Miss England not surprised that people are turning to the uniformed services for re-assurance while looking for love
Do all the nice girls still love a sailor these days, or do those tight-fitting bell bottoms just wash over them?
Is the naughty nurse still every man’s fantasy, or does the reality of sensible shoes and hospital shifts leave guys feeling a bit queasy?
At the start of the 21st century, with new ideas about individualism and authority, what does the uniform mean to us today? And for those looking for love, is it still the powerful pulling tool it once was, or does it do more harm than good?
There was a time when uniform meant one thing to most Average Joes – sexy. It was etched on the nation’s collective dirty-mind as the ultimate sexy look – think of a saucy Babs Windsor as Nurse Sandra May in “Carry on Doctor” or hunky Richard Chamberlain as dreamy Dr Kildare.
New research from the uniformed-services dating specialists Uniform Dating, (www.uniformdating.com) suggests the lure of a regulation issue shoe and a shiny set of buttons is still as strong today as it ever was, but perhaps not for the reasons we might immediately think.
Uniformdating.com is a site designed specifically for the uniformed services and anyone hoping to date a person in uniform. Researchers asked over 1000 of its users, aged 18 to 60+, about what uniforms meant to them, and while the results reveal that the uniform is still seen as deeply attractive, notions of dependability, professionalism and security were stronger and more appealing to today’s singletons than the cheesier, ‘saucy’ images of old.
When asked what they thought about uniforms in the workplace, the most popular answer was ‘practical’ (595 votes) while most people said the thing they’d like best about a partner who wore a uniform would be ‘secure job’ (510 votes), and the phrase that sprang to mind for most people when they saw someone in a uniform was ‘professional’ (601). ‘Sex bomb’ came in second, followed by ‘safe and secure’ and the more overtly sexual term ‘dominatrix’ came last with just 32 votes.
Interestingly, those who wore a uniform, or wanted to wear one, felt wearing it made them more ‘mysterious’ but very few (57) thought it would make more people try to chat them up, suggesting the allure of a uniform lies in something much deeper than pure sex-appeal.
Uniform Dating spokeswoman and current Miss England Katrina Hodge is also a lance corporal in the Adjutant General Corps and has received a commendation for bravery on a tour of duty in Iraq.
She said it was no surprise to her that people were turning to the uniformed services for re-assurance while looking for love.
She said: “Looking for The One can be a time of uncertainty anyway, but in today’s uncertain world it’s a minefield! As a soldier I work with heroes and heroines every day and it’s no surprise to me that people are attracted to the security and bravery their uniforms represent. Wearing a uniform isn’t about getting your kit off anymore, it’s about keeping it on and wondering what’s underneath.”
Despite having Miss Hodge as a poster girl, the Army came second to the Police force as the most popular uniform, perhaps showing a preference for responsibility and control over danger. Least popular were the prison service uniforms and security guards.
For men, the allure of the caring but sexy nurse was still strong with the largest proportion of men in the 35-50 age group preferring the nurses’ uniform. “Their uniforms make you feel like you’re ill and you’re always wondering if they’re wearing stockings or tights” explained one excited male respondent.
And women of all ages continue to swoon at the firefighter’s uniform, mostly because they want to be rescued. “Every girl dreams of being rescued by a hunky fireman” summed up the general feeling.
Richard Gere in “An Officer and a Gentleman” fought it out with Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” for the number one man in a uniform, (unsurprisingly, Gere was most popular with 35s upwards) while morally-dubious Holby City nurse Faye Morton, played by 42 –year-old Patsy Kensit, was consistently the uniform-wearer of choice for guys in all age categories, proving men aren’t fussy about age when it comes in a nurse’s outfit!
Clare Young, Marketing Manager at Uniform Dating, added: “Here at Uniform Dating we’ve always understood the very special men and women who wear a uniform to work but this survey has helped us see how people’s perceptions of the uniform have changed and continue to evolve. What never changes is that the brave men and women of the uniformed services will always be heroes.”
