Uniforms of the future; and computerising beauty

Press, 11 August 1979, Page 10

Uniforms of the future; and computerising beauty

FASHION AND BEAUTY

by

Paula Ryan

The outfits illustrated could well be just the ticket for traffic wardens about the turn of the century. They’re unisex uniforms, in navy serge with yellow piping made from pure wool. The traffic warden gear features in a collection of ideas for career uniforms for the year 2000. The International Wool Secretariat arranged the collection at its headquarters in London and showed it to purchasing and supply officers from airlines, public transport bodies and police departments.

The collection, Which will be shown to similar groups in other countries later this year, includes uniforms for police, bus drivers, railway porters and postmen. The designs are the work of students from the Manchester Polytechnic’s department of fashion and textiles.

They are based on extensive interviews with employees of British Airways, Britain Rail, the Post Office, and Manchester Police and traffic wardens.

And now, technology has very much arrived on the beauty scene. Helena Rubinstein has introduced

the “Skin Life Beautyscope” into stores where these skin care products are available.

What is it, you may ask. It is simply a beauty computer which gives a woman a complete beauty analysis at the cosmetic counter. After pressing the start button this computer asks quesions about your complexion, skin tone, hair colour and eye colour.

When these answers are supplied to the computer, the customer’s skin type is given an identity number. The customer then presses a corresponding button on the tester bar and instantly the correct products suitable for her skin type light up so she can test them on the spot. The colourscope section of the computer works in the same way and is based on 29 hair colours and 11 eye colours.

The consultant recommends the correct colour products using an identity number as the guide. I understand, however, that it is very important that each customer answers the questions honestly in order for the resulting analysis to be worth while. The entire procedure takes less than 30s.

In the past Skin Life was aimed at women witn dry skin, aged over 35. Since the introduction of the Beautyscope, all women are catered for over the age of 18.

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