Female-friendly construction shop fills gap

While many women have broken into the male-dominated construction industry, the retail side of things hasn’t caught up with the times — so says Deidre Douglas, a construction worker who became fed up with the lack gear available for women and decided to open her own shop catering to female laborers. “I couldn’t walk into a regular store and get anything that was comfortable or fit,” Douglas said, adding that “dealing with oversized gear is dangerous.” Her New York City store, Woman Up, includes female-friendly basics like boots and gloves sized for woman, along with a few more outlandish finds like pink hard hats and tool kits.

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