So in about July last year I was heading out to undertake a site inspection when I realised that I had left my safety vest at home.
A quick stop at KMart on the way had me kitted out in no time. The problem however is that most safety clothing is designed to fit men and consequently tends not to accommodate the curves of women. Additionally it was winter and so all of the vests were water resistant and fleece-lined which meant that they didn’t have any give in them and the biggest size they had available on the rack was one lonely ol’ XL. I tried it on and while it was fine across my shoulders at the back, it didn’t come close to going around my butt/hips or chest so it couldn’t be zipped up at the front, however I was in need and beggars can’t be choosers so I grabbed it and had to make do.
I wore that vest “fashionably” open and would walk with my hands in my pockets so that the 20cm gap between the zipper halves appeared smaller and to keep it from sliding off one shoulder.
Construction on the project finished soon after. Until today, I hadn’t been back on a construction site since. So out came the dreaded safety vest from the depths of the boot (trunk) of my car, along with the remembered embarrassment and shame of last winter, when lo and behold, without thinking I did it up and the zip slid smoothly along the teeth with nary a complaint - it actually fits!