Workwear Group is Australia’s leading workwear solutions provider, backed by Wesfarmers and trusted by industries for over a century. We’ve outfitted millions—supporting essential workforces across defence, emergency services, trades, and beyond. 

From Defence to Emergency Services: Engineering Female Fit 

How Workwear Group Uniforms is reshaping fit, function and field performance. Workwear Group is Australia’s leading workwear solutions provider, backed by Wesfarmers and trusted by industries for over a century. We’ve outfitted millions—supporting essential workforces across defence, emergency services, trades, and beyond. 

As more women step into frontline and physically demanding roles, the need for uniforms tailored to the female form has never been greater. For too long, women were issued garments designed for men — resulting in poor fit, discomfort, and even safety risks. 

In response, organisations across defence, emergency services and law enforcement have turned to Workwear Group to help bridge the gap — seeking collaborative, trial-driven solutions engineered for real-world demands. 

When the Australian Defence Force (ADF) engaged Workwear Group to design a combat uniform specifically for women, our team applied a human-centred design process from day one. 

Designers worked alongside female soldiers, observed training exercises, and ran simulations to test real-world garment performance. 

“We focused on comfort, accessibility and fit,” said Vicky Wynn-Williams, Chief Design and Sourcing Officer. “Storage was key, but so was ensuring garments were shaped for the body and the tasks at hand.” 

While fabric constraints remained, the team re-engineered the uniform from within — adjusting patterns on the bias and introducing strategic seaming to increase stretch, mobility, and wearability. The result: uniforms that supported women in service, engineered for the way they work. 

The same design process has supported innovation across other frontline sectors. 

When VIC SES requested women-specific uniforms on a tight six-month timeline, Workwear Group delivered a modular six-piece kit designed for diverse working conditions. This included a Hi Vis 2-in-1 softshell jacket with zip-off sleeves — built for adaptability in the field and engineered for comfort, movement, and functionality. 

Victoria Police needed tactical trousers that truly worked in action. In response, our team developed new cargos featuring: 



A proprietary corkscrew construction system — enabling lateral and rotational movement to support full-body mobility 



Designers considered how officers carried gear — on belts or thighs — and tailored the trousers to integrate seamlessly with their equipment. The trousers were engineered to move with the body, not against it. 

To encourage adoption, Workwear Group showcased uniform prototypes on-site — resulting in strong user uptake and growing national interest. 

“We’re constantly scanning for innovation — globally — looking at fabric tech, uniform systems, and how services are evolving,” added Wynn-Williams. 

Workwear Group Uniforms is proud to lead the way in uniforms designed with purpose, backed by research, and tested by the people who wear them. 

Every project is grounded in wearer insight. We listen, observe, test, and refine — engineering uniforms that are not only fit for purpose, but engineered to fit the people behind the role. 

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) 2025 conference and exhibition brought together thousands of participants across fire, police, ambulance and emergency services at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26–29 August. 

Uniform Innovation for Emergency Services on Show at AFAC25 

In partnership with Victorian State Emergency Service (VICSES), Workwear Group Uniforms is set to unveil a female fit PPC (Personal Protective Clothing), the first of its kind for emergency service female volunteers.

Female-Specific Uniforms

OTHER CASE STUDIES YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN

Workwear Group Uniforms is responsible for providing apparel and footwear for paramedics, volunteer ambulance officers, call centre operators (triple zero calls), support staff and doctors that are a part of the MedSTAR Emergency Medical Retrieval team.

Developing wearer-tested operational uniforms

SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) has a workforce of more than 2600 career and volunteers that provide emergency medical assistance, treatment and transport, non-urgent patient transport and high-quality patient care to the people of South Australia. Workwear Group Uniforms was awarded the uniform contract in 2011 (and renewed in 2020) and is responsible for providing apparel and footwear for paramedics, volunteer ambulance officers, call centre operators (triple zero calls), support staff and doctors that are a part of the MedSTAR Emergency Medical Retrieval team.

As per the tender process, Workwear Group Uniforms' in-house design team presented a range of concepts that covered each work stream within SAAS. In order to create a compressive offer, the team nominates a working group of experts, both within Workwear Group Uniforms and career experts. 

Working with career experts, Workwear Group Uniforms has established a 'Day in the Life' program, whereby our team members go onsite and work directly with the uniform wearers. This allows us to see firsthand how the environment the uniform is warn in, understanding the physical challenges in which our uniform needs to perform in. 

For the SAAS project, we assigned our Senior Industrial Designer Mark Godoy to spend time with the doctors that will ultimately be wearing this uniform. Mark flew to the South Australian hanger where the MedSTAR team are stationed and observed 5 long standing team members, all with 10 plus years’ experience. 

Within Workwear Group Uniforms we have years of experience servicing Emergency Service organisations across ambulance, fire, police and defence. Although at the core of each organisation is to “serve and protect” we approach each program as if they were our only client because when it comes to protecting and saving lives, a one-size fits all approach does not do the wearer justice. The needs of the MedSTAR team are incredibly unique, and through this experience, Mark was able to see why their requirements are very different to what “on the ground” paramedics require.

The most obvious is the requirement to be in the air and understanding the compliance required to take off. The expert team members showed Mark how they prepared to get into the aircraft. 

Mark explained, “when the team was walking me through the process of getting into the aircraft, they put on a harness and buoyancy vest which they have to wear, and so when they put that on we could see straight away what it covered. All of a sudden, you can see that having pockets on the chest is out the question, it just doesn’t work. When you look at a typical paramedic that is out on the road, they have full access to their arms and chest and this is a workable area. So then my next thoughts were what do you need to carry and where does it need to be?

“We then walked over to the training aircraft where they simulate working on a patient and explained the actual working space. This is where ideas of creating storage pockets and loops on ankles, calves and thighs come from, because it is in the immediate area of use and accessibility.”

Mark returned to Workwear Group with a presentation of his findings and some incredible and unbelievable stories that the doctors and paramedics shared with him. It was through these extraordinary anecdotes the team came back together and finessed the designs for the new SAAS range.

Workwear Group Uniforms is still developing this new range with the SAAS team, however with a clear understanding of the needs and requirements, the team has been able to narrow down selections such as the fabrications that would be appropriate and support this needed functionality. Without the 'Day in the Life' program, we would not have been as considered at this stage in the process. 

Workwear Group Uniforms prides itself on its approach to safety, and it is at the core of every program we run. Our inhouse resources are in a constant state of research and development to ensure we are offering our clients the latest in technology and innovation. 

Before we roll out a new uniform, we want to make sure that all of our research and designs work in practice, and we run a vigorous wearer trial. This includes team members from SAAS, wearing the uniform for a period of time, in its intended environment and checking that it meets what we say it will do. Throughout the program, we are looking at the performance of the construction of the garment; can it move the way it needs to? Can you bend down to approach a patient? Can you lift without being exposed? Have you noticed any wear and tear throughout your time trailing the uniform? It is through this feedback that we can make any final adjustments before we roll it out to the entire workforce. The uniform program was launched in January 2022 and is currently successfully rolling out to the SA Ambulance workforce

"The team at Workwear Group Uniforms provide exceptional customer service and valued account management.

"Uniform garments are delivered in accordance with agreed timelines and very few are returned due to faults or non-compliance with specifications. Workwear Group Uniforms demonstrates good to excellent performance against listed KPIs (75-95%).

"SAAS are looking forward to continuing the partnership with WWG as the suite of upgraded operational uniforms are implemented with the commencement of a new contract."

Meredith Knowler
Uniform Program Manager
AMBULANCE & MED STAR

New Zealand Post was looking for a uniform supplier who had a base in New Zealand and was committed to sustainability, ethical sourcing, strong supply chain, and logistics management.

Product Capabilities