5 companies that understand gear for construction women
Construction women have been struggling to find the right “fit” for decades – both among their male peers and with the construction gear they have to wear on the job. As NAWIC has pointed out before, the typical construction gear workers need to wear on jobsites such as hard hats, work boots, and safety goggles, aren’t always designed with construction women in mind. As a result, many construction women are wearing poorly-fitting safety gear while working, which is a major safety hazard – and an overall inconvenience.
Fortunately – albeit from unfortunate circumstances – there have been enough construction women making a push against the ill-fitting gear, demanding that companies make gear that is designed specifically for women. There have even been several construction women that have started their own lines as well. For any construction women who have dealt with this issue before, here are five companies that are actually getting workwear right for construction women.
Dovetail
With few workwear options for construction women, Dovetail was created by several industry workers who took the problem into their own hands. The company specifically sells a variety of work pants designed to better fit construction women and provide all the utility features necessary for safety and convenience. Their key selling points are their field-tested fabrics and having at least 10 pockets on each pair of pants.
SafetyGirl
Not only is SafetyGirl a retailer of multiple brands that offer reliable workwear options for construction women, but the company has also designed their own line as well. SafetyGirl offers everything from boots, high-visibility vests, hard-hats, and safety glasses. And to ensure proper fit and sizing, all items from their workwear line are specifically designed for construction women and female builders, instead of just being repurposed pieces originally designed with men in mind.
Merrell
Merrell is one of the well-known brands with international reach that knew it was time to design better work shoes for construction women. Famous for their hiking boots, Merrell redesigned their most popular boot to meet construction-site safety requirements and give construction women a versatile option for footwear. Merrell currently offers dozens of workwear options for construction women, in addition to footwear for women in other professions as well.
See Her Work
While there are some retailers that offer only specific products for construction women, See Her Work provides a thorough range of options that are typically hard to find elsewhere. These items include pieces such as class-specific safety vests, face shields, and under garments designed for debris protection. See Her Work has been featured on national media platforms such as CNN, Good Morning America, and NPR for their extensive variety of protective gear for construction women.
Charm and Hammer
Charm and Hammer is another company with a wide range of workwear options for construction women. Aside from a variety of hard hats, gloves, and visibility gear, they also provide durable gear for tradeswomen, with options such as welding jackets and aprons. Their website even has the convenient feature of filtering in (or out) any pink gear designed for the construction women who really want to add a flair to their workwear. And aside from gear specifically designed for construction women, Charm and Hammer currently offers COVID PPE and workwear for other industries as well.
How NAWIC works to lift voices of construction women throughout the industry
The National Association of Women in Construction has over 117 chapters across the United States – and counting! With membership open to all construction women, NAWIC is able to connect members with amazing resources to help them build confidence in their abilities and develop more leadership skills. Any construction women interested in joining NAWIC can apply for membership by using either the online form or downloadable application to fill out and mail in – both of which are available on the NAWIC website. There are also several membership options available for flexible pricing and membership terms. To learn more about the unity of construction women through membership with NAWIC, contact us through our social media pages, our website, or use our “find a NAWIC chapter near you” tool.
