Tough Clothes for Tough People.
As kids, we all peered into a construction site and were fascinated at the process – cranes loaded with steel, welding sparks disappearing into the air, instructions being barked over the noise. The scene today is much the same – except now nearly 12 of every 100 workers are women, compared to only 2 not too long ago.
According to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC.org) based out of Fort Worth, Texas, women in the construction workforce rose from roughly 2% in the nineties, to 9.6% in 2006, and are now expected to be over 12% in 2010. These increases have outpaced original projections made by the NAWIC less than 6 years ago. And since the construction industry is still expected to grow over 10% overall in the next 5 years, women will continue to be a larger part of this work force.
Manufacturers and retailers specializing in work wear have taken notice, adding more and more items each year.
“It’s really been in the past five years or so that women’s work wear has really come into its own” said Del Deide, President of online work wear retailer AmericanWorkWear.US and its parent company Whistle Workwear. “Carhartt and other great brands have really shown commitment to creating great styles with great fits that make work – like construction – easier.”
Carhartt is not the only brand that has jumped on this trend. Legendary work wear brand Dickies has built a larger assortment, and makers of work wear footwear like Danner, Carolina, Caterpillar and many others have increased the number of styles for women significantly. And retailers are devoting space and resources to make sure the larger base of women customers are catered to.
“Women know the brands and know they are going to offer quality and value,” Deide continued. “We, like other industry retailers, have made women’s sections in all our stores larger and made it an important part of our online efforts.”
And since the number of women in specific jobs, such as welding and roofing (according to the NAWIC) are expected to grow by over 17% in the next 5 years, retailers who have not spotted this trend soon will.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
