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The concept of “uniform” has often been taken a bit too literally.
“Many customers will still order men’s shirt as a unisex item, because it’s easier and more convenient to just go down a size for a woman and you’re done,” says Daniel Cohen, vice president of FCGI Career Apparel. “But that shirt has no darts, and it’s not shaped properly. It’s important that we design clothing specifically for women. Even if it’s the same fabric, ‘uniform’ doesn’t mean exactly the same, it just means they have to look like a cohesive unit. We need to allow women to stand out in their uniforms and not just blend in. A lot of businesses should consider how they can make women look like women, and not just another employee.”
Cosmetics consultants wanted uniforms they could wear not just to in-home parties, but everywhere. Available from Charles River Apparel (asi/44620) Andrea Engel couldn’t agree more. The vice president of merchandising for Broder has been scratching her head for a long time trying to figure why women make up 55% of the workforce, yet the uniform and apparel industries only sell 20% women’s garments. “It’s an anomaly,” Engel says. “I go to restaurants, hotels and stores and I see so many women wearing men’s polo shirts. They can’t leave them untucked because they’re too long, but they can’t tuck them in because they’re too bulky. The sleeves come way below the elbow – they just don’t look good.”
Women have become so accustomed to wearing men’s shirts that they don’t even know what size they are in a women’s garment anymore. “People are afraid to figure it out,” she says. “They need help.”
Thankfully, many suppliers are doing what FCGI and Broder did years ago – review its entire line with an eye toward re-designing garments specifically for women.
“We were making our women’s pants based on men’s patterns – baggy, with pleats – and women don’t want that,” Cohen says. “Women’s garments should not be a copy of men’s. That’s a big problem in the uniforms industry, but people are finally waking up to the reality that women are a big part of the workforce.”
Think of an environment where women are engaged in sports or fitness, and you’re likely to find buyers for this stylish sleeveless knit shirt. Available from Tonix (asi/91440) What changes did FCGI make? For starters, the rise was lowered on women’s pants by four inches, and vests were cut a bit longer to accommodate the new lower rise. Skirts also were cut a bit shorter, to just above the knee. Feminine styling was added to women’s shirts.
“Our pants now fit like the retail garments women buy for themselves,” Cohen says. “Everyone knows the key to maximum performance is a happy employee. There is a difference in how a proper women’s garment is constructed, and there is a lot to be gained by making an employee look their best.”
“You don’t have to be a size 0 to look good in what you wear,” agrees Broder’s Andrea Engel. “We fit all of our garments on real people. We don’t just fit a size medium and then make adjustments across all sizes. We fit on men and women employees, and we fit the same size in multiple garments.” It’s called a uniform because everyone wears the same thing, but when you’re outfitting a group that includes men and women, it doesn’t have to be interpreted quite so literally.
“People want to follow the path of least resistance,” says Engel. “But you’re putting your company logo on this, so you want people to look good – not ill-fitted and frumpy. You don’t want your female employees looking like they can’t wait to get home and take this [uniform] off.”
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