January 19, 2006

Elizabeth Johnston models of the her innovative work clothes designed specifically for women who work in the construction trades.

Construction fashions for women

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

TORONTO

Entrepreneur Elizabeth Johnston, proprietor of Toronto’s Working Woman Workwear, has come up with a better mousetrap: coveralls and other protective clothing specifically designed for the female form.

“Companies tend to buy unisex protective workwear — essentially patterned after the male body with some minor adjustments,” she says. “But women’s bodies are different from men’s.

“Women tend to be larger than men in the hips and bust, but smaller in the waist. Consequently, they have a hard time finding coveralls that fit right.”

Johnston, the founding president of the Toronto chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, launched her company in 1990 after completing courses in designing and pattern-making at Toronto’s Seneca College.

She sells coveralls, pants, shirts and smocks to individuals as well as corporate purchasing departments. Coverall purchases can be made on line at a special e-commerce site, www.CharmandHammer.com.

Clothing is available in poly/cotton twill or 100 per cent cotton, in light or heavy-weight fabrics, in navy or spruce green. Additional colours are available by special request.

Johnston, who worked for her now-retired husband’s general contracting firm for more than 15 years doing accounting, estimating and costing, has made sales to the city of Toronto and heavy-water treatment plants, among others.

“I was selling to some government agencies and individuals, but never on a large scale,” she said.

Johnston now is putting a push on, targeting large companies in different industries, including construction. She also would like to arrange a distribution deal with Mark’s Work Warehouse.

Construction companies, she says, are a tough nut to crack.

“The problem is that there are so few women (in the industry) compared to men,” she says.

“A lot of men think that if they order unisex workwear, that’s fine for us (women). I have to crack that thinking.”

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