Partner Article
Jermyn Street Design (JSD), the B Corp London-based supplier of custom uniforms and ethical workwear has celebrated launching a new range of uniforms set to shine on The British Pullman as Belmond Trains invest in keeping the art of luxury alive.
Honouring the heritage of hospitality from days gone by, as well as embracing new technologies to further enhance wearer experience, the new uniforms offer a progressive blend of old vs new. The impact of the uniforms is immediate when stepping aboard a Belmond train and the world outside seems to fade. Polished wood-panelled carriages gleam, champagne flows, and the soft rhythm of wheels on tracks sets a tempo that belongs to another era. Yet amid the glamour of a Belmond train it is often the quiet elegance of the staff – immaculate in their tailored uniforms – that makes the first impression last.
“From the cut of a steward’s jacket to the shape of the bowties, the size and position of button holes 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.” said JSD’s CEO, Ann Dowdeswell.
JSD’s London studio specialises in bespoke workwear for global brands, bringing ‘the care of Savile Row tailoring married to the demands of modern workwear’ and they approached the Belmond commission with the precision and care you would expect from over 45 years of expertise.
“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,” Ann added.
Fabrics were tested for durability, breathability and comfort, practical concerns that sit alongside aesthetics in a world where staff may work long shifts in close quarters. Extensive wearer trials followed, ensuring every garment performed as elegantly in motion as it did on the digital artboards, with prototypes adjusted in real time, and feedback from staff fed directly into refinements – an approach that blends traditional tailoring craft with modern design intelligence.
“We wanted to honour the golden age of rail,” explains Ann, “but we also had to create something contemporary, comfortable and hard-wearing. A Belmond steward or chef isn’t simply standing still – they’re working long shifts, moving through carriages, carrying trays, welcoming guests. Their uniforms had to be both beautiful and functional.”
“Belmond’s staff look not like actors in costume but as natural extensions of the train themselves – graceful, assured, and quietly authoritative. They are uniforms designed to withstand daily service while carrying the quiet prestige of luxury travel – a rare fusion of practicality and theatre” said Ann.
For Belmond, whose brand is built on transporting guests into an elegant past, the uniforms are more than attire. They are part of the choreography of the journey, as essential to the atmosphere as the clink of crystal or the view of quintessential England from the window, and to get this right it is clear that Belmond have put their own people first.
“Our approach at JSD is to design with the wearer in mind using an intricate approach to individualism; providing ranges with true diversity of sizing, designing with different body shapes in mind, and offering options that respect cultural requirements, gender identity and neurodiversity, results in the Belmond teams feeling their most confident selves in their uniforms.” Ann said.
JSD’s extensive portfolio includes palaces, private airlines and exclusive member clubs, as well as designing uniforms for the likes of Gucci, and are known for blending the best of British craftsmanship and award winning design innovation with cutting edge technology, and a ‘couture’ approach to creating garments that are a perfect fit for the individual.
This was posted in Bdaily’s Members’ News section
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