May/June 2008
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To make more comfortable footwear, this supplier thinks like
a sneaker manufacturer.
By Jay Gordon
Police and other law enforcement personnel can be on the go for more than 10 hours a day, and their feet take a beating. They don’t call it “pounding the pavement” for nothing.
That’s why more and more footwear manufacturers are offering boots based on an athletic shoe chassis. “In 2003, instead of approaching a boot factory, we went to an athletic shoe factory,” says Dan Costa, CEO of 5.11 Tactical, a Modesto, CA-based supplier of military, law enforcement and security uniforms, footwear and accessories. “We took our boot and an athletic shoe and put them together. Taking an unconventional approach worked.”
That’s not just Costa being a “homer.” 5.11 knows the approach is working because it has received over 3,000 comments from end-users who wear the company’s footwear every day. Many of the comments are posted on the company’s Web site (www.511tactical.com).
“We even have a quote from a soldier in Iraq thanking us for our boots, saying he got into a firefight and was able to outrun the conflict, which saved his life,” says Rick McCabe, 5.11’s vice president of design and development.
 Comfort is king, but footwear for law enforcement demands other functionality, too, and suppliers like 5.11 Tactical have responded with features such as waterproof, breathable membranes, a unique Shock Mitigation System, antibacterial and moisture-wicking linings that resist blood-borne pathogens, oil- and slip-resistant outsoles, hidden pockets and side-zip convenience. Most models also feature polishable leather toes. Shown here, the ATAC (All-Terrain All-Conditions) Storm. Available from 5.11 Tactical. |
Girl Scouts of the USA has been helping girls build leadership skills
for decades – and their uniforms are part of that legacy.
If you had to pinpoint a uniform line that exudes unity and confidence, then the uniforms worn by the Girl Scouts are it. What started as an outfit comprised of a dark blue blouse and skirt paired with sateen tie, black felt campaign hat and black shoes has evolved into different variations of a uniform proudly donned by girls worldwide.
Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, the organization helps girls develop strong moral character and values. Uniforms are divided according to age levels, and girls can earn emblems and patches based on their completion of various skill-building activities.
“A uniform is a symbol of belonging,” says Eileen Doyle, vice president of program development for Girl Scouts of the USA. “When a girl wears a Girl Scout uniform, she is connecting with 2.6 million Girl Scouts.”
As with any apparel program, the Girl Scout uniform has gone through a series of changes in order to meet the needs of each generation of wearers. Beginning this fall, for instance, members may wear khaki pants and white tops along with their official Girl Scout vest or sash.
Editor’s Note: For more information, go to www.girlscouts.org.
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| Girl Scouts (AGES 11-17): Teen scouts can be found wearing STUDIO 2BSM T-shirts or the new uniform styles introduced in 2001 featuring a color palette of khaki, navy, and light blue, and parachute style pants with bungee cords, V-neck T-shirts, stretch cotton fitted blouses, and hooded sweatshirts. They may choose to display Interest Project awards and other insignia on a sash or vest, or wear the STUDIO 2B charm bracelet. |
Junior Girl Scouts (ages 8-11): Similar to their Brownie counterparts, members at this level also wear sashes or vests. In 2001, the organization approved jade-green pull-on style skorts, hooded sweatshirts, short-sleeve polos, khaki cargo pocket pants and shorts as an acceptable uniform. |
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| Brownie Girl Scouts (ages 6-8): Brownies typically wear a uniform with either a sash or vest to display their Try-Its emblems and other awards. Alternatively, members can also choose from a hooded sweatshirt and pull-on pants or shorts, leggings, skorts, pullover jumpers, turtlenecks and T-shirts. |
Daisy Girl Scouts (ages 5-6): Newly-inducted members can display their membership pin, Learning Petals and participation badges on official T-shirts, shorts or legging or a tunic worn over their clothes. |
• VF Corporation has promoted Scott Baxter to president of its Imagewear coalition. In his new role Baxter will be responsible for the company’s licensed sports and occupational apparel businesses, which are based in Tampa, FL and Nashville, TN, respectively.
Baxter joined VF Imagewear in November 2007 as president of its activewear division, which markets branded apparel under licensing agreements with the NFL, Major League Baseball, Harley-Davidson and others. Prior to joining VF, Baxter served as senior vice president of Home Depot and executive vice president of Edward Don & Co.
Baxter will report to Eric Wiseman, president and CEO of VF Corporation. He replaces Ed Doran, who left the company to pursue other interests.
• Mike McEvoy, a 28-year veteran of the decorated apparel industry, has been named vice president of marketing for Hirsch International, a full-line supplier of embroidery and screen printing equipment and exclusive distributor of Tajima and MHM brands in North America. McEvoy will be responsible for the ongoing promotion of the Hirsch brand, products, services, and education through its Web site, catalogs, press releases, advertising, articles, trade shows and other promotional materials.
• William Sarria has been promoted to Southern Regional Sales Manager at World Emblem International, a leading designer and manufacturer of custom embroidered, screen-printed and sublimated emblems. Sarria has been with World Emblem for over two years serving as a sales support representative in the Miami headquarters. His new territory encompasses Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
• The Penn Emblem Company has promoted two new account managers specifically devoted to the ad specialties market. Michelle Burgess has been the sales manager for the PennSports division of Penn Emblem for seven years, and has been with the company for 10 years. She has been in charge of handling sports club needs and other direct sale markets. Norma Whitford has been a customer service representative for the direct sale market for a year, and has been with the company for two years.
A new photography exhibit shows that much of our identity is tied to what we do – and what we wear.
By Mary Beth Swayne
Liz Murphy Thomas worked at a Subway restaurant while attending photography classes at the University of Florida. One day, at an art show, a man approached her and said, “You’re that girl from Subway. What are you doing here?” That got Thomas to thinking: Who are we? How much of what we do defines who we are? Does appearance really matter in terms of self-identity? “All of my work deals with the issue of how we create, categorize and perceive identity,” Thomas says. “I wanted to find a way to share what I felt with others and have them ponder the same questions I was asking.”
That experience was the catalyst for Uniformity, a collection of 13 paired phtographs, one of people in uniforms they wear to work, the other in their non-work clothes. “I realized that in the course of a day I represent myself as several different people – a sandwich shop employee, a student and an artist,” Thomas says. “Depending on the moment in time that someone encounters me, they could have a very different visual concept of who I am.”
The subjects for her photographs range from a neurology resident to a belly dancer. “I intentionally did not give my subjects directions on how to pose or position themselves while I was shooting the photographs for Uniformity because I wanted to see how people held themselves naturally,” Thomas says.
Each pair of photographs was hung on opposing walls. “I was dealing with the issues of duality,” says Thomas. “We usually only see people in their uniform or in their street clothes. We very rarely get to see anyone in both capacities.”
Although she does not want her viewers to feel like the uniform is the person, “many uniforms instill a sense of pride,” she says. “Law enforcement, fire and rescue and the military all have very positive uniform associations. Anyone who enjoys their job, no matter what their uniform happens to be, has a sense of pride about what they are doing and who they are.”
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| In her military uniform, Jessika Ross has a serious, down-to-business facial expression. In the casual photo, Jessika shows her “softer” side in a dress and heels, and even manages a smile. Notice Jessika’s ramrod straight posture and squared shoulders in both “uniforms.” | Liz Murphy Thomas photographed fellow student Gabe Garnett in his McDonald’s Crew Chief uniform and in street clothes. “As a student he was always a very laid-back kind of guy,” Thomas says. “When he put on his uniform, he became a more powerful figure with a sense of presence and seriousness that I didn’t see in the classroom.” |
Ty Carlson is a technician for Firedog, a company that installs and services home electronics systems. His uniform consists of cargo pants and a polo. In street clothes he is relaxed and his hair is casually styled. In uniform, Ty looks a bit more stiff, but more polished. |
NASCAR’s 88 car may run hot, but thanks to a new uniform designed by adidas, its driver – Dale Earnhardt Jr. – will be as cool as a dog’s nose.
By Jay Gordon
New year, new team, new car – new uniform. By the time you read this, Dale Earnhardt Jr. should be developing a new appreciation for the uniform adidas designed for him to race in this NASCAR season.
When temperatures outside start to climb, the air inside race cars like Junior’s can heat up to as much as 140 degrees, resulting in driver fatigue and decreased response times over the course of a race. But Junior will be cool in the driver’s seat thanks to his new ClimaCool uniform, designed by the 60-person adidas Innovation Team working with Earnhardt. Here’s how adidas plans to keep NASCAR nation’s most popular driver cool:
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| ClimaCool conducts heat and sweat away from the body through a combination of heat and moisture-dissipating materials, ventilation channels and three-dimensional fabrics that allow air to circulate close to the skin. By mapping the body’s critical heat and sweat zones using infrared cameras, adidas was able to place these technologies exactly where they’re needed to optimize the driver’s body temperature. |
It’s fitting that adidas’ ClimaCool footwear was inspired by race car drivers. These specially designed shoes scavenge the slow-moving air surrounding a shoe during exercise, and conduct it through aerodynamically optimized air channels to cool the foot. 3D Fabrics – Moisture-management fabrics featuring hundreds of small indents on the body side of the fabric to pull sweat in all directions both outwards from the body and also across the surface of the garment, and maximizing micro-ventilation across the skin. In addition to ventilation ducts on the sides and outsole – positioned in locations scientifically proven to maximize air velocity to the foot – every ClimaCool shoe has a fully ventilated mesh upper and breathable sock liner to ensure maximum airflow penetrating the shoe and cooling the foot from every side. This 360-degree ventilation system transports heat and sweat away from the foot and out of the shoe as you exercise, providing a 40% increase in cooling over a conventional shoe. |
Cool Touch Neck Tape – Heat conductive tape is located around the neck. Sends cooling signals to the brain, providing the constant feeling of cooling. X-Static– Thermal conductive fibers are engineered into the fabric, consisting of silver-coated yarns placed down the back of the shirt in a chimney shape construction, conducting heat away from the body. |
An image consultant’s inside view of the Macy’s dress code.
By Roberta Hughes
While shopping at Macy’s recently, I observed a few things about their dress code policy and how their employees looked overall and the way their customers responded to them. Here are some of my observations:
1) The Macy’s uniform program allows employees to select any style in black that suits them best. While this open dress code is appreciated by most employees, it’s a good idea to provide some training to help employees understand which styles flatter their body type. Doing so will enhance their personal image, and ultimately, the company’s image as well.
2) Although the color black is generally viewed as chic and professional, it does have some downfalls if not properly managed. I found it somewhat difficult to differentiate a sales representative from a paying customer. Employees should stand out.
3) Mandating that employees wear a certain color is the easiest way (but not always the best way) to implement a uniform apparel program. Selecting the right color for your market is essential. Some employees could benefit with a little color training using makeup or scarves for example, to enhance their appearance and brighten their skin.
4) Black reveals lint more easily. To ensure a consistent quality image across departments, I would suggest that employees purchase garments made from a blend of natural and man-made fibers to minimize color fading and shrinkage.
At the end of the day, the goal is to make employees easily recognizable while having them look their best so customers will want to look as good as they do and buy the clothing they wear.
Roberta Hughes is an image consultant and founder of Avidere, an image and style company. Contact her at roberta@aviderestyle.com.
