Susan Fowler Should Got A Jacket
If you've read Susan Fowler's "Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber", one of the stories she tells is about leather jackets. She's told 6 women cannot get jackets because of a difference in cost. Budget was never an issue as to why Susan Fowler and the Women of Uber didn't get their jackets.
Susan should have got her jacket.
When I first started creating branded products almost a decade ago, this was indeed an issue. There was a difference in costs between men's and women's apparel much like those over a size XL. However the difference in cost would not have been significant. On a basic promotional t-shirt for example the cost would have been $.50 to $2. On something more substantial like a jacket the pricing would probably add anywhere from $2 to $5 tops. Given those numbers, I think we're all in agreement Uber probably had $12 to $30 for those jackets.
Today, most factories have apparel with options for men and women at the same pricing. That means it does not matter that you're ordering 6 for women when you're ordering 126 total jackets.
I don't believe any of this is the reason why Susan Fowler and her colleagues didn't receive the jackets they were promised. We no longer live in a unisex world when it comes to a jacket with your company logo on it.
It's important when ordering apparel like jackets, polos, and t-shirts, make it clear you wish to see options which have men's and women's versions. Ask if there are additional costs for the different versions. Don't just click on a button an order without asking questions or ever seeing the product.
Make sure you get samples in advance. Have people try on the pieces the piece is true to size. The last thing anybody wants is to order something with your brand on it only to find some or all of them don't fit correctly.
I realize this wasn't the real issue of Susan's blog post. That there are far larger issues. Finding a branded promotional jacket for 6 women should never been one of them.
Susan Folwer should got her jacket.