We Asked Real Nurses and Cops If They’d Wear Halloween’s Sexiest Getups. Guess What They Said!
Would your go-to Halloween uniform make it on the job? We asked real women.
COP
Leslie Ann, 38, Falcon Hill, PA
What I do: I’m a patrol cop, so I’m in my car all day. I get dispatched to everything from routine traffic stops to having to run after and apprehend a criminal. We’re very hands on, so I’m in and out of my car multiple times throughout an eight-hour shift.
What I wear: A traditional blue uniform with boots and a vest for protection. I also have my duty belt, which has my radio and gun on it.
Would I wear the costume to work? I’d never be able to get my job done in that. The only costumes that are close to accurate are the ones little kids wear — they actually look like the real thing.
NURSE
Ashley, 31, Hattiesburg, MS
What I do: I’ve worked in the NICU, which is the neonatal intensive care unit, where your job is to take care of sick babies. And I've also worked in the post-partum unit, where you take care of both mom and baby.
What I wear: In the NICU, I’d have to wear department-issued sterile scrubs as well as little booties over my shoes. In the post-partum unit, I was still in regular scrubs and occasionally wore a lab coat.
Would I wear the costume to work? There’s nowhere to put any of your supplies! And it’s extremely short — you can’t bend over in it.
TEACHER
Lindsey, 32, Washington Township, NJ
What I do: I’m a 4th grade teacher. I teach math in the morning, then I drop my students off with another teacher and use that break to prep the rest of my lessons or grade homework. I teach another math class before lunch. After lunch and recess, I pick up my students and teach language arts for the rest of the afternoon. There’s a lot of back-and-forth, making copies and prepping lessons. As a teacher, you're constantly working with kids in small groups, bending down and sticking things on the wall.
What I wear: When I get dressed, I think about what’s going to happen if I have to bend over. It has to be appropriate and comfortable because you’re always on your feet. Plus, teachers have a dress code. Every principal is different, but at my school, we’re not allowed to wear jeans unless it’s a "jeans day." The goal is to dress professional. We all laugh because you get to school with your makeup done, you look put together. By the end of the day, it looks like you’ve been through something crazy — your makeup is off and your hair is all over the place.
Would I wear the costume to work? Obviously you wouldn't want attention to yourself that way!
SOLDIER
Victoria, 34, Fort Leavenworth, KS
What I do: I’m currently a captain promotable, which means I’m in line to become a major soon. I’m stationed in Kansas, but I spent nine months in Afghanistan in 2014. I was part of a team responsible for coordinating and escorting VIPs, like four-star generals and the Vice President, to different areas on and off the base. Because of the threat level there, I had to be in full gear all day. My day started at about 5 am. I’d do my daily workout, have breakfast and then get to work. The base I was on got attacked quite a bit, so I had to be careful.
What I wore: The full gear weighed 40 to 50 pounds, including a bulletproof vest. The Kevlar helmet alone weighed three to four pounds. We also had to have our weapon and ammo on us at all time. It was a lot, but it kept us safe. You have to always be ready. You just don’t know where the next attack may come from.
Would I wear the costume to work? The costumes are protecting absolutely nothing! Not to mention the heels — those wouldn't last 10 minutes.
FIREFIGHTER
Jennifer, 43, San Bernadino, CA
What I do: A firefighter’s job is very physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. We work a minimum of 24 hours at a time. So I come to work a little before 8 am, and my shift doesn’t end until the next day. And often we end up working three or four shifts in a row. If there are big fires going on, it may be weeks before we get home. We respond to a wide variety of emergencies, from people having heart attacks and strokes to car accidents and shootings, as well as house and wildland fires.
What I wear: The gear we normally wear weighs between 50 to 75 pounds, and it covers every inch of our skin because temperatures inside a burning building can reach 1,500 degrees or more. Any bit of skin that is exposed will get burned very quickly.
Would I wear the costume to work? Besides the fact that we would all be burned to a crisp if we wore that costume, it’s not practical for climbing ladders or crawling through wrecked cars. Bravery and strength is what makes a firefighter sexy, not how much skin they show.