CAN I WEAR A MEN'S RACE SUIT IF I'M A WOMAN?

We hear this question often..."can I wear a men's fire suit if I'm a woman?" Sure, you could. But if you are asking if it's the safest option, the answer is a resounding no.

Think about this - men and women are shaped completely differently. So if a female with hips and bust tried to wear a men's suit, there would be places where it would be tight (likely through the hips) and places it would be very loose (usually the neck, shoulders, waist, etc). This means that there are air pockets inside of the suit. If something bad happens and there is a fire, guess what feeds fire? Air/oxygen. You want the suit to fit properly and have room for under-layers but any pathway to the body (like the neck, cuffs, etc) is especially crucial to have a proper fit.

Another reason is because usually the shoulders in a men's racing suit are typically much broader than women's shoulders. So the shoulder seam is often times halfway down the bicep of a woman. Why is this a problem? It limits mobility as you don't have 360 degree movement of the arm. If you need to get out of the car in a hurry, this can be a huge problem as you are scrambling to get out of a window if the door becomes lodged and unable to pull yourself up. 

A few more examples... 

Many of us who have worn men's suits have the problem of a too long pant leg. Some of us have had them altered. But I hear often that women just roll them up. Not only is this added bulk in the pedal area, but you have lots of material that could get caught on a gas or brake pedal while driving, which is a huge risk. Also, say you had to exit the car in a hurry. You DEFINITELY don't want this extra material to get caught on something on your way out. 

Beyond the worst case scenarios, everyone should feel comfortable behind the wheel. We often search for the best seats, getting into the right seating position, adjusting the belts just right to fit us, but that can all be for nothing if we have a race suit that is tight in certain places cutting off circulation and bulky in others, especially under those seat belts. 

Ultimately, the safest race suit is a well fitting race suit. This is reason #1 that we started this company. Women deserve every bit as much safety as the men in this sport do. We also deserve to look like women and derive the confidence of looking good and feeling comfortable behind the wheel. 

We created the 'FIERCE' women's racing suits to have an entry level option for the women of motorsports. No more hand-me-downs from your dad, boyfriend or husband. It's about time you had one that was built for you. 

Shop our women's fire suits here:  https://www.racechick.com/collections/womens-fire-suits

Learn more about our ladies racing suits here:  https://www.racechick.com/pages/Fire-suit-home-page