Essentially, anything you wear to work could be considered workwear. If you work on Wall Street, your workwear is likely to be a suit and tie. If you work in a fast food restaurant, you likely have some sort of cotton and polyester blend uniform you must wear, along with a hat or apron with your company logo and perhaps a name tag. If you work outside or in particular work that brings you into contact with rain, snow, mud, and wind, you need specialized clothing so you can perform in spite of the weather or conditions you are facing.
To be prepared to work inside or outside, you or your employer should consider a variety of elements in choosing a uniform or what is safe, functional, effective workwear. Construction workers need clothing that is durable and washes well. It’s also important that clothing be highly visible for security and safety officers. Sometimes it’s a good idea to add a hat to a uniform not just because it looks good with a company logo but because it protects someone’s head from the sun or rain, or makes it less likely an employee’s stray hair will find its way into someone’s food.
Workwear should be functional, first and foremost, because it is being worn in essence, to contribute to completing a work task of some kind. That said, there are plenty of uniforms and other work clothing in designs and colors that suit personalities and company human resource department requirements as well as safety and functionality needs. Take scrubs as an example. These durable, easy to wear uniforms come in all kinds of styles, shapes and colors for nurses, massage therapists, dental hygienists, and others. Sweatshirts, when they are clean and have a nice company logo on them, can be a great piece of professional work clothing. Cargo pants are also quite handy thanks to the variety of pockets they have to accommodate various items you might need throughout the day.
Other specific items not to forget in your workwear ensemble are shoes and belts. If you need to carry particular tools with you, a belt might be a special part of your work clothing. Shoes are very important to consider for those who spend a lot of time on their feet in retail or other environments. You want durable shoes that have enough cushion so you aren’t going home with aching feet night after night. You’ll also need to consider rain boots and other raingear if your particular job or activities expose you outside.
