Well it's one way to stand out from the crowd...
A construction entrepreneur brought the building site to the red carpet, wowing crowds at a glitzy award ceremony with a dress made entirely from hi-viz vests.
Kelly Cartwright, who owns specialist construction recruitment firm Core Recruiter, based in Norwich, had the ball gown custom-made for the National Federation of Builders’ Top 100 Influential Women in Construction (WIC) Awards this week, where she was nominated for the regional local hero award.
The eye-catching gown was custom-made by Norwich-based dressmaker Hannah Wilde, who used six extra-large high-vis vests to construct the piece.
Ms Cartright finished off the ensemble with a pair of steel-capped work boots.
The entrepreneur said she decided to commission the gown in support of the #PPEthatfits campaign, which is calling on PPE companies to design protective equipment for women’s bodies, as well as men's.
She said she hoped the outfit would inspire women in the industry to feel empowered by their work, and not have to change themselves to “fit in” with the traditionally masculine culture.
She added: “I feel most comfortable out on a building site, wearing my PPE.
“I don’t feel that way in a ballgown at an awards ceremony.
“You can only be comfortable when you wear something that truly resonates with who you are, so I’ve often joked about going to an event in my PPE.”
It’s not the first time Ms Cartright has opened up for the sake of raising awareness.
Earlier this year, she published images of herself getting ready for an awards ceremony on LinkedIn, with an anxiety-induced rash visible on her chest.
She said: “You should be comfortable with who you are and not change your identity to suit your industry.
“You may sometimes feel that your differences make you vulnerable, but if you’re driven and are good at what you do, your differences should be no limit to how far you can go.”
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