As well as the standard Wren’s uniform with navy blue skirt and black stockings, boat crew Wrens were pioneers in the shift into uniform trousers, any sort of skirt being quite impractical for working on a boat.   Wren Jane Beacon as the very first boat crew Wren had to work out what was a practical rig for a woman on a boat, and in book one her venture into the clothing store is described in detail.  This is what she got, setting a pattern which largely was unchanged for the time Wrens worked on the boats:

She signed for two pairs of bell bottoms, two of the white square-necked shirts known as cottons or white fronts, three of the blue uniform shirts the petty officers wore for workwear under their uniform jackets, and not least two voluminous boiler suit overalls.  She was also issued with a seaman’s clasp knife and the white lanyard to secure it.  A balaclava helmet, thick polo neck jersey, standard crew neck navy blue jersey, six pairs of socks, a new pair of pusser’s daps (gym shoes), two pairs of white heavy seaboot socks and a new pair of heavy naval wellington boots completed the issue. The trousers in particular did not fit at all so she set to with her huzzif to trim and sew and adapt them to her shape.  The bell bottom waistbands needed taking in five inches.  Suitably attired in her new bell bottoms, blue uniform shirt with black tie and uniform jacket topped off by her dreadful pudding basin hat, she sallied forth to join Amaryllis.  She was startled to get stares, wolf whistles and salacious suggestions all along the upper deck, which came to a halt to look at this new apparition.  It amazed Jane – surely they knew her better by now?  Puzzled, she asked her cox’n Stan what their problem was.  “Well lass, I don’t think they’ve ever seen a woman in bell bottoms before.  You do something to them.  I must say matelot’s clothes look different on you.  You know how it is when cartoon Jane comes out with some nice adaption of uniform and all the men fancy it?  I’d guess you were having the same effect here.”  It didn’t make much sense to Jane but then there were still moments when she didn’t understand the men at all.  But the outfit proved practical and for a week she was happy running round the Hamoaze again. 

The only other change came when Dickhead, an AB on her launch, looked at her hat and was appalled at the way she’d tied the cap tally ribbon.  “Get me a pair of scissors and a sixpence and I’ll do it Proper Navy for you.”  Despite his lack of intellect Dickhead was a two-stripe AB and knew the ways of the lower deck.  So he set to with scissors and sixpence, pulling and tucking until the ribbon sported a beautifully neat bow with two ends sticking up like cat’s ears just over her left temple.  The hat was always going to be an abomination but she found that by soaking it she was able to pull the brim down at the front, up at the back, and wear it tilted well back on her head to give it a more rakish air.