AILEEN’S UNIFORM ATLAS
The Pulse is pleased to present Aileen’s Uniform Atlas, a recurring feature written by Aileen Out.
Out is the owner of Prettybusiness, a news blog in the Netherlands that focuses exclusively on work clothing.
This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s being highlighted across the workwear industry. From uniforms to eye-catching police badges, everything turns pink in October. In this column, I’ll list the best initiatives for you.
Pink Dresses and Ties
For many airlines, pink uniforms in October have become a long-standing tradition. Delta Air Lines started a campaign over 15 years ago to raise awareness for breast cancer when one of their flight attendants was battling the disease. Since then, male staff members have worn pink ties every October. The ladies wear bright pink dresses with matching scarves. Passengers who order food or drinks onboard this month also directly support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), with 25% of profits going to this cause.
For customers who also like to wear something pink, the airline has created a special Pink Boutique. Via this online webshop, consumers can buy special pink merchandise from the company. From shoes, caps, sweaters and socks to water bottles, pens and bags: everything is for sale. And that is a great success. By mid-October, all products in this webshop were already sold out.
At Spirit Airlines, where uniforms are normally black with yellow accents, employees are allowed to wear uniforms with pink details in October. However, they must purchase these themselves, and the proceeds from the sale go to charity. This year, the pink uniforms were so popular that they sold out within 24 hours.
As more airlines wanted to join this global campaign, Qantas established FlyPink in 2015. Through the website, cabin crew members can order pins and shoulder epaulets for pilots. The profits from these sales also go toward breast cancer research.
Pins and Badges
Qantas isn’t the only organization supporting BCRF through accessories. Smith & Warren has been selling special pink badges since 2016 to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to universal pink ribbon pins, they offer pink badges for various professions, such as police officers, detectives, special agents, and firefighters. Ten percent of the proceeds are donated to breast cancer research, and the company has already donated nearly $90,000 through this initiative.
Similarly, Blackinton offers a range of pink badges for public service workers, including a special badge for female officers who have survived breast cancer, marked with the words “Breast Cancer Survivor.”
It’s a powerful way to raise awareness for a disease that impacts 1 in 8 women (U.S.) during their lifetime. The more research conducted, the better.
