Protective clothing in women's sizing

Women's sizing for protective clothing and work clothes

Looking for women's protective clothing? We have. Image Wear's collection has a wide selection of protective clothing designed for women.

Protective clothing according to the job

Protective clothing is personal protective equipment, the selection and use of which the Government has issued decree 427/2021. The decree concerns the safe use of protective equipment and the characteristics, evaluation and selection of protective equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Act 738/2002 stipulates the employer's obligation to acquire and provide the employee with personal protective equipment that meets the separately regulated requirements and is suitable for the purpose.

The EN ISO 13688 standard specifies e.g. general performance requirements for ergonomics and innocuousness of protective clothing. This standard is used together with different product standards that contain more detailed protection requirements.

The regulations concerning personal protective equipment require that a special risk assessment is carried out at the workplace. The assessment determines which risks protective clothing is needed against and how much risk can be reduced with the help of protective clothing.

Correctly sized work clothes are comfortable, functional and safe

As the name suggests, protective clothing is work clothing that protects against both mechanical, physical and chemical hazards. Protective properties alone are not enough. Correct sizing and fit increase the comfort, functionality and safety of work clothes.

Properly sized work clothes ensure a smoother and safer working day: they do not hinder movement and do not prevent normal, job-related movements. Clothes that are too tight or loose can be a safety risk if work tasks require precision or fast movement. "Clothing that is too loose and sleeves and legs that are too long can pose a risk of entanglement. Properly sized clothing also ensures that the properties of the protective clothing work effectively. For example, the knee pad pockets have to be at the right height, so that you don't have to place them in the right places every time you kneel," says Riikka Roslin, head of Image Wear's product development service unit.

The right size work clothes also have an impact on work comfort and performance. When work clothes are sized correctly, they are more comfortable to wear even for long periods of time. Properly sized work clothes do not rub, squeeze or restrict movement. The employee can trust that the clothes work correctly and support the work performance.

Protective clothing designed for women

The sizes of women's and men's work clothes usually differ due to anatomical differences. There are differences in women's and men's bodies, especially in the hip, waist and chest areas, which affect the cut and sizing of clothes. There are also differences in the lengths of the sleeves and legs.

There are official Size Charts for men and women, which Image Wear uses as a basis for sizing. Men's Size Scale is mainly 44-64 or 2XS-4XL and women's 32-52 or 2XS-4XL. Other sizes are also available on request. Unisex products are made with men's measurements, but women are taken into account in the hip circumference of small sizes. "The pattern grading of women's clothing differs from the pattern grading of men's clothing, especially in the areas of the chest, waist and hips. Women's clothing has a narrower waist and wider hips compared to men's clothing. If women are offered a garment made according to men's measurements, they may have to choose a garment size that is too large from the shoulders, so that the garment fits at the hips," says Image Wear's pattern maker Miia Lundell and continues: "In women's clothing, the sleeve and leg lengths are also slightly shorter than in men's similar clothing. In lighter work clothes for indoors, women's clothes are often more body-hugging, but the dimensions of protective clothing are usually looser."

Riikka Roslin and Miia Lundell present Image Wear's women's protective clothing

In the measurements, the wishes of the users of the clothes are listened to. The products are also tested in the design phase in real work tasks to ensure their functionality. "In some trousers, larger women's sizes have been changed into higher-waisted ones, based on feedback received from users. Trends also vary in waists. Lowered waists have also been made, but at the moment women's wish seems to be a higher waist again," says Riikka Roslin.

The visible standard EN ISO 20471 defines certain surfaces and layouts for reflectors and fluorescent materials. "Women's products have to have more colour and sometimes also wider reflectors, because the clothes are smaller. The surface areas required by the standard cannot be made to fit into the smallest jacket sizes. If you can't get the size of the jacket alone to class 3, you can achieve the visibility class with a combination of jacket and trousers," says Miia Lundell.

Image Wear has a wide selection of women's protective clothing

So-called light work clothes for indoor work have been made with in women's sizing for a long time. Such industries are e.g. HoReCa and health care. In industrial and protective clothing, the demand for women's sizes has increased. Also, in competitive tenders, clothes are usually asked for in women's sizes as well.

Image Wear has responded to the wishes of customers and wearers of work clothes. Image Wear's workwear collection has a wide selection of protective clothing made in women's sizing. The range of warning clothing includes e.g.

The Flexy collection, which is especially suitable for cleaning, industry and service industries, includes

The latest women's protective clothing in the Image Wear workwear collection is

 

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