Workwear Essentials: Our Tips on How to Buy Quality Clothing for Work
Keeping in mind that we spend most of our time at our workplace, we can understand how important it is for us to look and feel good while working. Our workwear has a lot to do with it. That makes finding the right work clothing as important as shopping for everyday shirts and dresses.
There are many benefits of wearing appropriate work clothes. It’s proven that it has a lot to do with our productivity levels, regardless if you work in an office or on a construction site. Whether you’re an employer, an employee or self-employed, these are some of the main reasons why you should invest in quality workwear clothing. Along with them, we give you tips on buying quality items, both for shopping workwear clothing online and in-store.
Why Buying Quality Workwear Is So Important?
Safety First
Why wear workwear? We’re aware that accidents can happen anywhere, regardless of what you’re wearing at the moment. But they’re even more likely to happen when you work in a hazardous environment like a construction site. And, wearing high-quality work clothes, such as hi-vis coats, helmets, gloves and safety boots, can protect you from getting injured.
If you work outdoors, it’s also important that we protect ourselves from different weather conditions. We know how unpredictable and relentless can Aussie weather be. One second you must protect yourself from the sun, the next from a hailstorm. Workwear clothing is manufactured with this in mind and can protect you and make you feel comfortable in any weather.
Law Compliance
After many industrial accidents had happened in the workplaces throughout the world, governments began thinking of ways of reducing them. When safety workwear was introduced in the 1930s, the number of accidents was significantly reduced. This was because most of the gear made workers more visible from far away, both in darkness and inclement weather. Other workers, such as people who operated machines and vehicles, could easily see them and slow down, which has prevented many accidents. When the government saw that wearing safe work clothes can make a difference between life and death, they started to regulate it with a law.
You must know if your industry has a specific and compulsory Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) standard for protective clothing and equipment needed to minimise risk to the health or safety of employees. You’ll comply with the law only by wearing the appropriate clothing and equipment if it does. Besides keeping you safe, it’ll help you avoid many legal issues.
Durability
Workwear made out of quality material can go through a lot of wear and not get damaged or change its looks. That’s why we can’t compare working in regular everyday clothes to working in work clothes. The durable nature of work clothes will save you money. Even if it’s not protective clothing, having separate clothes for work and leisure will make both of them last longer.
Cost-Effective
All of the aspects we’ve mentioned until now show how quality workwear can save you money. Wearing high-quality workwear clothing can save you from paying hospital fees and penalties. Also, workwear clothing lasts longer, which will save you from buying much more in less time. Certain online workwear stores offer shopping for workwear clothing online in bulk. Buying in bulk at low prices can save you much money, especially if you have many employees.
Unity and Uniformity
Even if it’s not a uniform, dressing up in the same way as your team at work appears professional to your customers and provides unity. The feeling of belonging increases, which additionally enhances teamwork and productivity. By investing in quality workwear that fits better and clearly represents an investment, you send out a message that each staff member is highly valued and appreciated.
Customer Recognition and Branding
If you work in an industry that requires regular contact with your customers, wearing appropriate work clothes or uniforms can make you easily recognisable. This is especially important for restaurant and coffee shop staff.
Wearing uniforms, especially customised and branded ones, is vital for creating a recognisable brand. Not only does it provide visual aesthetics, but it can be a great marketing strategy when combined well with the brand logo and colours.
What to Consider When Buying Workwear?
Size Does Matters
Buying the right size of work clothes is very important. It has a lot to do with the look and comfort in general. For example, wearing oversized cargo pants and too loose shirts can look sloppy and unprofessional. Too tight clothes, on the other side, can make you feel uncomfortable.
The Right Fabric for the Right Purpose
There’s a wide variety of workwear fabrics – lightweight, heavy, fire-resistant, waterproof and windproof. Choosing the right fabric for your work environment can be a real game-changer.
Workwear Brands for High-Quality
There are a lot of workwear brands. You can only benefit from buying work clothes and shoes from those that have proven themselves to manufacture high-quality pieces. Some well-known favourites are CAT, Ritemate, Rainbird, FXD, Levis and Redback. Buying them from trusted stores with an experienced staff can make a world of difference.
Buy Only What You Feel Comfortable In
Safety often comes before comfort for most workwear, especially if it’s a safety gear item like steel-toe boots. But when safety’s not compromised, always choose workwear that feels comfortable. Only if you feel comfortable enough, not thinking of how annoying are your workwear clothes, you’ll be happy and productive. So, choose materials that feel good on your skin or wear comfortable under layers when possible.
Choose Work Wear You Like
Last, but not least, even for workwear, looks matter. There’s a wide variety of workwear clothes today, which means you can often choose to wear what you like the most when uniforms are out of the picture. And, if you’re an employer, take time to ask your employees for their preferences and choose a uniform they like whenever it’s possible. This will make them feel respected and bring you peace of mind.