Blog
Keeping technology transformation at the top of the agenda
Newsletter of last Week
Kevin Durant’s New Headspace – A Fake Death in Romancelandia https://textile-future.com/archives/103650
Highlights of News of Last Week, for your convenience just click on the item
Big Tech
Big Tech Stops Doing Stupid Stuff https://textile-future.com/archives/103407
Brands
Fashion braces for more layoffs as brands rightsize teams https://textile-future.com/archives/103624
China
Opinion Today: China helped me raise my American kids. They turned out just fine https://textile-future.com/archives/103809
Climate
Climate Start-up Removes Carbon From Open Air in Industry First https://textile-future.com/archives/103435
Code Dress for Women
Missouri State Lawmakers Revise Their Dress Code for Women https://textile-future.com/archives/103455
Colours
BASF: While white and black still win, chromatic colours gain market share around the globe https://textile-future.com/archives/103586
Companies
BASF Group releases preliminary figures for full year 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103541
Burberry preliminary Results 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103580
Swiss Autoneum achieves revenue growth of 6.1 % in 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103744
Swiss Zehnder Group increased sales by 17 % to EUR 812.5 million https://textile-future.com/archives/103750
Abbott Under Federal Criminal Investigation Over Baby Formula https://textile-future.com/archives/103801
Data
Predominantly EU rural regions experience depopulation https://textile-future.com/archives/103501
European Statistical Recovery Dashboard: January 2023 edition https://textile-future.com/archives/103508
Excess mortality in EU dropped to 6.7 % in November 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103518
22 % of EU energy consumed in 2021 came from renewables https://textile-future.com/archives/103673
EU Household expenditure partly recovered after COVID dip https://textile-future.com/archives/103736
Share of EU renewables in transport decreased in 2021 https://textile-future.com/archives/103877
EU Government finance statistics: net financial worth https://textile-future.com/archives/103887
A Lecturer Showed a Painting of the Prophet Muhammad. She Lost Her Job https://textile-future.com/archives/103442
ATG: Information Security & Cryptography – Fundamentals and Applications June 12−14, 2023 Zurich, Switzerland Lecturers: Prof. David Basin, ETH Zurich Prof. Ueli Maurer, ETH Zurich https://textile-future.com/archives/103654
The McKinsey Week in Charts https://textile-future.com/archives/103898
Decrease in online education in the EU in 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103913
Ukraine & Russia: source of 1/3 of EU cereal imports https://textile-future.com/archives/103920
First-time EU asylum applicants up 10 % in October 2022 https://textile-future.com/archives/103956
Events
SHIMA SEIKI to Exhibit at Pitti Filati 92 https://textile-future.com/archives/103545
Trade show success in growth market and Interiew: Insights into a key market https://textile-future.com/archives/103597
Terrot: 2023 is all about ITMA https://textile-future.com/archives/103659
Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023 – Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023, 8-9 March https://textile-future.com/archives/103861
EU
COLLEGE MEETING: The European Commission appoints a new Head of Representation in Sweden https://textile-future.com/archives/103490
Fairness
Workplace Fairness Podcast Provides Expertise to Help Workers Reach Gainful Employment and Career Pathway by Addressing Criminal Backgrounds, Recidivism and Ban The Box https://textile-future.com/archives/103931
Fashion
Marcel Ostertag designed for Peter Hahn: Presentation of the Capsule Collection in the framework of a runway show at the Berlin Fashion Week https://textile-future.com/archives/103775
Food
17 Foods You Should Buy When They’re on Sale https://textile-future.com/archives/103629
India
Google’s Big India Opportunity Faces a Challenge https://textile-future.com/archives/103925
McKinsey
What is resilience? https://textile-future.com/archives/103784
Licence
Nokia, Samsung sign 5G patent licence agreement https://textile-future.com/archives/103934
Personalities
Pamela Anderson Doesn’t Need Redemption, She’s Just Fine https://textile-future.com/archives/103417
Nancy Pelosi, Liberated and Loving It https://textile-future.com/archives/103816
Professor Martina Caroni elected to the Swiss Marcel Benoist Foundation Board of Trustees https://textile-future.com/archives/103953
New Products
ExxonMobil awards BASF Durasorb™ Cryo-HRU with technology qualification for LNG pre-treatment https://textile-future.com/archives/103514
Purina announces new wave of support through its BetterWithPets Prize https://textile-future.com/archives/103872
Rare Earth
Swedish mining firm LKAB finds Europe’s largest rare earth deposit https://textile-future.com/archives/103381
Royals
Face Forward: The State of Kate https://textile-future.com/archives/103373
The British Aren’t the Only Ones With Royal Drama https://textile-future.com/archives/103787
Shelly Palmer Blog
ShellyPalmer THINK ABOUT THIS https://textile-future.com/archives/103389
Sustainability
BASF’s Monomers division announces sustainability roadmap and expands portfolio of climate-friendly products https://textile-future.com/archives/103496
Ukraine
Ukraine: Switzerland to implement the EU’s ninth package of sanctions https://textile-future.com/archives/103962
USA
Yellen Calls on Congress to Raise Debt Limit https://textile-future.com/archives/103462
VF Corporation Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2023 Earnings and Conference Call Date https://textile-future.com/archives/103622
How Kevin McCarthy Forged an Ironclad Bond With Marjorie Taylor Greene https://textile-future.com/archives/103848
WEF Davos 2023
President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset launches global alliance for Baukultur in Davos https://textile-future.com/archives/103467
WEF Annual Meeting: Switzerland and Germany hold talks on energy and economic issues https://textile-future.com/archives/103471
Swiss Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter at 2023 WEF Annual Meeting https://textile-future.com/archives/103615
Amid crises, China returns to Davos https://textile-future.com/archives/103640
At Davos, Mood Is Somber as Many CEOs Question Economic Outlook https://textile-future.com/archives/103644
Talks conducted by the President of the Swiss Confederation in Davos focused on security situation in Europe and the work of the UN Security Council https://textile-future.com/archives/103668
Davos: initial preparations for 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2024 https://textile-future.com/archives/103723
Switzerland ratifies WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies https://textile-future.com/archives/103728
WTO must bolster cooperation in a fragmented world — DG Okonjo-Iweala in Davos https://textile-future.com/archives/103764