AILEEN’S UNIFORM ATLAS
The Pulse is pleased to present Aileen’s Uniform Atlas, a recurring feature written by Aileen Out.
Out is the owner of Prettybusiness, a news blog in the Netherlands that focuses exclusively on work clothing.
It is often said that the workwear industry is simply a matter of supply and demand. But what happens when you overlook an entire sector? That seems to be the case with the British agricultural sector. The industry has reached out to various workwear companies, asking them to produce more women’s workwear. It turns out that the demand is much greater than the supply…
An Urgent Letter to the Workwear Industry
In early December, I wrote an article about the shortage of women’s workwear in certain sectors. A British workwear company conducted a study on the availability of women’s workwear, and only two industries were found to consistently provide women with suitable workwear.
In ten industries, women regularly lack access to appropriate workwear because it is designed for men, often labeled as “unisex.” But we all know that this clothing is far from suitable for the curves of the female body.
One of the sectors facing a significant shortage is agriculture. Among registered farmers alone, there are 104,700 women. Moreover, with more women pursuing careers in agriculture, Farmers Weekly magazine, along with 14 organizations, has written to several workwear suppliers. Companies like Portwest, The VF Corporation (known for brands like Dickies and Timberland), and JCB were asked to produce proper women’s workwear.
Looking Beyond the Sector
How is this possible? How can one of the world’s oldest professions face a shortage of suitable workwear? And why have workwear companies not addressed this need?
One reason is that many workwear providers focus primarily on feedback from their current end users. They gather information through their sales channels, combine it with sales data, and draw conclusions from there. And it makes sense—after all, the end user needs to be satisfied with the product.
However, this approach limits input to the existing customer base, while there are many more potential customers to consider. These potential customers are not only in other sectors but also of a different gender. It has been evident for years that the percentage of women in various industries is steadily increasing—not just in the UK, but globally.
Sales Feedback Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
It’s also important to understand that feedback from sales representatives only paints part of the picture of what’s actually happening with customers. First, many people aren’t even aware that women’s workwear exists in certain industries, so they don’t ask for it. Second, people often need a little more probing before they fully express their concerns. Women, in particular, who have been repeatedly told to settle for a unisex fit, may not always speak up.
Fortunately, numerous studies have been conducted in recent years on women’s experiences with workwear. These studies ask a wide range of questions, creating a much fuller and clearer picture of the challenges women face with workwear.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the agricultural sector’s call to action, it’s that you need to look beyond your immediate contacts if you want to grow your customer base. Because if you’re not already investing in women’s workwear, you’re falling behind your competitors.
