Since we have been getting up and going to work, our clothes have been constantly evolving. From functional uniforms to branded t-shirts, what we wear to the workplace has undergone many changes, leaving us today with a variety of options for workwear. But why has this clothing changed over time? At AWDis, we’ve got the answers as well as the perfect garments for you to customise your own perfect workwear.
Back to Basics: What Is Workwear?
Before delving into the history of workwear, let’s first clarify what workwear is and how it differs from other garments we wear.
If we look at a literal definition, workwear encompasses anything we wear for our daily employment. Whether you work in a supermarket, garage, zoo, or telecommunications centre, ‘workwear’ refers to the clothes we wear at work. But if we delve a bit deeper, there’s a little bit more to workwear than this simple definition.
Workwear is often designed specifically for carrying out workplace responsibilities. It is functional and durable, with properties tailored to the role its wearer is carrying out. High visibility, flame resistance, steel caps – workwear is often made to protect and aid the wearer.
Alternatively, workwear is designed to benefit wearers by uniting them under a shared brand identity and communicating to customers the values and ideas a company represents.
The Good Old Days: Dress Codes in the Workplace
With definitions out of the way, let’s look at the workwear of the past. Now, we could go back to the very beginning – the capes of Roman generals or the helmets of Anglo-Saxons – but let’s instead focus on the post-industrial ideas of workwear. What did it look like in the workplaces of old?
In the early days of mass agriculture and industrialisation, workwear dress codes served a functional purpose. Railroad workers and miners were required to wear denim for its durability, and factory workers wore cotton uniforms for their versatility and low cost.
Over the 20th century, this idea of workwear as functional clothing gradually became only half of the story. The idea of workwear as a binding force between employees began to gain popularity, with dress codes now serving both to protect employees and to unite them under a shared team identity.
Towards the end of the century, workwear such as polo shirts in retail stores served little protective function but instead united employees visually and symbolically under the values and goals of their workplace.
The Modern Workplace: Relaxing the Rules
So, what does workwear look like today?
Many conventions of functional workwear from the 19th and 20th centuries have persevered into the modern day. Advancements in technology mean that firefighters wear flame-retardant garments and builders have the helmets, gloves, and knee pads they need to work safely. Clearly, the functionality of workwear remains.
What has changed, however, is the necessity of workwear in industries where it doesn’t need to provide this protective function. Corporate wear, for example, has seen a widespread shift away from stringent dress codes, with many workplaces allowing employees to dress as they please.
Where uniforms and dress codes once ruled, many workplaces now encourage employees to wear branded clothing that is much more casual in nature, such as branded hoodies or sweaters, rather than enforcing a compulsory uniform.
Are Work Dress Codes Outdated?
If you’re a business owner or office manager, learning more about how workwear has evolved over time can cause pause for thought. Are workplace dress codes outdated? And if so, should you have a dress code for your team?
At AWDis, we know there is still a place for dress codes in modern workwear. While the role of uniforms in the workplace has evolved over the last 200 years, they still play a symbolic and visual role in building and maintaining brand identity.
For those workplaces that still require workwear to protect employees – construction, emergency services, rail workers, etc. – dress codes will never go away. Corporate and retail workplaces, on the other hand, can still find uses for the dress code. Here are just a few examples:
Building Team Identity and Unity
Workwear can play a powerful role in building team identity among employees. By wearing branded workwear that visually and symbolically links them, workwear can help bring workers together into a cohesive, cooperative unit with shared goals.
Boosting Team Morale and Comfort
Workwear doesn’t need to be uncomfortable, boring, or plain. When employees receive unique, stylised workwear that looks and feels excellent, such as matching sets featuring the company logo, it can boost their comfort in the workplace as well as their morale and motivation.
Establishing a Clear Brand
Workplaces, particularly across retail, have a much better chance of establishing a clear brand identity in the eyes of customers and partners when their employees wear workwear that represents the ideas and values of the organisation.
Let’s take a sportswear brand, for example. A customer is much more likely to remember and identify with the brand if its employees and ambassadors all wear customised women’s workout garments that showcase the quality and comfort of its products.
Customise Your Ideal Workwear With AWDis Garments
At AWDis, we know that the evolving role of workwear can be challenging to keep track of, but it very much has a place in the modern workplace. Whether you need colourful clothing to give your employees a way to express themselves or sustainable clothing that reflects your brand’s dedication to protecting the environment, we have incredible collections to help you craft branded workwear that suits your needs.
If you need the perfect garments to begin customising workwear for your brand or company, check where to buy our products. Got questions? Reach out – our team are always here to help!
