As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression" Creating a strong brand is all about making a good but, more crucially, a lasting first impression that sums up what your business is all about. For businesses with customer-facing employees, workwear is one of the best ways to communicate your brand.
Corporate uniforms help communicate to your customers and clients in many ways. Firstly, the present a uniform (single) identity for and across your business. Secondly, they help customers identify who is a member of staff and who is not (saving them from that awkward situation of inadvertently asking a member of the public for assistance). And third, protective workwear can help keep staff safe.
And like other clothing, professional workwear is subject to the laws of change and fashion too, not just to health and safety regulations, as visitors to the annual Professional Clothing Show will discover.
Workwear trends
There are a number of factors influencing the design and production of both corporate workwear and protective clothing:
- Advanced fabrics - new fabrics are continuously coming to the market, providing better comfort and protection for the wearer, as well as value and reliability for the purchasing business. Lightweight, stretch, antistatic, cooling, protective against the sun, against ultraviolet light, crease resistant, absorbent, breathable - you name it, there's a fabric that delivers it.
- Gender revolution - as more and more women enter the workplace, including those where men have traditionally dominated, so they are demanding workwear that is fitted to the female body rather than suffer the indignities of having to wear ill-fitting garments made with men in mind. Expect to see more PPE and corporate clothing designed for women, such as ladies high visibility trousers and ladies high visibility polo shirts.
- Activewear (aka Athleisure) - where sportswear meets fashion meets workwear. The athleisure trend has brought workout gear to the workplace. Perhaps a more accurate statement would that people now want workwear with the same style, comfort and performance levels as their leisurewear.
- Style - it may be workwear, it may be PPE clothing, but employees today don't want to leave all their style hanging in the wardrobe at home. The good news for health and safety professionals struggling to attain PPE compliance is that when protective clothing looks good and feels good, staff are more likely to wear it.
- Choice - the extensive choice of workwear and protective clothing means there is a solution out there for practically every working environment. Workers now have access to clothing systems that will keep them dry and keep them warm without having to wear thick, heavy layers and allowing a full range of motion while they go about their jobs.
Creating a branded image
Creating a smart and consistent brand image for your business is so much more than having a funky logo these days. The well-branded business takes that logo and branding and runs it throughout the operation, to include the workwear that their staff sport.
Wyevale Garden Centres' staff sport and support the company's brand every day with their smart, functional uniform in the brand colours of green and purple, with polo shirts, fleeces and jackets all embroidered with the company logo.
At Contego, we like to keep on board with trends in professional and protective clothing and have a large range of value and quality products available for spring and summer.
- The Safety and Health Expo will take place on June 20-22 at London's Excel and includes Firex International and the Professional Clothing Show. We look forward to seeing you there!
Find out more about Contego's extensive range of workwear and protective clothing, our in-house embroidery service and exceptional customer care by downloading the Contego Catalogue and contacting our friendly team on 0800 122 3323 or sales@contegosafety.co.uk.
