Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s College of Design want to make clothing better suited for female firefighters.
As part of the five-year study, the team is working to improve women's firefighting gloves, which often don’t fit women’s hands correctly. The researchers hope their improvements will also help the fit of women's clothing in other male-dominated careers.
The researchers are conducting a pilot study of hand dynamics to analyze how to create the best fit for women’s gloves, said researcher Robin Carufel. The team will then begin to compare the hand patterns to determine how to best make gloves effective and comfortable.
The team will soon begin attending conferences and speaking to female firefighters in focus groups to get more information about their clothing needs, said lead researcher Linsey Griffin.