| Brief Guide to Work Wear |
| How work wear communicates |
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Mention work wear and thoughts of overalls, protective clothing and uniforms spring to mind, but work wear can describe the type of uniform donned by many for the work-place – a chalk stripe city suit, high-heeled-shoes-and-power suit, suit you suit or a boiler-suit. There is the kind of suit that wouldn’t be out of place on a YMCA trailer - arguably the type needed for a proper days work, to work up a convincing level of sweat, the kind of work-wear that only looks good when it’s well worn and grimy.
Work wear is a communication device, telling us many things about the wearer, their status and role. Judges and barristers rely on the pomp and formality of their work wear to enforce their detachment from the public in the court room, deliberately instilling a sense of inaccessibility, authority and even anxiety to unnerve and disarm whoever is unlucky enough to be facing them. In the same way, judges will often remove their wigs and dress down to put a child in court at ease. Doctors wear white coats to suggest cleanliness, control and authority. Employers recognise the messages that uniforms can transmit; the old stereotypical and often absurd airhostess garb has gradually adapted to a more practical, easier to wear uniform. Air-hostesses today aim to project an image of calm authority; they need the passengers to trust them and feel confident that in the event of a crisis the crew will triumph and keep everyone safe. That’s not so easy if you are wearing a straw hat and jaunty neck scarf! |
| Polo shirts and fleeces – the middle ground |
| There are many variations between the shirt-jacket-and-tie-with pens-in-the-top-pocket and protective hairnet and overalls, but an increasingly common and practical type of work wear is the polo shirt and/or fleece emblazoned with the company logo or image. The polo shirt suits a retail environment, office, construction site, or outdoor situation. It fits comfortably with smart trousers or more robust work-wear trousers, donkey jacket, fleece or high visibility outer wear for those really tough outdoor jobs. |
| Company logos |
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A company logo displayed on a corporate uniform, such as overalls, a polo shirt or even a more traditional white shirt (so those doing soft jobs don’t feel left out!) can reinforce a company’s corporate identity. Increasingly polo shirts, in the company’s colours, provide the best canvas for a logo as they can be bright and visible, smart but not intimidating, casual but not scruffy. Like a uniform, they suggest a sense of equality but without the embarrassment and school-like quality of wearing a uniform. In a retail situation, a polo shirt with a company logo or image allows customers to quickly identify members of staff, raising the company profile and projecting a unified, efficient image. In a role behind the scenes such a corporate identity can help to make employees feel part of something, and provide a point of differentiation between work and home situations.
There are two ways of achieving a personalised company logo on a uniform or work wear – embroidery and/or screen-printing. Embroidery is effective in that it will not fade or be washed away; it stands out and provides the opportunity to add an individual’s name. Embroidery describes stitching, normally by machine, that details the name of the company, or individual, or even an image. Because it is stitched, it provides texture and gives a feeling of luxury and quality. Silk-screen printing is flat and is ultimately less durable as the image or wording will fade after repeated washing, wear and tear. However, it has the advantage of allowing for a bigger company image, usually up to A4 size and is generally more cost effective on a larger print run. Silk-screen printing has the facility to produce more intricate and elaborate images. A typical cost for standard personalised embroidery involves a set up cost (around £20) plus a cost per letter. Standard size letters are approximately £3.50 for 1-12 letters. Larger letters (30-70mm high) cost around 50p each and for letters of 80-100mm, £1.00 each. For screen-printing the cost is based on the colours used, for example the first colour can be around £30 and the second less, around £20. The final cost is worked out on a unit price of the garment. |
| Health and safety |
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A key reason why companies provide work wear for their employees is health and safety, not just because it protects the employees from whatever job they are engaged in, but because it helps to identify who is an employee and who is a visitor or otherwise. This can be particularly important from a security perspective in a sensitive work environment.
With regards to health and safety, there are many invaluable items and articles of clothing, such as protective goggles, full-face protection, ear defenders, hard hats and steel-toe-capped boots, flame retardant clothing, high visibility jackets, tabards and gloves. For some industries protective garments are essential and legally required according to EU regulations – the list is endless, incorporating some unlikely kit to protect against chainsaws, moving parts, radioactive dust and rain. To find products and prices see www.workwear.co.uk and www.uniforms.co.uk |
| Overalls, boiler-suits and cover-ups |
| There is a huge variety of work wear to cover-up and protect clothing. Painters and decorators traditionally wear a uniform of white overalls or bib and braces– but nobody can really take them seriously until their work wear has been Jackson Pollock-ed! A boiler-suit remains a practical and multi-purpose choice due to their durability (most often a mix of cotton and polyester) and ability to provide total coverage and protection over clothes. Manufacturers can supply boiler-suits in colours in keeping with a corporate identity, with a company emblem or logo. Again, the uniformity of design and colour can serve to reinforce unity and easy identification of staff over customers or visitors. There is a great boiler-suit available from Work-Wear World called the “Dickie knee pad boiler-suit” that comes in a cheeky red with removable knee pads. The same company also provides the “Dolly Gown” which is not for oversized Barbies but for hairdressers to protect clients’ clothes. |
| Work wear for Women |
| Despite the huge strides women have made in the workplace, suggestions of work wear for women brings forth old clichés of nurses uniforms, air hostesses, Mrs Overall’s overalls and housecoats. However, women are increasingly taking up professions previously reserved for men, such as plumbing, car mechanics and construction and as such, work wear has adapted, where necessary, to accommodate the change. That doesn’t mean boiler-suits in soft pastel shades, rather the trusty polo shirt and combat type, durable trousers. Starched crisp nurses uniforms (for men and women) have been banished in the wake of more practical tunic tops and trousers. Paediatric nurses will often wear uniforms in fabrics and colours reassuring to children, to increase a sense of accessibility and help alleviate any fear from being in hospital. |
| Work wear for all |
| Ultimately work wear identifies the type of work one does; it sets the wearer apart from the general public, telling others what they do and encouraging a sense of ‘trust me – I’m a doctor/nurse/washing machine repairman…..’ |
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