London College of Fashion Asked to Redesign Scotland Yard Police Uniforms

Monday 30th of April 2007 06:32:35 PM

Even though professionalism and traditional uniforms play a huge role in the appearance of the London police force, changes will soon be made in order to make the uniforms more comfortable for those who have to wear them. Scotland Yard recently asked students from the London College of Fashion for their advice in designing new uniforms that are comfortable, but still have a classic look. “We will be working with the London College of Fashion to see how we can retain the traditions of the Met while ensuring our uniform is fit for 21st century policing," said Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Steve Roberts.

Over the next few months, police officers and other officials will be asked for their opinions to get an idea of what they want to wear. One of the biggest complaints about the uniform has been the hats. They are large and cumbersome. This can make chasing suspects difficult as the hats often fall off during a pursuit. “If you look at a lot of the police uniforms ... they're so odd, the hats are horrible as well. I think a lot of the time when you see the police on the street they look terribly uncomfortable,” said British television personality Julian Bennett.

Bennett recommends uniforms similar to French gendararms, “Their uniforms are absolutely remarkable. It's an all-in-one uniform, it's light, it's wearable, it's durable, you can run in it - you can do anything in it.”

In the end, it will be up to the students to take these suggestions and turn them into functional uniforms the London police will be able to wear. Other cities outside London have changed their police uniforms as well even though reactions to uniform changes have been mixed by citizens who live there.