Hampshire firefighters will be seen wearing their new gold-coloured uniform from today (May 17).

The new protective clothing for the county’s firefighters is being phased in to the 51 fire stations across Hampshire. The uniform, which replaces the old dark-coloured kit, includes new boots and helmets.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the new kit would deliver a high technical specification and a more ergonomic design increasing its usability for our frontline staff.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service took the decision to introduce the new fire kit in June 2010 after seven of the fire services in the South East Region agreed to a joint project to create a strong and professional regional identity, whilst also delivering efficiency savings for each fire service.

Malcolm Freemantle, Station Manager and project lead for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our main aim is always to provide the best possible PPE for our firefighters.

“The project to select the new regional kit was rigorous, involving extensive service and technical evaluation as well as wearer trials in which Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service played a key role throughout.”

Personnel of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) will soon receive new combat uniforms, commonly known as No.4 uniforms. 

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said today that the change will be made in phases, over the next three years. 

For RSAF servicemen, the No.4 uniform will replace the current RSAF coverall for Air Force Engineers.

Air Warfare Officers in the Command, Control and Communication community, as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilots and Systems Specialists, will wear the No.4 uniform during duty.

For RSN servicemen, the No.4 uniform will replace the Naval Combat Rig, worn by personnel on board ships, at naval bases and in base defence squadrons.

The new No.4 uniforms will debut at this year's Singapore Armed Forces Day Parade and National Day Parade.

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If the cap fits - you're a London 2012 games maker. Up to 70,000 Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers are donning their uniforms for the first time, which will enable them to work at the Games.

Between May and September the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Centre (UDAC) will process 400,000 staff and volunteers, who will wear identical outfits in the summer.

Per hour, 800 people can be accredited and 280 can pick up their uniforms. That is a lot of enthusiastic volunteers to get through.

So with thousands of people going through the doors at the centre in east London, the BBC looks at how to get from changing room to checkout.

The UDAC centre is a far cry from the splendour of the Olympic Stadium: it is simply a brick warehouse with London 2012 flags outside.

Only security staff on the door give the indication that something important could be happening inside.

The Games Maker journey begins in the accreditation hall where other volunteers and members of staff from the UK Border Agency validate documents and check identities.

To read the full article, click here. 

Creating elegant and sophisticated outfits that are suitable for making coffee or hauling luggage presents a challenge, but fashion designer Abigail Moir has pulled it off with flair.

The 28-year-old has recently been awarded the Collection of Garments Award by the Museum Art Hotel for creating a collection that captured the essence of the hotel, while still being appropriate for hotel staff to do their jobs in.

The competition, which was set up as part of Wellington Fashion Week, offered designers the opportunity to have their collection considered for the next hotel uniform – an honour that has been held for the past five years by Wellington designer Alexandra Owen.

Ms Moir will also be awarded $3000 as part of her prize.

For Ms Moir, the rich fabrics and many artworks found in the hotel provided plenty of inspiration. "I was so excited by the various fabrics and imagery you could find there. It wasn't too hard to get a feel for the place."

Hotel general manager and competition judge Kathy Tipler says it was time that another young Wellington designer was given the chance to design their uniforms.

"For so long our staff have been dressed by Alexandra [Owen], but seeing this place has such a Wellington flavour to it, I just felt it was time for the next generation of designers to have a look at representing us.

To read the full article, click here.

Italy's world famous fashion designer Giorgio Armani unveiled his country's official Olympics uniforms in Milan on Thursday (May 10), vowing to "bring Italian style" to London 2012.

Fifteen Italian Olympians took to the catwalk to model the EA7 Emporio Armani outfits.

"The fact that I have been chosen is a recognition to the value of what I do," the 77-year old designer Armani said."Fashion represents a great Italian flag for the whole world and it is a beautiful idea to combine it with sports."Let's hope the sports will be as glorious" Armani said.

Diver Tania Cagnotto, who won four bronze medals and a silver one at World Championships , was one of the models.

"The Olympic medal is the only one I'm missing so I really hope to get there" she said, of her hopes for London 2012.

One of Italy's most successful Olympians, Valentina Vezzali, also modelled the new outfits and was suitably impressed.

Vezzali, a fencer, has won five Olympic gold medals over the last three Games - in Sydney,Athens and Beijing."First, to be here today wearing Italy's official outfit is a great satisfaction," Vezzali said."Also to have made it to participate to my fifth Olympic Games is a great honor."Once in London, I'll try to do my best and also to have a bit of fun," she added.

Armani's Olympics kit is made up of 50 items and it includes a trolly and a portable wardrobe.

The Olympic Games begin in London on July 27.

As a direct result of this summer's Olympics, Denny's Uniforms has received unprecedented demand for banqueting wear and waiters' gloves.

As London takes centre stage for hospitality, sport and tourism, a leading contract caterer has placed an order for 15,000 black cotton serving gloves.

The client chose the DW13C serving gloves because they look smart and have rubber grips to guard against slips and trips, an important consideration when working in a busy environment. The gloves are also heat resistant to warm plates. 

Nick Jubert Denny's Uniforms managing director said: "There has been an increase in the number of luxury venues, hotels and restaurants placing orders for front of house tailored wear as well as banqueting uniform and matching gloves.

"Nehru jackets in black are slightly more popular than the traditional white, partly due to changing fashion trends which are also influencing chefswear too. However the uplift in sales of front of house and banqueting uniform is mainly due to increased numbers of black tie events being held this summer.

"Caterers, hoteliers and restaurateurs generally understand that first impressions count. Your staff represent your brand image and, as a result, they make a big impact on the overall customer experience. Uniform needs to be smart and reliable, especially when worn in front of VIPs from around the world."

Professional lifeguards across Australia are moving to follow the lead of the TV show Bondi Rescue and adopt a blue uniform.

The move, which has caused waves within the professional arm of Surf Life Saving Australia could also be seen on the Coffs Coast now that lifeguards in Newcastle, Sydney and on the South Coast wear blue.

At their annual conference, Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguards (APOLA) voted in favour of the switch, but agreed that individual councils should have the overriding say.

Coffs Harbour Head Lifeguard and outgoing APOLA president Greg Hackfath said the uniform change is aimed to overcome identification issues.

"On Bondi Beach, the lifeguards found it hard to spot each other in the crowd wearing white polo shirts and navy shorts and red and yellow clothing so the option of pale blue was adopted," Mr Hackfath said.

"Now that Bondi Rescue represents Australia's professional lifeguards worldwide with the television program aired in some 220 countries we believe uniformity is important for beach-goers to recognise who we are."

To read the full article, click here.

Australia has launched the uniforms for the Paralympic Team for London, with Paralympic athletes modelling the Games wear as part of Fashion Week in Sydney.

The team's ceremonial wear has been designed by R.M.Williams, while the competition and casual wear has been designed by 2XU.

The uniforms were officially launched at Circular Quay's Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney by the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), 120 days before the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony in London.

Several of Australia's Paralympic-bound athletes were on hand to medal the uniforms including Matt Cowdrey and Annabelle Williams (swimming), Jessica Gallagher, Jack Swift, Kelly Cartwright, Carlee Beattie, Evan O'Hanlon and Kurt Fearnley (athletics), Ryley Batt (wheelchair rugby), Jayme Paris (cycling), Tyan Taylor (goalball), Melissa Tapper (table tennis), Grant Mizens, Kylie Gauci (wheelchair basketball) and Liesl Tesch (sailing).

Jason Hellwig, Chef de Mission of the Australian Paralympic Team and APC chief executive, said the APC was proud of the team's uniforms.

To read the full article, click here.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe and LOCOG Chief Executive Paul Deighton today officially launched the London 2012 Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Centre (UDAC) in east London, and were amongst the first to collect their Games time uniform with Games Makers.

The UDAC is the first fully operational London 2012 Games time venue to open. It will be the main base for accreditation and uniform distribution for up to 70,000 Games Makers who will volunteer at London 2012, along with up paid staff and contractors.  The centre will also supply uniforms to LOCOG staff, Technical Officials and eligible contractors.

The UDAC can process around 280 people an hour for uniform collection and up to 800 an hour for accreditation only. Additional uniform distribution centres will open in Weymouth and Portland, Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow and Coventry for Games Makers and staff working at 2012 Games venues outside of London. 

All those picking up their uniform will go through several stages in the UDAC including documentation check, photos, picking up accreditation, uniform check-in area, fitting area, collection area and check-out area. 

UDAC is equipped with 70 fitting rooms and a staff of 525 people (343 of whom are volunteers). 

To read the full article, click here.

When the 2012 Olympic Games open in London this summer, McDonald's 85,000 employees in Britain will be wearing sleek and colorful new uniforms designed by Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway, the husband-and-wife team that created the London fashion label Red or Dead. But here's what's really cool about them: they'll be partly made through a process known as "closed-loop" manufacturing, which means some of the polyester will later be reprocessed into a polymer, respun into yarn and reused to make new McDonald's uniforms.

McDonald's is the first company to commit to producing the environmentally friendly, closed-loop uniforms for its employees in the country, and they could soon be joined by British power-supplier National Grid and retail chain Marks & Spencer (M&S), which are also considering them for their employees. The common thread linking the three corporations is a small London start-up called Worn Again, which is trying to encourage businesses to use closed-loop manufacturing to stanch the endless stream of disused corporate uniforms flowing into U.K. landfills every year.

Worn Again chief executive Cyndi Rhoades, an American former music-video director, says the company started out in 2005 as an "upcycling" business, taking old materials and refashioning them into new products. The company's designers, for instance, created fashionable shoulder bags for Eurostar train managers using material from old Eurostar uniforms and seat headrests. For Britain's Royal Mail service, it created shoulder bags made from mail carriers' storm jackets. But upcycling is essentially a one-off opportunity, and Rhoades realized that getting companies involved in closed-loop production could offer a bigger and better solution for cutting waste. "Then textiles can be recycled again and again and again — so long as they're collected," she says.

Rhoades targeted corporate uniforms because, well, there are a lot of them. In Britain alone, 33.4 million uniforms are purchased each year and less than 5% of them are recycled. Corporate uniforms are also typically made entirely from polyester, which makes the repolymerization process easier. Plus, it's easier to set up a uniform-collection system when it's done within the confines of a single company.

To read the full article, click here.