New jacket required

Uniforms for rail staff vary across different operators, from waistcoats, suits and ties often worn by Great Western Railway (GWR) staff, to Northern’s range of jackets, short or long-sleeved shirts, jumpers, skirts and polo shirts.

However, you’d be hard pushed to find a uniform more formal than the one just launched by The British Pullman operator, Belmond Trains, who say they wanted to “invest in keeping the art of luxury alive” as the company's way of marking the Railway 200 anniversary.

Belmond’s new uniform collection has been created by Jermyn Street Design (JSD), whose London studio specialises in bespoke workwear. JSD has designed uniforms for the likes of GWR, SWR and Eurostar. The company says its new uniforms offer “a progressive blend of old versus new.”

“As we always say – ‘no-one is uniform’. It was about balancing the romance of heritage with the rigour of modern hospitality, all while keeping the wearer at the heart of every step of the design process,” said JSD’s CEO, Ann Dowdeswell.

“From the cut of a steward’s jacket to the shape of the bowties, the size and position of buttonholes to the movement and silhouette of the trousers, so many details are so subtle, but these are all key elements of these iconic uniform designs that were honed to perfection.

“We wanted to honour the golden age of rail, but we also had to create something contemporary, comfortable and hard-wearing.”

For Belmond, the uniforms needed to be functional too – after all, stewards and chefs on board the luxury train work long shifts, moving through carriages, carrying trays and welcoming guests.

You really wouldn't want the train to lurch when you're carrying a bowl of soup!