FEATURE


of building materials from building sand to copper pipes. To my eyes they were casually dressed and slightly scruffy. They were all wearing shorts, not work shorts, and T-shirts, and only one of them was wearing safety shoes. For them it was a question of being comfortable in the heat when working and not being too bothered about investing in any extra work clothing since the warm weather was a bit erratic anyway.


A few more people I spoke to adopted a mixed approach to summer site dress. Some wouldn’t be without work shoes or work trainers while others were much more casual about shoes but had invested


often adopted shorts or trackie bottoms for comfort and agility when climbing. A hi-vis vest would often be worn with a T-shirt or just by itself if the weather was warm enough.


Incidentally, out of sight of the site supervisor, a couple of the scaffolders told me that they really prefer trainers for climbing since safety trainers slip on scaffolding poles. The shoes might need to catch up with the regs, I think!


It is hard not to conclude that, particularly in summer, a more mixed and individual dress code is the default setting. I guess it is almost entirely due to the warmth and the individual’s trades. A self-employed tradesperson working for himself would seem most likely to adopt the full workwear look largely due to interfacing with the customer directly, while ‘casually’ employed workers can escape the investment needed in quality work clothing.


Work clothing – what’s on offer Work clothing of all types and budgets is available at a huge number of outlets and


in a couple of pairs of shorts. Work shirts were notably absent – a simple T-shirt being the most common garb to be used. On the other hand, most users had a fleece or hoodie for colder mornings and evenings, and many of these were branded workwear. I should also add that some scaffolders I talked to wouldn’t forgo the protection of work boots but very


there always seem to be offers and deals at the beginning and end of each season. I must admit that I like the new stretch trousers from Snickers; although they are pricey they are very comfortable. And the kneepads – a necessity for me!


I really like my selection of upper body clothing from JCB. Everything from a


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padded coat and gilet to a couple of different weight fleeces; a sweatshirt and hoodie or two have had a lot of use this year.


Other names like Dewalt, Scruffs, Dickies, Lee Cooper, Caterpillar and Screwfix’s own brand, Site, are freely available and offer a variety that will fit almost any physique or budget. There are still quite a few others I haven’t mentioned to add to the list.


As with power tools, we have never had it so good, and workwear, for its practicality, ease of care and relative smartness (compared to a pair of saggy jeans or trackie bottoms) would seem to me to be a minimum . I don’t leave for a job without it.


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