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"These can't be real": Boomers' Olympic uniform sparks instant outrage

<p>Australia’s basketball uniforms for the Paris Olympics have hit a new low, or should we say a new “high jump” with the kit’s release on social media sparking a full-blown hoopla.</p> <p>Designed by Asics, these uniforms have quickly become the butt of jokes faster than a basketball rolling down a court.</p> <p>The “outfit” features a bright yellow singlet with “Australia” across the chest, an Asics logo on one shoulder, and the coat of arms on the other – and the reactions have been nothing short of a slam dunk of disdain.</p> <p>Daniel Moldovan, a basketball player manager with a flair for theatrics, didn’t hold back. “Let’s just call a spade a spade," he wrote on X, "yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. If the old adage ‘Look good, feel good’ has any truth to it, then our guys are going to feel like trash.”</p> <p>He even suggested that whoever approved these “marathon runner uniforms” for the Boomers should have their citizenship revoked. “What the f*** is this abomination?” he asked. Even past and present Boomers players chimed in.</p> <p>Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder’s rising star, simply commented “lol absolute joke”. Jock Landale of the Houston Rockets humorously mused, “Looks like we are off to throw a javelin.” And Andrew Bogut, never one to mince words, quipped that the Australian Olympic Committee had Stevie Wonder design the uniforms. Ouch.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let’s just call a spade a spade. This is a fucking DISGRACE. Yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. </p> <p>Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. </p> <p>If the old adage of “Look good feel good” has a modicum of truth to it,… <a href="https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl">https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl</a></p> <p>— Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) <a href="https://twitter.com/AgentMoldovan/status/1800659140022595903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>The social media backlash was swift and savage. Benyam Kidane of NBA Australia tweeted, “Nah, this disrespectful. Boomers gonna bring home the gold in the decathlon.” Sam Vecenie from The Athletic added, “Pumped to see the Australian basketball team compete in the high jump at the Olympics. Probably not the optimal use of their skill, but will be fun to see them in these track-and-field-ass uniforms.”</p> <p>NBA Straya was in on the joke too: “Great to see we’re following in a hallowed Aussie tradition and getting Bali knockoff jerseys for the national team.” And one user couldn’t believe their eyes: “Is April Fools Day a different day? These can’t be real!!”</p> <p>The ASICS website, in its defence, claims the design incorporates Indigenous Australian artwork and Japanese design features. They boasted about the recycled fabrics and the artworks by Paul Fleming and David Bosun. While noble, it seems like they may have missed the mark on “aesthetic appeal”.</p> <p>The Boomers are set to kick off their Paris Olympics campaign on July 27, with warm-up matches against Japan, China, Serbia and the USA. Let’s just hope they’re not mistaken for a track-and-field team when they step onto the court. After all, no one wants to see them dribble with a javelin.</p> <p>In the end, perhaps the real win would be for the Boomers to win gold while sporting these “unique” threads. It might just prove that in the world of fashion, sometimes the ugliest outfits make for the most unforgettable moments.</p> <p><em>Images: Asics</em></p>

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Retailer pulls "creepy" and "disturbing" ad for school uniforms

<p>H&M has removed a school uniform ad in Australia after social media users slammed the retailer for sexualising children. </p> <p>The ad, which a few social media users have screenshot before it was removed,  features  two young girls in school uniform looking back at the camera with the caption: "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion." </p> <p>Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, slammed the ad calling it it "creepy" and "disturbing", and sharing their own stories about "being ogled" at school. </p> <p>"What is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad?" Australian writer Melinda Tankard Reist, whose work addresses sexualization and the harms of pornography, shared on X. </p> <p>"Little schoolgirls generally don't want to 'turn heads.' The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance."</p> <p>"The little girls parents generally prefer heads don't 'turn' when others see their daughters walking to school, on a bus or in class," she continued. </p> <p>"Why would you want to fuel the idea that little girls should draw attention to their looks, bodies and 'style'?"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hmaustralia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hmaustralia</a> what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don’t want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ <a href="https://t.co/DDwv42GeNz">pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz</a></p> <p>— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelTankardReist/status/1747866459836158415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>Another user wrote: "This is really disturbing.</p> <p>"I remember being cat called whilst waiting for the bus in my school uniform. It made me feel unsafe." </p> <p>"Girls go to school to get an education, not to be jeered at by onlookers," they concluded. </p> <p>The Swedish fashion giant has since removed the ad and apologised for the campaign. </p> <p>"We have removed this ad," they told CNN. </p> <p>"We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Australian War Memorial urged to remove Ben Roberts-Smith’s uniform from display

<p>The Australian War Memorial is being urged to remove Ben Roberts-Smith’s uniform from its display after the federal court dismissed the defamation case initiated by Australia’s most decorated living soldier.</p> <p>However, the Australian Special Air Association has argued it was “a very disappointing day” for veterans who had served in Afghanistan, noting the majority who had done the right thing were being “re-traumatised after having gone through a difficult war”.</p> <p>In the defamation case ruling on June 1, Justice Anthony Besanko found that, on the balance of probabilities, Roberts-smith kicked a handcuffed prisoner off a cliff in Darwin in 2012 before ordering a subordinate Australian soldier to shoot the injured man dead.</p> <p>Besanko also found that in 2009, Roberts-Smith had ordered the execution of an elderly man found hiding in a tunnel in a bombed-out compound codenamed “Whiskey 108”, including murdering a disabled man with a prosthetic leg during that same mission, with a machine gun.</p> <p>The majority of politicians in Canberra were hesitant to weigh in on the implications of the ruling, but the Greens described the judgement as “an important win for fearless journalism in the public interest”.</p> <p>David Shoebridge, the Greens’ defence and justice spokesperson said, “If this judgment stands, the first step in correcting the official record is for the Australian War Memorial to immediately remove Ben Roberts-Smith’s uniform from public display and to begin telling the entire truth of Australia’s involvement in that brutal war.</p> <p>“This is not justice for the families who lost loved ones or for the communities that have been brutalised by war crimes, but it takes us a step closer.”</p> <p>Shoebridge is also calling on the Albanese government to “urgently progress compensation for families of victims of alleged Afghanistan war crimes, one of the key outstanding recommendations of the Brereton report”.</p> <p>He has urged the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, to “step in and end the unjust prosecution of Afghanistan war crimes whistleblower David McBride”.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the defence minister, Richard Marles, said, “This is a civil defamation matter to which the commonwealth is not a party and it would be inappropriate to provide comment.”</p> <p>Speaking to ABC TV, the national chairman of the Australian Special Air Service Association, Martin Hamilton-Smith downplayed the broader significance of the ruling, saying it was not a criminal proceeding.</p> <p>When speaking generally about investigations overseen by the Office of Special Investigator (OSI), he said one person had been charged to date over allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan — and raised concerns that “justice delayed is justice denied”.</p> <p>Hamilton-Smith called on OSI to “get these matters into a criminal court where they can be dealt with properly and the truth can be established”.</p> <p>In 2020, the Brereton report found “credible” information to implicate 25 current or former special forces personnel in the alleged unlawful killing of 39 individuals and the cruel treatment of two others.</p> <p>When asked whether Roberts-Smith should hand over his Victoria Cross, Hamilton-Smith said, “I think the only way you will get the real truth of this is to get it into the criminal court where both sides of the story can be told and beyond reasonable doubt the facts established.”</p> <p>A spokesperson for OSI said defamation proceedings were a “a civil matter between the parties”, adding, “It would not be appropriate to comment on specific allegations or whether they are the subject of investigation.”</p> <p>The Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, described the defamation ruling as “certainly significant”, and stated it was a legal process “that deserves to be respected”.</p> <p>However, he said it would be “a difficult day for many” of Australia’s current and former defence force personnel.</p> <p>“Australia is a country that applies a standard, in terms of expectations of our serving personnel and the transparency and accountability, that few other nations in the world apply,” Birmingham told ABC TV.</p> <p>“We should be proud of those standards but we should also be proud overwhelmingly of our personnel, of all who have served.”</p> <p>Birmingham was reluctant to make broader comments about the judgement’s implication for press freedom, adding the outcome would “obviously weigh heavily in terms of what proceedings may be initiated by others in future”.</p> <p>The shadow defence minister and former SAS captain Andrew Hastie was subpoenaed by the newspapers to give evidence during the defamation case but declined to comment.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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Teen girl bashed by girls disguised in school uniform

<p>Horrifying footage has emerged showing the moment three girls disguised in uniforms violently attacked a 14-year-old girl on the grounds of a school in Perth’s northern suburbs.</p> <p>The video captured on a mobile phone saw teachers attempting to shield the Year 9 Churchlands Senior High School student as the assailants hit and spat on her.</p> <p>The incident occurred during a lunch break in early May.</p> <p>Students at the school allege the trio accessed school grounds by disguising themselves in Churchlands uniforms.</p> <p>Education department director general Lisa Rodges described the ordeal as unacceptable.</p> <p>“People entering school grounds without permission is taken very seriously and the department works with police when incidents like this occur,” she said.</p> <p>“Principals take immediate action in response to incidents of violence on school grounds.</p> <p>“The students who were involved in this incident, including filming it, have been suspended, and are being considered for exclusion.”</p> <p>Authorities were alerted but the girl at the centre of the attack has since withdrawn her complaint.</p> <p>Premier Mark McGowan said, “I just want to thank the teachers who got right in there to help the victim, and good on them. They deserve our thanks and congratulations.”</p> <p>The incident comes in the wake of shocking statistics showing the level of violence against teachers in WA in 2022.</p> <p>Nearly 2,300 instances of assaults or threatening behaviour targeted at school staff were recorded across 2022.</p> <p><em>Image credit: 7NEWS</em></p>

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"I started walking the long way": many young women first experience street harassment in their school uniforms

<p>Can you remember the first time you were harassed in a public space? What comes to mind? Can you remember how old you were, or what you were doing? Perhaps this is not something you have personally experienced, although we know <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/everyday-sexism/">87% of young Australian women</a> have been harassed in public.</p> <p>We spoke to 47 adult women and LGBTQ+ people in <a href="https://www.streetharassmentjustice.com/">our recent study</a> on street-based and public harassment about their earliest memories of feeling sexualised, uncomfortable or unsafe on the street. Many mentioned they first experienced street harassment in their school uniforms. We heard variations of the phrase “it happened when I was in my school uniform” repeatedly from participants.</p> <p>For many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/whistling-and-staring-at-women-in-the-street-is-harassment-and-its-got-to-stop-38721">street harassment</a> began or became more frequent when they started wearing a high school uniform. Some participants, however, reflected on experiences from when they were even younger, wearing a primary school uniform. </p> <p>Studies from the United Kingdom have shown <a href="https://plan-uk.org/street-harassment/its-not-ok">35% of girls</a> wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Despite the importance of schools in the daily lives of young people, and the high rates of street harassment they experience, there’s been surprisingly little attention paid to the harassment of young people in school uniform. </p> <p>Findings from our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2193206">new research</a> show school-related harassment is a serious issue that has largely flown under the radar in Australia.</p> <h2>It happens beyond the school gates</h2> <p>We know young people experience <a href="https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:55181/">sexual</a>, <a href="https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf">homophobic and transphobic</a>harassment from their peers and even teachers while they’re at school. </p> <p>But participants also told us about harassment occurring outside their school grounds. This was perpetrated by strangers (usually individual adult men, or groups of adult men), while they were in uniform and, therefore, clearly identifiable as school children. </p> <p>This took many forms, ranging from catcalling, staring or leering, wolf-whistling, and being followed by men in cars while walking to school, through to public masturbation and men rubbing themselves against victim-survivors (usually while travelling to school on public transport), sexual assault and rape.</p> <p>As one interviewee told us, "walking from high school to home […] that’s where most of the harassment I’ve experienced happened […] As soon as I stopped wearing a school uniform it happened less. So that’s disgusting for a lot of reasons."</p> <p>As another interviewee shared, these experiences were really scary not just because of what was happening at that moment but because the perpetrator “knows which school you go to” because of the uniform worn.</p> <h2>The ‘sexy schoolgirl’</h2> <p>Why is it that young people – and particularly young women and girls – are so routinely harassed in school uniform? We found harassment of schoolgirls was seen as being culturally sanctioned through the “sexy schoolgirl” trope.</p> <p>As one interviewee noted, "when you go on Google images and search for ‘school boy’ it will come up with a five-year-old boy but then ‘school girl’ it will come up with the sexy school girl costume."</p> <p>Participants discussed being targeted because they were viewed as vulnerable and (paradoxically) as both sexually innocent and sexualised, "that was part of the allure for them [the perpetrators], the innocence of a schoolgirl, a fearful schoolgirl in that situation, was like hot to them, they were really getting off on it."</p> <p>Another interviewee told us, "I went from being an innocent child to a child that felt uncomfortable and didn’t know why I was sexualised – and I didn’t understand it because I didn’t understand what sex really was."</p> <p>Because they were so young, many participants often lacked a framework or language to understand their experiences. For many, these experiences were also so routine they simply formed part of the background hum of everyday life. </p> <p>It was often not until years after these formative experiences that participants were able to articulate them as sexual harm and reflect on the impacts. </p> <h2>Trying to avoid harassment</h2> <p>Across our interviews, many participants discussed changing the way they presented themselves or changing the routes they took to school. They often focused on changing their own behaviour and <a href="https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-right-amount-of-panic">made their lives smaller</a> in an attempt to avoid further harassment.</p> <p>For example, "I started walking the long way. I started just going through the main roads, avoiding the back streets, even though it was a longer walk to be extra safe."</p> <p>In the longer-term, participants commonly described feeling unsafe, hyper-vigilant, and distrustful of men in public spaces. </p> <h2>‘What if there’s a paedophile on the tram?’: school responses</h2> <p>Unfortunately, the view that victim-survivors are responsible for their own harassment was often reinforced by schools if harassment was reported. </p> <p>Numerous participants told us how they were reminded of school uniform policies (such as mandated length of skirts and dresses) when they went to teachers for help.</p> <p>One participant recounted an experience where her teacher asked, "Why would you wear your skirt like this [short]? Whose attention are you trying to get? […] what if there’s a paedophile when you’re on the tram home from school […] thinking ‘this is the best day of [my] life’."</p> <p>Others did not seek help from their teachers because of this focus on students’ appearance at school – they felt they would simply be blamed for what happened.</p> <p>These types of responses teach young people to think street harassment and other forms of gendered violence are their fault. It also tells them their bodies are sites of risk that need to be managed and contained to avoid harassment.</p> <h2>School uniform harassment is not ‘normal’</h2> <p>While schools and school-related contexts were often sites of harm for our participants, schools nonetheless have a vitally important role to play here. Harassment in school uniform should not be seen as a “normal” part of growing up. </p> <p>There is an urgent need to provide young people with a framework to understand their experiences.</p> <p>Educational efforts must challenge the idea that harassment must simply be endured. Instead, schools should help young people understand harassment as a form of violence, and offer safe and supportive spaces to talk with peers and adults about their experiences. This should be incorporated into existing sex and relationships education <a href="https://www.bodysafetyaustralia.com.au/">in an age-appropriate way</a>.</p> <p>Importantly, responses to harassment should never blame or implicate young people themselves. It’s time for outdated practices such as measuring school uniform length to be relegated to the past where they belong. </p> <p>In the words of one participant, “the length of my skirt is not influencing how much I learn”.</p> <p><strong><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au/">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800RESPECT</a> on 1800 737 732.</em></strong></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-started-walking-the-long-way-many-young-women-first-experience-street-harassment-in-their-school-uniforms-202718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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Major backflip over Prince Harry's military uniform rules

<p>Prince Harry will now be allowed to wear his military uniform in a special tribute to Queen Elizabeth. </p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/prince-harry-wear-military-uniform-28003285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mirror</a>, the Duke of Sussex has been given special permission to don his military colours for a lying-in-state vigil staged by Her Majesty’s grandchildren at Westminster Hall.</p> <p>The Queen's eight grandchildren, including Prince Harry and Prince William, will stand on Saturday evening in silence for a 15 minute vigil alongside Her Majesty’s coffin.</p> <p>After disgraced royal Prince Andrew was given special permission to wear his military uniform, it is understood that palace officials stepped in to give Prince Harry the same allowance. </p> <p>A royal source said, “Common sense has prevailed."</p> <p>“It was a ludicrous situation given the Duke of Sussex has served his country and is a highly respected member of the armed forces with everything he has done for veterans."</p> <p>"It is important that the Queen's grandchildren are all made to feel welcome and comfortable as they grieve their beloved grandmother together."</p> <p>Prince Harry and Prince William will be joined by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara and Peter Philips and Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, to form the part of the guard of honour. </p> <p>Harry, who served in the British army for a decade including two tours of Afghanistan, had this week been at the centre of a row over whether he would be allowed to wear his Blues and Royals uniform.</p> <p>After <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/harry-responds-to-reports-of-being-barred-from-wearing-military-uniform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously being banned</a> from wearing his military colours, a spokesman for the Sussexes told CNN, "His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Harry responds to reports of being barred from wearing military uniform

<p>Prince Harry has responded to claims that he has been barred from wearing a ceremonial military uniform at Queen Elizabeth's funeral. </p> <p>While the Duke of Sussex has been banned from donning the military outfit out of respect, scandal-prone Prince Andrew has been given an exception. </p> <p>While both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew served in the military, neither men are working royals. </p> <p>A Buckingham Palace edict stipulated that only working royals would be allowed to wear military uniforms at events to mark the Queen's death, making many wonder why Prince Andrew was granted an exception after his years of ongoing scandals. </p> <p>US TV network CNN today reported that the prince had issued a statement over the clothing controversy.</p> <p>"Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex will wear a morning suit throughout events honouring his grandmother," a spokesman for the Sussexes told CNN.</p> <p>"His decade of military service is not determined by the uniform he wears and we respectfully ask that focus remain on the life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."</p> <p>It is likely to leave a bitter taste for ex-soldier Harry, who is proud of his decade in the forces, and who was saddened after being stripped of his honorary military roles including Captain General of the Royal Marines by the Queen after the Sussexes retreated overseas.</p> <p>Prince Andrew joined King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward in a suit for the procession of the Queen's coffin through the streets of Edinburgh, in like with the edits of Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>But it has emerged that Andrew, who stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, will be allowed to wear his uniform at Wednesday's vigil in Westminster.</p> <p>However, he is expected to wear a suit for the Queen's funeral on Monday. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Prince Harry will not be allowed to wear his military uniform at armed forces gala

<p dir="ltr">Prince Harry will not wear his military uniform when he appears at the Salute to Freedom gala on Wednesday, despite serving in the military for 10 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Duke of Sussex, whose service included two tours in Afghanistan in 2008 and 2012, is set to appear at the gala in New York to award five war heroes with medals. However, he will not be allowed to wear his military uniform, because he has been stripped of his honorary titles.</p> <p dir="ltr">Harry lost his titles after he and wife Meghan Markle resigned as senior royals in March 2020. It is understood that Harry wanted to retain his honorary positions, including the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines, but was not able to do so. It is thought that Princess Anne will be the next royal to hold that title, making her the first woman to do so.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 37-year-old second son of Princess Diana was appointed to the position of Captain General of the Royal Marines in 2017. Prior to his appointment, the position had been held by his grandfather, Prince Phiilip, for 64 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result of losing his titles, Harry will wear plain clothes when he presents awards at the gala, which is to be held aboard a warship in New York on Wednesday November 10. Despite this, he will be allowed to pin his four medals to his suit for the occasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Salute to Freedom gala is being held to honour "those who have served in the US forces, defending America." Award recipients are those who have "demonstrated courage and perseverance in the face of great danger or personal struggle."</p> <p dir="ltr">The event will be held at the Intrepid Sea, Air &amp; Space Museum, and other attendees include Jon Bon Jovi, who will be receiving the 2021 Intrepid Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. The Foundation works to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness through affordable shelter and housing, including providing permanent supportive housing for veterans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bon Jovi and Harry have crossed paths before, when Bon Jovi recorded ‘Unbroken’ as a single for Harry’s Invictus Games Foundation last year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Geoff Pugh - WPA Pool/Getty Images</em></p>

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Why this was the worst uniform at the Winter Olympics

<p>Team USA’s speed skating uniform has been derided on social media for being the worst uniform seen at the Winter Olympics.</p> <p>Why? Just take a look. Do we even need to say anything?</p> <p><img width="482" height="272" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/o/m/3/u/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1om3rt.png/1519690211669.jpg" alt="Image result for men's usa skating team uniform" class="irc_mi" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Designed by Under Armour, the uniform for the men and women’s speed skating teams is... interesting.</p> <p>Social media immediately lit up when the women's pursuit team took to the podium to accept their bronze medal on Wednesday, pointing out the obvious – the uniform really highlights the athlete’s crotches.</p> <p>But is there a method to the seeming madness?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Uniform designer 1: Our new uniforms need to reflect the elegant and strong aesthetic of speed skating.<br /><br />Uniform designer 2: And highlight the crotch.<br /><br />Uniform designer 1: duh of course. Gotta pull the eye right there! <a href="https://t.co/BEpWBB2xLN">pic.twitter.com/BEpWBB2xLN</a></p> — sarah_haskins (@sarah_haskins) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarah_haskins/status/961456756374126592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>According to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.instyle.com/news/2018-winter-olympics-under-armour-speed-skating-crotch-uniforms">InStyle</a></strong></span>, Under Armour defended its design, saying the crotch region required material of a different fabric to reduce friction.</p> <p>"The contrasting material in the inner thigh (friction guards) has been commonplace for speed skate skins for decades, to reduce friction," they said. "The 2014 UA skin had one panel instead of two, but in testing the new skin, the addition of a second panel reduced friction even more – by 60 per cent."</p> <p><img width="356" height="467" src="https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/nintchdbpict000386649389.jpg?strip=all&amp;w=732" alt=" Emery Lehman and Jonathan Garcia of the United States warm up prior to the Men's Team Pursuit speed skating quarter-finals" class="size-thesun-article-image wp-image-5622365 lazyloaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>OK that makes sense to us – but that still begs the questions why is it grey? And why is it designed in such an unappealing circular shape?</p> <p>"We tested a multitude of friction guard materials to find the material that reduces friction the most," Under Armour said. “Altering the colour or using a material that comes in a different colour would have rendered it considerably less effective."</p> <p>But that doesn’t answer why the entire uniform just wasn’t in grey? I guess we’ll never know.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Police officer cops abuse for buying dinner in uniform

<p>A police officer has copped a spray for buying his dinner in uniform, with members of the public reportedly unleashing a verbal onslaught on the off-duty cop.</p> <p>Police Constable Dan Healy from the UK, penned a heartfelt post on Twitter explaining how he had been confronted when ducking into a local supermarket for dinner.  </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Just been verbally abused at a supermarket from a member of the public for being in uniform and buying my dinner. Police officers are human too and also need food to survive. I’d help you in a heart beat if you needed us not because of my job but because I’m a human who cares.</p> — PC Dan Healey (@PCDan_Healey) <a href="https://twitter.com/PCDan_Healey/status/949246308833005568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>“Just been verbally abused at a supermarket from a member of the public for being in uniform and buying my dinner,” he wrote on Twitter following the exchange.</p> <p>“Police officers are human too and also need food to survive.</p> <p>“I’d help you in a heartbeat if you needed us not because of my job but because I’m a human who cares.”</p> <p>Since his post the police officer from Lincolnshire has been inundated with support from members of the public, with more than 1,600 users retweeting his post.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/aNeGREgOt9">pic.twitter.com/aNeGREgOt9</a></p> — PC Dan Healey (@PCDan_Healey) <a href="https://twitter.com/PCDan_Healey/status/950008532375613441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>“You wanted to buy your own dinner... in uniform? Good grief what on earth is wrong with some people? I'd gladly have paid for your dinner,” one Twitter user responded.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think there’s a lack of respect for the thin blue line in society? Or should Healy have changed out of his uniform before getting dinner?</p>

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Flight attendant reveals her uniform is making her sick

<p>An American Airlines flight attendant has said that although people think her uniform is attractive, it’s actually making her sick.</p> <p>Crew member for the airline, Heather Poole, has blogged about the impact the company-issued uniform policy has had on her health.</p> <p>Heather has hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid and in a recent blog she has mentioned that the uniform impacts her condition. She explained that she has experienced a reaction from “chemicals” in the uniform.</p> <p>“I get sick every time I go to work,” she wrote. “Every time I go to work I feel terrible."</p> <p>Heather claimed that other employees have also reported health issues since American Airlines introduced their new uniforms in September.</p> <p>Heather also said that flight attendants from other airlines have reported thyroid issues from uniforms made by the same manufacturer.</p> <p>“Many of my co-workers … don’t believe it’s the uniform,” she wrote. “It’s kind of crazy to think your clothes could be poisoning you.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="769" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39069/heather-poole_500x769.jpg" alt="Heather Poole"/></p> <p>Pilots from American Airlines have <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/04/20/how-pilots-say-american-airlines-is-making-them-ill/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">also complained</span></strong></a> that they have experienced health issues due to the chemicals in their uniform.</p> <p>The Association of Professional Flight Attendants reveals that more than 3000 members have filed complaints regarding their new uniforms.</p> <p>In a recent blog post, Heather explained that she has encountered internet trolls who don’t believe that her uniform has led to health complications.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39070/heather-poole-2_499x375.jpg" alt="Heather Poole 2"/></p> <p>"Over the last nine months, I was called ‘psycho’ and ‘crazy’,” <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://medium.com/@HeatherPoole/when-it-comes-to-flight-attendants-is-the-media-sexist-1c7f1f680f9b" target="_blank">she wrote</a></strong></span>. “Because the sexy stereotype won’t die, nobody cares when we have something serious to discuss.”</p> <p>When Heather stopped wearing the uniform, her issues did not subside. She said that being around her co-workers in uniform also impacts her health, even resulting in an emergency trip to the hospital.</p> <p>“Let the record state that I can’t prove that any of my health problems are in fact caused by my wearing the uniform,” she wrote.</p> <p>“I dread going to work. I love my job, but my job is making me sick.”</p>

Beauty & Style

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The official Australian Olympic team uniform revealed

<p>The uniform our Olympians will wear during the opening ceremony at Rio in August has been revealed.</p> <p>Australian fashion retailer Sportscraft unveiled the much-anticipated look this morning at Sydney’s Bondi. The Olympic team will sport a mint green blazer with a dark green trim and the Australian crest embroidered on the pocket. The women will wear a white skirt and men white shorts. Accessories include a green and gold scarf for the ladies and a tie for the men.</p> <p><img width="515" height="290" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2ae1e2299f9e45f9578df600bb71d2e3" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>At the official ceremony this morning, former Olympians Giaan Rooney and Matthew Mitcham, who were hosting the event, conceded the Aussie colours of green and gold are “notoriously difficult” colours to put together successfully.</p> <p>“The other countries have it a lot easier,” Rooney said.</p> <p><img width="522" height="294" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/46e7cfad5ed160bb506a36cf00d9b577" alt="Jamie Dwyer, Taliqua Clancy, Ed Jenkins, Charlotte Caslick, Penny Taylor, Annette Edmonson and Kaarle McCulloch. Front row - Ken Wallace, Lou Bawden, Jessica Fox and Josh Dunkley-Smith. Picture. Phil Hillyard" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>But Australia’s best athletes embraced the new look, with beach volleyballer Taliqua Clancy saying that she loved the blazer’s “retro candy pinstripe”.</p> <p>Silver medallist Jess Fox also said was a fan of the new look, saying, “I think it has got that fun Rio feel to it but it has that vintage inspiration to it from the previous Olympics.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/health/body/2016/03/herbal-teas-to-relax-aches-and-pains/">5 herbal teas to relax aches and pains </a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/health/body/2016/02/is-coconut-water-good-for-you/">Is coconut water really good for you?</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/health/body/2016/02/nutrients-that-ease-arthritis-symptoms/">Easy symptoms of arthritis with these 3 nutrients</a></em></strong></span></p>

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