HSBC staff get a uniform of jumpsuits and jeans

HSBC has become the latest big company to announce a shift to more casual uniforms for 4,000 branch staff.

The new range includes jumpsuits and "menopause-friendly" garments for women, ethnic-wear, including tunics and hijabs, and chinos and jeans.

Last month, British Airways unveiled its first new uniform for 20 years, including a jumpsuit for female ground staff and cabin crew.

HSBC is to close 114 more UK branches from April, with about 100 jobs going.

The bank said the uniform re-design mirrored the "more casual new look of the banks' branches".

HSBC UK's director of distribution, Jackie Uhi, said the days of "bowler-hatted bankers and intimidating bank branches with rows of screens" was over.

"The modern day banker is still smart and professional but much more casual and approachable," she said.

"Our branch colleagues are the public face of the bank, so what they wear does not only need to reflect the brand, it needs to look good, be practical, comfortable and hard-wearing, while taking into account specific human needs like those who are pregnant or going through the menopause."

The bank said the fit, style and material of the new outfits had been designed to provide "maximum comfort" when people were experiencing menopause symptoms.

They include a fit-and-flare shape jersey dress, V-neck tunic, tailored jumpsuit, jersey tees and a chino knee-length skirt.

It comes after Virgin Atlantic announced last year that it was taking a "fluid approach" to uniforms which allowed staff to choose their clothing "no matter their gender". The airline will allow male pilots and crew to wear skirts and female colleagues to choose trousers.

Meanwhile BA plans to roll out its revamped uniforms, designed by Ozwald Boateng, for 30,000 staff this spring.

Initially its jumpsuit will be for female ground staff but is set to be made available to cabin crew after further trials. The new BA uniform also includes a tunic and hijab option.

HSBC's said its new uniforms, which took two years to develop, were its "most sustainable" yet. They are made from recycled polyester, dissolving plastic, ocean recovered plastic and sustainable cotton.

The unveiling comes months before HSBC begins another round of bank branch closures in the UK, shutting 114 sites. It will leave the lender with 327 outlets.

The bank has previously said banking remotely was becoming the norm for "the vast majority of us" and the number of people using banks was at an "all-time low".

It has said it would try to redeploy affected staff, but about 100 would still lose their jobs.