What should your workwear actually do?
Workwear is the first thing the customer notices – and what your people wear for ten to twelve hours. So what should it actually do?
In episode #40 of Apacta's podcast Mesterværk (in Danish), "This is what your workwear should do", Per Boesen, director of J.A.K. Workwear, is the guest. J.A.K. is now a supplier to Mestershop, and the conversation touches on something most master tradesmen recognise: workwear is at once a work tool, safety equipment and the company's public face.
From blue boiler suit to the company's face
Per describes an industry that has moved on. In the 90s workwear was stiff and boxy, and there was no doubt when "the blue boiler suit" walked through the door.
Today the clothing should preferably not look like workwear. It should look professional and neat – while still being able to take what an angle grinder throws off. As Per puts it, those are the two sides of workwear: it has to project something, and it has to be functional.
He also points to employer branding. Workwear tells employees how they are prioritised, and tells the customer what kind of company has just walked into their kitchen.
Comfort is not a luxury when you wear it for twelve hours
A large part of the development is about freedom of movement. The industry has gone from two-way stretch, with "a little give" when you squat, to four-way stretch today.
That is not a detail for people who spend ten to twelve hours in their clothes. Per's advice at the end of the episode is also that you should start from the employees: the clothing should be functional and flexible, and you should basically feel as if you are not wearing it.
At Mestershop you will find, among others, J.A.K.'s 4-Way Stretch Trousers 1800 with a high waist, Cordura-reinforced knee pockets and ventilation zips in the side seams.
→ See work trousers and overalls at Mestershop
Pockets that suit the trade
One of the more concrete places where the development can be felt is the pockets. Where there used to be four pockets – two at the front and two at the back – there are now pockets along the sides, and the length has to fit a folding rule if we are talking about carpentry.
Per says J.A.K. develops the clothing together with the people who use it. Whether a pocket should sit ten centimetres higher, twenty centimetres lower or be deeper is often something customers have helped advise on.
That is also why the details are in the product descriptions at Mestershop. You should be able to see what you are getting before you order for the whole team.
The standards still have to be in order
Function is also about safety. If the clothing is to be used around sparks and heat, it must be flame-retardant. If you work on the road, there are classifications for how visible the clothing must be and how many reflective strips it needs. "It is pure safety," as Per says about that part.
Quality is ensured on an ongoing basis through the fabrics, which are tested at the suppliers for heat and fire behaviour, among other things. On top of that, J.A.K. works with amfori certification, which is a seal of approval that conditions at the manufacturers are in order.
If your people need to be seen, J.A.K.'s hi-vis range is also at Mestershop – for example Hi-Viz 4-Way Stretch Trousers, which are EN ISO 20471 certified in class 1 or 2 depending on size.
Clothing that does not need replacing every quarter
In tough environments – the forge, offshore – durability is a direct cost. The clothing has to last, so you do not have to replace trousers every three or four months because they have worn through.
That is exactly the calculation we often discuss at Mestershop. The lowest price on the invoice is not always the lowest price per working day.
Logo: print or embroidery?
Practically every tradesman has a logo on their clothing, and Per explains the difference between the two ways of getting it.
Print is now so wash-resistant that it lasts many washes, and it is typically what is used on everyday workwear – on the back or the front. Embroidery is a little more expensive and takes a day or two longer, but is used for promotional clothing such as jackets and shirts, where you represent the company externally.
If the supplier already has the logo on file, it typically takes three days from the clothing being ordered until it arrives.
At Mestershop you can get print on your clothing. We do not offer embroidery. Delivery time for print is 10-15 working days.
Per's advice to the master tradesman
When Per is asked for one piece of advice at the end of the episode, he gives two that go together:
Start from the employees. They have to like wearing the clothing, otherwise neither quality nor price helps.
And think about what the company wants to be identified with through its employees. The two things, as he puts it, go together really well.
Watch the full conversation with J.A.K.
Want to hear more about what workwear should do? Watch the full Mesterværk episode #40 with Per Boesen here (in Danish):
In the episode Per also talks about J.A.K.'s journey from its start in Brørup in 1996 to its head office in Esbjerg, about working with the offshore and wind turbine industries, about being a family-owned company – and about how they drive out to businesses with the clothing so you can try sizes on the spot instead of driving to Esbjerg.
J.A.K. and Mestershop
At Mestershop you will find J.A.K.'s workwear: four-way stretch trousers, overalls and shorts, the hi-vis range, jackets and softshell, sweatshirts and T-shirts. Most of it is available from XS to 6XL and in both men's and women's models.
Mestershop is meant to make it easier for professional tradesmen to buy the right things. That means transparent prices, relevant products and good suppliers.
Your margin starts at purchasing.
→ See all clothing at Mestershop
→ See work trousers and overalls
Read also: Is better safety equipment worth the money?
