The uniform approach

Chonell Ford is a firefighter at the Mt Wellington fire station in Auckland and wears her uniform with pride. Photo / Babiche Martens

Human beings are driven to express themselves through the clothes they wear. From the moment that fashion-forward prehistoric man or woman first donned a loincloth, our enthusiasm for dressing ourselves has grown to the point of virtual obsession. The entire fashion industry has developed to feed this need. Clothes can do so many things. Not merely addressing the physical requirements for modesty and warmth, they're also highly symbolic - able to denote social groupings or, conversely, to underscore individualism.

So what happens when we lose our freedom to choose what to wear? For a large section of the population who wear uniforms to work, this is a daily reality. Uniforms, at their core, are intended as a leveller - a way of creating a homogenous workforce. When the work-wear is prescribed, employees are able to focus solely on the task at hand.

Uniforms may be designed to ensure the health and safety of employees: fire-fighters have fire-retardant clothing and police wear protective helmets. Hotel receptionists and cabin crew wear uniforms that convey a businesslike professionalism, while those of medical staff are intended to communicate a reassuring, no nonsense competence.

Some uniforms have become sexualised through popular culture. Female nurses with plenty of cleavage, nipped-in waists, short skirts and sheer stockings were a 1970s institution on The Benny Hill Show - as were policewomen wearing nothing but lacy lingerie and police hats. Today a Google search for "naughty nurse costume" elicits almost 30,000 hits.

But beyond the smutty stereotypes are real world women who wear their uniforms with pride as they go about their chosen career. Viva talks to three of them about the impact and impressions of their working wardrobe.

Guest services supervisor at the SkyCity Grand Hotel, Kathrin Harpfer wears a stylish and elegant uniform created by Kate Sylvester. Intended to complement the white marble reception desk and upmarket foyer, the all-black uniform draws heavily on corporate influences. It consists of shirt, tailored jacket and knee-length skirt worn with black tights and shoes. Comfort and ease of movement is assured thanks to the three-quarter length jacket sleeves and a skirt with a sensible hem-length.

Harpfer, 25, likes the simplification of a uniform. It means one less decision to make in a busy day. "It is smart and it just feels like the five-star standard," she says. "It also makes you feel like you're part of the SkyCity Grand team."

Donning her uniform before each shift draws a line between Harpfer's home life and her working life. "You're getting dressed up for work so you're starting to think about the day ahead at the hotel." She approves of the way her working wardrobe blends seamlessly with the other outfits typically seen on the streets of Auckland. "It's not too over-the-top. You could just think it's a normal black suit like a woman would wear to work."

For the hotel guests, many of whom are business people, a polished receptionist at check-in is an essential first point of contact. Harpfer says the guests are typically looking for a relaxed and understated experience which the uniform effortlessly helps convey. She chooses to wear high heels to add a final layer of professionalism to the ensemble. And if she could change one thing about the uniform? "I might lose the tights in the summer months but otherwise it's really good as it is."

Firefighter Chonell Ford from the Mt Wellington station is only too pleased to wear her uniform which consists of a navy blue short-sleeve shirt with T-shirt underneath, fire-retardant long trousers and steel-capped boots.

"I love being in a uniform because I don't have the stress about what the hell I'm going to wear. I rave about wearing a uniform because it's just so easy," she says.

For the 35-year-old a sense of pride in being part of the NZ Fire Service and serving the New Zealand public also comes through wearing the regulation uniform which she says is both comfortable and practical but definitely not flattering.

"You wouldn't go out to try to meet a bloke [in the uniform]," she says with a laugh. "It doesn't bother me because I don't come to work to look good; I come to work to do my job."

Ford orders the men's trousers because she prefers the hipster-style design. "The women's ones have the big puffy hips that come up around the waist - and they are even less flattering than the men's." When called out on a job, she also dons a fire-fighting helmet and protective jacket and trousers.

In her role as a registered nurse on the surgical-clinical ward at MercyAscot hospital, Tracy Brooke wears a long button-through cream-trimmed navy shirt and navy trousers. She opts for practical trousers rather than a skirt because of the nature of the work involving orthopaedic and plastic surgery patients. "It's quite physical and you sort of get yourself into some quite precarious positions," she says. Brooke's uniform helps prepare her psychologically for the day ahead. "I put my uniform on and I think: 'Right, this is me for the eight-hour shift' and I do my best to work as expected of me in my uniform."

The 45-year-old says patients, who are usually in bed and feeling vulnerable, are reassured by the sight of a professional and practical uniform. The polyester garments have been designed and constructed so the nurses can perform their routines with ease and comfort. "It's easy to move your arms around. We do a lot of shifting and physical work so it's cool and loose - not restricting. It's washable and it doesn't crush."

All MercyAscot nurses, from new graduates to charge nurses, wear the same uniform, regardless of rank. This is in contrast to when Brooke graduated as a nurse in the 1980s and seniority was indicated "by candy stripes and epaulettes". She much prefers the new egalitarianism. "You're part of a team. You don't feel as if someone's higher than you or someone's below you. Everybody works together."