Virgin Atlantic’s female flight attendants are known for their red skirts, ruby shoes and bold crimson lipstick. But in a surprising move announced this week, the airline gave them new options: to go without makeup and to wear pants.

Since its first flight in 1984, the airline has consistently upped the ante with its uniforms, choosing sleeker cuts and ever bolder shades of red. But the airline’s announcement on Monday reflects a gradual shift in the aviation industry, which is notorious for putting a premium on female flight attendants’ appearances, toward giving them more choice over how they express themselves at work.

“We want our uniform to truly reflect who we are as individuals while maintaining that famous Virgin Atlantic style,” Mark Anderson, an executive vice president with the company, said in a statement. “We have been listening to the views of our people and as a result have announced some changes to our styling and grooming policy that support this.”

Budget airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet have relatively more relaxed rules than more established airlines like British Airways, which only recently dropped its “no pants” rule and still requires female flight attendants to wear makeup.