Uniforms for UK Waitresses Ordered in Smaller Sizes

Friday 31st of October 2008 02:27:57 PM

The United Kingdom has seen an influx of Eastern European workers, and many of them work in the restaurants and pubs. Most waiters and waitresses are expected to wear uniforms while performing their duties. Many of the workers are Polish.

What restaurants and uniform suppliers did not take into account is the fact that Polish people are much smaller in size than the typical Britain or Scot. The average size of a Scottish woman is a 16 while most Polish waitresses are a size 8 or under.

Uniform suppliers are now having to supply sizes as small as the UK size 4. The need for smaller clothing applies to men also. Eastern European men are slimmer in the chest with 34 inches being typical. In comparison, a Scottish man has an average chest size that is 40 inches.

The United Kingdom has the same issue as many other developed countries. People are getting heavier due to unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. The Eastern Europeans are small and slender while Europeans and Americans tend to be larger with a majority either overweight or obese.

Clothing companies are responding to the need for smaller sizes by adding these sizes to their standard lines carried on a regular basis. This means they are adding sizes 4, 6, 8 and 10 to their clothing sizes. Most United Kingdom women, on the other hand, are wearing a size 12 and up.

Gill Eastgate is the manager of NKD clothing which supplies many restaurant and bar uniforms. He said, “The shrinking shape of the sector means we’ve had to dramatically alter the range of sizes we offer to companies opening hotels, bars and restaurants. There has been a marked change in the providing not only small uniforms, but ones with longer legs and bodies to cater for this.”

(c ) Image by Patti Gray, www.sxc.hu/