Made to measure

Following two years of research and visits to sites all over the UK, a brand new uniform range will be trialled soon.

After the trial – currently planned to start in November – it is hoped the new garments will be rolled out for wear in 2021.

The range for Delivery colleagues includes work performance tops, shorts and trousers, as well as a unisex polo shirt, fleece, gilet and thermal base layers. New stormproof jackets will include a cord so they can be tightened at the waist. A new range for non-delivery colleagues will be trialled at the same time.

Ahead of the trial, a colleague Q&A was held at Doncaster Mail Processing Unit with national uniform and print manager, Sam Dixon.

Postwoman, Gail Hoult, said she found the unisex shirts uncomfortable and asked if we were going to have separate men’s and women’s sizing? In response, Sam said: ‘The polo shirts and stormproof jackets will remain unisex, however the fit has been modernised.

‘The bottoms, gilet, soft shell fleece and performance tops will be male and female fit.’

Postman, Ben Goundry, asked if the stormproof jacket has been looked at, citing that the sleeves on his new jacket were too big and often got caught when out on delivery.

‘We have changed the design of the jacket and added new hoods as well as ‘storm cuffs’ – a tight-fitting inner cuff, which prevents rain or wind from getting inside a coat,’ answered Sam.

‘These are going to be trialled in Orkney and the Shetland Islands, which are some of the wettest and windiest parts of the country. So, if they work in that environment, we would expect them to work anywhere.’

And when postwoman, Rhian Milburn, asked if there would be anywhere for a posting peg, Sam replied: ‘Pockets are something which come up all the time at every site I visit. We’ve added a special pocket specifically for posting pegs on both the new trousers and the new shorts.’