Properly fitting uniforms ensure officers look good and are able to move comfortably throughout the day. Of course, humans don’t come in standard shapes and sizes, so many officers will not be able to simply choose a brown police uniform off the rack and be done. Here are some tips to help ensure officers get a great fit without a lot of hassle.
- Choose a vendor that provides alterations. A vendor that provides alterations gives you one stop shopping for a perfect fit. When officers must buy a uniform and go elsewhere for tailoring, it is both more expensive and more time consuming. Some vendors even price minor alterations into the uniform cost, and provide embroidery service, too. Be sure to check on how your vendor prices alterations.
- If your vendor can’t do alterations, find one that specializes in law enforcement uniforms. If you must have a separate tailor, choosing one who has experience in altering uniforms for police officers will make completing alterations much easier, and will minimize the risk of errors.
- Keep current measurements on file for all officers. If your uniforms are ordered through a single point of contact, ensure this person has current measurements for every officer. Measurements should be updated yearly. This helps when uniforms are needed in a hurry, and also helps buyers to purchase uniforms in quantity for upcoming needs, because the buyer already knows how many of each basic size are needed for the team. Buying uniforms in quantity a couple of times each year can help the department save money, and be prepared to provide uniforms quickly.
- Choose a vendor with the widest range of sizes available. Of course, many officers will still need alterations, but choosing a vendor that maintains a wide inventory of sizes will minimize the need to have extensive alterations performed. If you have officers who fall well outside the normal range of sizes, however, you may have to source their uniforms from a separate vendor, or have your vendor special order for them.
Those brown police uniforms may not look great right off the rack, but these are a critical part of having your officers look sharp. The rest of the job is complete when you ensure the uniform perfectly fits the officer who wears it. Taking a little time to ensure that you have appropriately sized uniforms and a good tailor available will help your department look its best every day.
