Fit for London rain, or 30 degree heat, piloting a plane, and driving a bus…a lot is asked of Jet2.com uniforms, and Jermyn Street Design, is celebrating having kitted out over 6000 Cabin Crew and Pilot colleagues who are debuting the new styles this month.
The London based custom uniforms and ethical workwear clothing business, JSD has created over 130,000 items, which will be gradually rolled out over the coming months across different departments at Jet2.com, developed after 18 months of employee consultations.
The brand-new uniforms represent the first major change to Jet2.com’s Cabin Crew and Pilot uniforms in more than 20 years, marking a shift in both look and feel and Jet2.com chose to partner with JSD, whose clients have included British Airways, Qatar Airways and Titan Airlines over the years.
All genders, all body shapes, all ages, all cultures were taken into account as Jet2.com and JSD set about creating a uniform that fits all and the result is a truly versatile collection of garments, each tailored to individual’s needs.
JSD helped coordinate colleague input into what they were looking for in uniforms for the future, as they moved away from simply repurposing previous designs. Keen to get closer to the individual needs of colleagues across the globe, JSD helped Jet2.com execute 3 wearer trials throughout last year and translated their feedback into the final range. Looking at wearability and breathability in different climates, the flexibility of fabrics for practical use, comfort and style to reflect individuality and personality, as well as sustainability and longevity, Jet2.com went far beyond a box ticking exercise.
This was a huge undertaking and one that Jet2.com was keen to prioritise as part of the organisation’s continued personalised support for its employees and their wellbeing.
Micki Miles, Head of Cabin Services at Jet2.com said: “Since the launch of Jet2.com in 2003, our uniform has seen subtle changes, but this is the first major new design which represents a significant change and will ensure that we stay on-brand and stylish for many years to come. This new look and feel has been driven by Jet2.com colleagues, with 18 months’ worth of feedback and wearer trials helping us to develop a brand-new uniform that not only looks incredible, but addresses comfort and practicality too. We know that our colleagues and customers will love this new uniform, and it will really take us forward as we continue looking after customers on their award-winning flights and holidays with us.”
The new uniform incorporates fibres made from recycled materials and will be delivered to Jet2.com colleagues in fully recyclable packaging. Over 80,000 garments from old uniforms will be recycled into new materials, with over 3,000 garments that cannot be recycled being donated to charity.
Ann Dowdeswell, Managing Director at JSD said: “Every single team within our business has worked on the new range launch project. From design, fabric development and testing, branding development, sample manufacture, size set manufacture, staff focus groups and engagement with C-suite stakeholders, uniform steering group and over 100 hand-selected Jet2.com team members from their different business units. When we put the wearer at the heart of everything this has a huge impact across all areas of the process and we salute our clients who commit to this, as this is real inclusivity”.
“For this project their range is fully bespoke designed and developed for each Jet2.com business unit. We clothe: Cabin Crew, Ground Operations services, Engineering, Flight Deck, Holidays team as well as their Retail Operations Team. Each business team has a unique set of requirements for uniform and the service we provide. so we treat each unit as a separate customer managed by two Account Managers and 3 warehouses to serve their logistics and storage requirements across Europe. We also offer a dedicated custom-built online order portal linked to their HR systems to enable ease of ordering.”
Ben Flesher, Performance Trainer, Leeds Bradford Airport said: “Having been involved in the uniform trials and design since the start two years ago, it’s been amazing to see the designs evolve from the initial concept to the final designs that we will all wear onboard. I think the new uniform gives a more modern and professional look through using better materials and tailoring. I’m proud to work for a company that invests in its colleagues.”
Ann added: “At JSD, our company ethos is “no-one is uniform” and we’re really proud of the way the new Jet2.com uniform captures the airline’s dynamic identity while supporting the real, day-to-day needs of the people wearing it. It was crucial to us that the design not only looks modern and cohesive but that it also feels comfortable, inclusive, and practical for every role across Jet2.com We invested a great deal of time and care into understanding how team members would interact with these uniforms on a busy flight, at a bustling airport terminal, or in different climates at one of their international bases; seeing the result strike that balance of style and functionality is incredibly rewarding.”
“Moreover, from design and planning through to final execution, we collaborated extremely closely with Jet2.com’s teams. We travelled with them to the manufacturing facilities to oversee production, making real-time adjustments and ensuring the highest quality throughout every stage. We also took care of the final delivery, sending uniforms directly to employees’ home addresses so that everyone received a consistent, stress-free experience. Hearing the team’s feedback, incorporating their insights, and ultimately seeing them wear the uniform with pride has been the highlight of this entire project.”
From a sustainability point of view Jet2.com has embraced new materials for this uniform. Previous uniforms were made using virgin polyester and standard cotton blends, but now all branding labels are 100% recycled polyester; fabrics made with polyester are now recycled polyester; all linings are made of 100% recycled polyester, mechanical stretch to avoid use of elastane and all packaging is all sustainable (either FSC card or biodegradable/recycled plastic where applicable).
Jet2.com has now started to roll the uniforms out, with the first phase being for Cabin Crew and Flight Deck, and over the next few months the rest of the team will also transition to the new styles.
