When I started in the trades, I expected hard work. I expected long days, cold mornings, and the kind of tiredness you feel in your bones. What I did not expect was how often safety gear would feel like another obstacle. Not because I did not want to wear it, but because it simply did not fit.

If you have never had to work in gear that is too big, too stiff, or made for someone else’s body, it is hard to explain how much it affects you. It affects your safety first, but it also affects your confidence. You cannot do your best work when your equipment is working against you.

The Fit Problem Is a Safety Problem

Safety gear is supposed to protect us. That only happens when it fits properly. Too often, women are given the smallest size of men’s gear and told to make it work.

I have worn gloves that were so loose I could barely grip a wire. I have worn high visibility vests that hung past my hips and snagged on equipment. I have worn harnesses that shifted because the straps were not built for my frame. Each of these things is more than an inconvenience. Each one is a hazard.

Loose gloves can get caught in machinery. Oversized jackets can pull you off balance when you are climbing or carrying materials. A hard hat that slides down your forehead blocks your vision. When gear does not fit, you are not fully protected. In some cases, you are actually more at risk.

The trades are already dangerous if you get careless. Poorly fitting gear adds danger even when you are doing everything right.

How Bad Gear Chips Away at Confidence

There is another side to this that people do not talk about enough. Improper gear makes you feel like you do not belong.

Think about a young apprentice walking onto a job site for the first time. She is already nervous because she is new, and maybe she is the only woman on the crew. Then she puts on gear that looks ridiculous on her. Pants bunch at the ankles, sleeves cover her hands, boots feel like bricks, and the whole thing screams that she was not the person this workplace had in mind.

That feeling matters. Confidence is part of safety too. If you feel awkward or distracted, you are not fully focused on the job. If you feel like an outsider, it is harder to speak up or ask questions.

Good gear sends a message. It says, “You belong here, and your safety matters.” Bad gear says the opposite, even if no one means it that way.

Why This Keeps Women Out

The trades need more workers, and women are a huge part of that future. But if women keep running into basic barriers like gear that does not fit, some will walk away before they really get started.

I have talked to young women who loved the work but hated the daily fight with equipment that felt designed to ignore them. It is not the main reason people leave the trades, but it is one of those constant small frustrations that wears you down over time.

We cannot say we want more women in the industry, then hand them gear that makes their job harder and less safe. That is not support. That is lip service.

What Manufacturers Can Do Better

This is not an unsolvable mystery. The fix starts with manufacturers taking women seriously as tradespeople, not as a niche market.

Here is what needs to happen.

Make women’s gear that is actually designed for women.
This means patterns that fit women’s bodies, not just smaller versions of men’s cuts. One size does not fit all, and women are not shaped like smaller men.

Offer a full range of sizes.
Not every woman is small, and not every man is big. Gear should come in enough sizes that any worker can find a safe fit.

Test gear with real tradeswomen.
If a company wants to make safe equipment, they need feedback from the people who will wear it in real conditions. Indoor fitting rooms are not enough. Job sites are the real test.

Treat it like standard gear, not specialty gear.
Women’s safety equipment should not be harder to find, more expensive, or treated as a special order. It should be part of the normal supply chain.

Manufacturers can lead a real change here. When they do, workplaces get safer, and the industry gets stronger.

What Employers Can Do Right Now

Even before the gear industry catches up, employers can make a huge difference.

Ask women what they need.
It is simple, but it is powerful. Do not assume. Ask. If a worker says her gloves are too big or her harness does not sit right, take that seriously.

Stock women’s sizes on site.
Do not make women wait weeks for gear or hunt for it themselves. If safety is a priority, then proper gear should be ready from day one.

Let fit be part of safety talks.
When you do safety checks, ask if gear fits properly. Treat fit as a safety requirement, not a personal preference.

Do not shame people for speaking up.
No one should feel dramatic for saying their hard hat slides or their vest catches on equipment. Those are safety issues, and they deserve attention.

Employers set the tone. If they care about fit, the crew will care too.

A Better Future Is Possible

I have seen progress. More brands are finally making women’s workwear and protective gear. More companies are recognizing that inclusive safety practices are not optional anymore. But we are not where we need to be.

The trades are built on practical thinking. If something does not work, you fix it. This is one of those things. Gear that does not fit workers does not work. It puts people in danger and pushes good workers away.

We can do better, and we should.

Safety Is Not One Size Fits All

Safety gear is supposed to protect the person wearing it. That only happens when it fits, when it moves with you, and when it lets you work with confidence.

Women belong in the trades, and our safety deserves the same attention as anyone else’s. Fit is not a luxury. Fit is safety. Fit is respect. Fit is a signal that the industry sees you as a real worker who matters.

So here is my hope. I want manufacturers to build gear for the full workforce. I want employers to demand it and supply it. I want apprentices to start their careers without fighting for basic equipment that should already be there.

Because when safety gear fits, everyone works safer, stronger, and prouder. And that is the kind of trade culture worth building.