They're not just New York's finest -- they're the nation's fanciest.
A trade group representing the makers of every thread, button and Velcro strap on a police officer's uniform yesterday declared the NYPD the best-dressed peacekeepers in any large city.
Blue, it seems, really is the new black.
"The NYPD has worked to provide uniforms that are functional whether an officer is in the saddle, on a cart, riding a motorcycle or walking a beat," said Donna J. Pierson, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors, which has handed out the awards for 27 years.
The NYPD has one of the most widely recognized uniforms in the world, worn by roughly 40,000 officers serving 8 million people.
Regular NYPD patrol officers wear an arresting navy-colored shirt, navy street-gear duty pants and a dark navy tie. Dark turtlenecks may be substituted for ties. Higher-ranked officers wear white shirts and dark blue ties.
As a symbol of law enforcement and a clear form of identification, the uniform is unambiguous and indisputable," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a statement.
"Whether it's the crisp formal attire of the ceremonial unit or the highly functional gear used by emergency services, our distinctive blue makes members' presence immediately apparent."
The association cited the "street gear" of Big Apple cops as an industry favorite, calling the cargo-type slacks "a cross between Dockers and carpenter's pants." The well-situated pockets, they said, allow for easy storage of, and access to, handcuffs, gloves and flashlights.
The Tucson, Ariz., and Pittsburgh police departments were in second- and third-place, respectively, with "outstanding achievement" and "honorable mention" awards in the 200-officer-plus category.
Officers of the Suffolk County Police were voted second-snazziest county law-enforcement department in the country. The officers of Alamance County, N.C., took the top spot, with judges recognizing the agency for moving away from the standard "sheriff's brown" outfits of their peers and into a smart navy and black.
The Bluffton, Ind., Police Department was voted best dressed for a city with fewer than 200 officers. The Connecticut State Police were voted best dressed officers in a state agency. The Cleveland, Ohio, Metro Park Rangers were voted the best attired specialized officers.
The association's competition is open to all U.S. law-enforcement agencies, with entries judged on the basis of neatness, projection of authority, practicality and functionality, as well as adherence to uniform regulations.
Judges included Patrick DeMare, retired manager of a textile workers union; Michael T. Filippello, chief of the Parsippany, N.J. Police Dept., and actor Chris Meloni, who plays Det. Elliot Stabler on "Law & Order: SVU."
"Every day, police have to look the part," Meloni said. "Their uniform is their introduction to their audience: the public."