Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary female officer's Simone Mirman style hat 1971-1973Entry/Object ID
238Description
Simone Mirman designed blue wool kepi/pillbox style hat, with checkered band, fitted with a round voided Queen's crown 'Sussex Constabulary EIIR" cap badge. Size "6 3/4 55"Use
For use by a female Police Constable or sergeantContext
In 1967 the Metropolitan Police employed the services of the famous dress designer Norman Hartnell, to design a modern uniform for female officers to replace the "Bather" uniform which had been used since 1946 and was seen as somewhat old fashioned. This was part of a policy to try and attract more women to join the Met. To be worn with the uniform was a hat designed by the Simon Mirman, who like Hartnell had produced items for Queen.
Both uniform and hat were introduced in London 1968 and adopted by some other police forces outside the capital. However the uniform though stylish, was not particularly practical and was criticised for not being warm, not water resistant, and having a skirt that was too tight to run in.
In 1973 in London and elsewhere the Hartnell uniform was replaced with one already in use in Surrey, which was used in conjunction with a 'hostess" style white topped hat, referred to as "Surrey" style.
The Hartnell uniform and Mirman hat were trialled on a limited basis in Sussex Constabulary from May 1970 (Patrol May 1970), but ultimately only the hat was adopted in 1971. The Force continued to use the 1968 female tunic until it was replaced by the "Surrey" style uniform in 1972.
The first Mirman hats used in Sussex Constabulary did not have checkered bands but they did from the summer of 1971, when the Force adopted these bands for all of its caps. Most if not all Mirman hats were made by the hat makers Chistys of London.
This particular hat would have been used in Sussex Constabulary, which was formed in 1968. It has a Sussex Constabulary "EIIR" cap badge which was fitted to it after arrival the museum, but which is correct for the period. By 1973 the Surrey style hat was introduced in Sussex and the Mirman hats were phased out for police officers. They were however still issued to female police cadets up to at least 1979 and possibly later, although cadet hats had a blue band instead of a checkered one.