You might be surprised at all of the options and advanced designs to be found in uniforms today. Here's a primer on the types of apparel offered by uniform companies for law enforcement officers.

5.11 Tactical

5.11 Tactical made a name for itself with its tac pants, but the company now manufactures everything from shirts and jackets to boots and even holsters for law enforcement. The newest apparel from the company is its 5.11 Patrol Duty Uniform. The PDU's twill fabric is Teflon treated to repel stains and soil, while design features like mic cord pass throughs, bi-swing shoulders, permanent creases, and hidden pockets add to performance. The PDU is available in a wide range of sizes, including a modern women's cut. A and B Class shirts and pants are priced starting at $49.99.

BlackHawk

BlackHawk Products Group was founded by former U.S. Navy SEAL Mike Noell and is a manufacturer of apparel and footwear as well as tactical gear, body armor, duty gear, and hydration systems, among other things. Based on its High Performance Fighting Uniform's (HPFU) success, BlackHawk has modified the original design to create the new HPFU V.2 with I.T.S. (Integrated Tourniquet System). A single tourniquet is pre-positioned in the axillary area of each arm and the apex of the thigh of each leg for immediate activation by self or buddy-aid to stem blood loss in an emergency. It's available in black, olive drab, desert digital, and Multi Cam.

Blauer

Blauer Manufacturing has been making high-quality uniforms for public safety professionals for three generations and more than 75 years. The company's expansive catalog includes outerwear, uniform shirts and pants in every imaginable fabric blend, hats, rain gear, base layer undergarments, and a new tactical line that includes tac pants. Many uniform items are available with reflective Scotchlite for safety in low-light situations.

Elbeco

A law enforcement uniform manufacturer since 1907, Elbeco is still developing its line of shirts, pants, outerwear, and base layers to better fit today's police officer. An excellent example is the company's new Ladies Choice uniforms, completely redesigned by women to fit women. The trousers feature a contoured waistband with side elastic, curved hip, reshaped seat, and shortened front rise. Our shirts provide a better shaped armhole, expanded chest and waist dimension for increased movement, increased hip sweep to fit a woman's body shape, and graded body length for less bulk to provide a great personal fit.

Fechheimer

Since 1842, Fechheimer has been manufacturing quality uniforms to serve working men and women. The company's law enforcement apparel includes a wide variety of traditional uniform pants and shirts as well as dress coats and jackets, sweaters, outerwear, raingear, a tactical line and even a line of bike patrol uniforms. Many garments include Intellidry for color retention, stretch, moisture wicking and stain resistance, as well as Coldblack to reflect UV rays and reduce heat buildup.

Horace Small

Horace Small started his original uniform business in 1937 outfitting troops for battle. Once World War II ended, Small applied all he had learned outfitting soldiers to public safety uniforms. Today, the company that bears his name continues to sell a variety of traditional uniform pants and shirts to meet agencies' needs, as well as outerwear and the Special Ops Collection tactical line.

Magnum

Magnum's apparel is designed and constructed with a targeted focus on uniformed personnel and is built to the same comfort, fit, and technology standards as the company's footwear. Magnum law enforcement apparel includes a line of outerwear, a bike patrol shirt, the Nano Tec Polo, and the Stealth Spec line of tactical shirts and pants. In addition, Magnum Cardio apparel utilizes a moisture-wicking fabric that is perfect for training or for wearing under body armor. All Magnum apparel comes with a six-month no-fade guarantee.

Propper International

Propper International offers a full line of high performance tactical uniforms and outerwear. The company's Lightweight Tactical Collection of pants, shorts, and shirts is made from 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton ripstop for maximum comfort and durability. For colder weather, Propper Defender Series jackets feature the company's exclusive, lightweight HALT barrier for outstanding breathable waterproof protection. The moisture-wicking Propper I.C.E. Performance polo looks great on or off duty, while the ACU-inspired TAC.U coat and trouser provide functionality in high-pressure situations.

Tru-Spec

Tru-Spec law enforcement apparel fulfills a wide cross-section of officers' uniform needs. The company's 24-7 Series includes the 24-7 Series tactical pants, several shirts, vests, and jumpsuits, plus a variety of 24-7 outerwear as well as ladies' pants and shirts. Tru-Spec's TRU (Tactical Response Uniform) is a redesigned BDU, and is now available as both a TRU Xtreme with state-of-the-art features and a TRU uniform manufactured from fire-resistant Interlock made of DuPont Nomex. Cordura Baselayer undergarments, military style BDUs, and Tru-Spec's own line of duty gear complement the line.

Woolrich

Woolrich Elite Series Tactical is a relative newcomer to law enforcement. The company provides modern tactical wear focused on meeting officers' demands for functionality, mobility, durability, and comfort with its line of tac pants and shorts, shirts, outerwear, and CCW wear with technical fabrics and additional features.