Policewoman say uniform trousers make them look like Simon Cowell
"Female police officers have been welcome in the force since 1974 but have never had trousers that fit properly. They don’t come in women’s sizes and the people in charge of uniform would have no idea what we meant if we said size 12."
Although “unisex” trousers are available they are little different to standard. Ms Owsley said: “The unisex ones are supposed to be women’s trousers but most women have found that they can’t get into them and the men’s are more comfortable. They say they are unisex, but in in practice that means men’s in smaller sizes.”
When I first read the headline my spirits dropped a little. I understand wanting to wear flattering clothes at work in a society that attaches a woman's confidence so tightly to her appearance, but really, I thought, jobs and dodgy uniforms are common to many jobs, it's something you just have to deal with.
Then I actually read the article and realised that a female version of the male uniform has never been made. Yes, there's a so-called 'unisex' version, but in practise it sounds like most women can't wear it, while most men won't wear it because they have a male uniform that fits perfectly well, so why should they? Women are apparently a valued segment of the force, but not even worth a uniform of their own. If the situation were reversed, and men were asked to do their jobs in, say, a fitted bootcut - technically wearable but hardly comfortable, physically or socially - I sincerely doubt they'd be told to just deal with it, especially as someone who has to work with the public and in potentially confrontational situations!
I am also completely unimpressed that the newspaper decided to go for a headline that makes this sound like the frivolous whimsy of fashion-conscious women, rather than the very simple fact that women have been denied a well-fitting uniform for 35 years of service in the police force.
