MADELEINE BRAND, host:
The state of Delaware is nationally known as a tax-free haven, as the home of the du Pont family and now as headquarters of the most fashionable law enforcement officers in the country. The Delaware State Police have been named Best Dressed State Agency, and that's according to the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors. And with a name like that, they must know what they're talking about.
But we're not going to just take their word for it. We're going to talk with fashion expert Robert Givhan--Robin Givhan, rather, of The Washington Post, to see if these uniforms are, indeed, a fashion do. But first, with the sounds of jubilation echoing across the Delaware Memorial Bridge, we decided to check in with Corporal Helen Zane of the Delaware State Police.
Corporal HELEN ZANE (Delaware State Police): People, as well as troopers from other states, are so impressed with our uniforms, especially the boots and britches, how impressive it is to see somebody wear that. So I think that everyone secretly desires to wear the boots and britches and wishes their department had the same uniform.
BRAND: Boot and britches? Zane says it's not all praise from the neighboring police departments.
Cpl. ZANE: The other local departments have made fun of us, but that's all right. That's all right. I think that they are proud to have the award be taken by somebody in Delaware, so it's just one way of getting at us.
BRAND: And now to verify just how fashion-forward these uniforms are, we turn to fashion guru Robin Givhan from The Washington Post's Style section.
Ms. ROBIN GIVHAN (The Washington Post): I think that they look really dapper and, you know, they strike that balance between being really sort of strong and respectable, but not too scary.
BRAND: But, says Robin Givhan, they are not perfect.
Ms. GIVHAN: I would try to get rid of some of that polyester. You know, that's the kind of thing that makes uniforms hot. And I think I would also try to do something a little bit more interesting with the ties, maybe, you know, incorporate a pattern into the ties. I mean, they've added, you know, the yellow stripe. It looks really smart, I think, with the light blue and with the navy. So it doesn't look quite so, you know, 1950s.
BRAND: Robin Givhan, fashion editor for The Washington Post, giving us her thoughts on Delaware State Police being awarded the Best Dressed State Agency by the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors. And we also heard from Helen Zane, a corporal, and I'm sure a very happy one today, from the Delaware State Police.
NPR's DAY TO DAY continues. I'm Madeleine Brand.
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