Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary Simone Mirman female officer's cap c1970 - 1971Entry/Object ID
241Description
Simone Mirman designed blue wool kepi/pillbox style hat, with narrow embroidered hat band, fitted with a round Queen's crown "Sussex Constabulary EIIR" cap badge. Size "6 3/4. Marker's mark "Christys London"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 from the beginning of 1971, like this one did not have checkered hat bands, but they were fitted from the summer of 1971, when the Force adopted these bands for all its caps.
This particular hat could have been used in Sussex Constabulary from the time of the 1970 trials until the summer of 1971 when the checkered band was introduced, and is typical of what was worn during that period. It has a Sussex Constabulary "EIIR" cap badge which was used from 1968 until 1974, and although this was not fitted when the hat came to the museum it is the correct style of badge for the period. As the hat came from Sussex Police there can be little doubt it was used in Sussex Constabulary. After this style of hat was replaced with the "hostess" one in 1973, Mirman hats continued to be 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.