Q&A The Adrian Burton wearing the Horton All Trades Cargo Trousers Q
A In October, Dickies announced they would no longer be selling workwear in the UK, Europe, the Middle east or Africa and the Williamson-Dickie EMEA HQ at Midsomer Norton would cease operations at the end of March. This closure not only left around 280 employees without jobs at their UK branch but also left a huge problem in the UK for the workwear industry. On the day of the announcement I, like many mainstream distributors, was not only shocked but also worried what the loss of such a huge brand in the UK would have on businesses. South East Workwear alone purchases around £200,000 worth of Dickies products a year and we will have issues finding an alternative product that is not only priced on a comparison level but also carries the brand reputation and quality that Dickies has built up in the UK since 1922. We had recently invested heavily in a new retail store in Oxfordshire and pushed hard to have a centre of excellence for workwear. We had become one of the new market leaders, showcasing how workwear should be seen and displayed and not in the usual dusty, badly stocked builders’ merchants. A quarter of our 6,000sq ft retail store was set aside solely for Dickes and stacked with over £80,000 worth of stock. The news for us couldn’t have been worse at the time, but as with all great businesses you make the most of it and reinvent, reinvest, and adapt. We immediately took the initiative to launch our own brand of trousers.
First of all, what was catalyst behind the development of Oxford Workwear?
| 28 | June 2021 Q Q
educated choice
After finding a gap in the market following the withdrawal of Dickies from the UK, Adrian Burton of South East Workwear, set about creating his own workwear brand. The result – Oxford Workwear. Here he speaks with P&P editor Melanie Attlesey about the garments, the launch and more.
A We have been selling workwear as a family for almost 30 years and run a successful YouTube channel called AskAdy. This has enabled us to listen to what the customers want. We then, using a company that has produced clothing for us for the past 10 years, started to put together a few samples.
How did you develop the range of trousers?
We spent six months working hard to perfect our range of products, investing in our own stretch cotton fabric and eco packaging.
A We decided that we had to do it right and the buzzwords in the workwear industry are FLEX and STRETCH. Everyone who wears workwear wants to feel comfortable and a few years ago a few key manufacturers decided to introduce some flexible materials. In some cases, they engineered a two-way stretch system and some a more flexible system that gave a four-way all over stretch. The benefits from this are exceptionally important for tradesmen who find themselves working in tricky conditions such as an electrician in a loft space or a builder climbing a ladder. With this in mind we had to take the plunge and invest in the material that would give us this key selling feature. From my experience in reviewing and selling workwear products I have looked at thousands of pairs of trousers and I can certainly say that this has already started
Can you tell me more about the fabric used in the trousers?
to shape the future of the industry. Demand has increased and already my store stocks trousers in Oxford Flexi Fabric, engineered to move with you all day. We have three different styles of flexible material trousers and the requests for this product is on the increase.
Oxford Flexi Fabric is produced from a preshrunk 97% cotton/ 3% elastane material. It is finished in a peach finish and due to the natural fibres allows exceptional breathability.
In addition to offering a cost-effective option, we have also produced two entry level products that are manufactured from a traditional poly/ cotton fabric. The mix is a 65/ 35% polyester/ cotton mix and we call this the Oxford Work Fabric.
Q
A There are five trousers in the Oxford Workwear range, all of which are named after hospitals in Oxfordshire. The Radcliffe Craftsman Work Trousers are made from 97% cotton and 3% elastane Oxford Flexi Fabric. Designed with the wearer in mind, they allow unrestricted all-day movement and comfort with a multitude of pockets for functionality for any trade’s person. The Nuffield Service Trousers, made from 97% cotton and 3% elastane Oxford Flexi Fabric, are designed for unrestricted all-day movement and comfort with cargo pockets and top loading knee pad pouches. They can be worn in a warehouse by a craftsman or as part of a functional uniform. This has
Can you go into detail about the five trousers in the Oxford Workwear range?
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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