Corporate clothing is an investment, and in terms of marketing spend, it can be an expensive one. Deciding to invest in outfitting your team can be a big decision- especially for smaller companies. And yet, it isn’t a decision that should need much consideration. The benefits of corporate clothing are widely publicised and with the right choices, it can be an investment that really makes a return.Corporate clothing obviously goes a long way to enhancing your brand image- why spend money on your letterhead and your website, for the brand to not be represented well when face to face with customers. First impressions count after all. Whilst this is clearly important for retailers, having a well presented workforce can have huge benefits in a range of industries, who may need to deal with suppliers, auditors or even the local community.The psychology of branding is an important notion to consider; that customers will assume you are professional and successful if you portray yourself as such. Corporate clothing can be a self perpetuating cycle- present a successful image and in turn, success will follow. And whilst it isn’t quite that simple, customers will buy in to your brand, if you take the time to invest in it’s image.Finally, corporate clothing is an investment in your biggest asset- your team. Corporate clothing can improve morale, create a sense of team spirit and lets your team know that you value them, all of which is then passed on to your customers in great customer service and loyalty to your brand. An engaged workforce has lower rates of sickness, a lower rate of turnover and they are often the best brand advocates!So, once you have decided to invest in corporate clothing you need to consider what your aims are- do you want to portray a city image, or is it more important for your team to be comfortable? Do you want consistency across the team, or can you afford flexibility between women and mens uniforms or perhaps for front line and back office staff? Once you have decided what your aim is, selecting the right corporate clothing range is much easier.The next consideration is when do you expect staff to wear the clothing? Is it for events only, or for every day office wear? Similarly, what industry are you in and will this affect your choices- teams working in construction might favour an embroidered polo shirt for comfort, where as finance workers may select a smarter oxford shirt. A good corporate clothing supplier will take all of this in to account when helping you to make the right choices for your team.Finally, and most importantly you need to select your supplier. There is a whole host of companies out there ready to take on your corporate order, ranging from the small and very cheap, right up to the well established and more expensive. Things to consider are the service that they will provide for you – will they provide an easy ordering service/ form, can you bulk order but also purchase in dribs and drabs for new members of staff (many places have large minimum orders)? Can they offer a bespoke service for you or even an account manager to ensure the minimum amount of your time is spent on ordering? Do they offer free fit samples for your team to try on for size?Possibly, the biggest decision to make will be regarding cost- a standard embroidered polo shirt can range from as low as £5 up to £35 and clearly here is where quality matters. View corporate clothing as an investment in your team and remember that good quality often equals real value- cheap items that have to be replaced often is a false economy. Imagine telling your team members how much their uniform, which you may well expect them to wear every day, cost- the idea is that they feel proud to wear it and to represent your company, and if cheaper items won’t have that effect then it is a waste of money.

We have all grown accustomed to the notion of “recycling” yet the term “upcycling” is relatively new with its first recorded use in 1994. Recycling is generally used to describe how materials or products are converted into lesser value products. On the contrary, upcycling transforms waste into new products of better quality or higher environmental value.When applied to fashion, upcycling creates clothes from diverse sources including discarded products (such as plastic bottles or wood cuttings), waste from the textile or post consumer waste.Turning discarded products into fabrics is probably the most surprising application of upcycling. Polar fleece is probably one of the most popular upcycled textile. While non-recycled fleece is made from petroleum derivatives, polar fleece can be made from recycled PET bottles. Light and warm, fleece is often seen as an alternative to wool. Easy to wash it is a great fabric for outerwear.Lyocell fabric has recently gained popularity. Made from wood Lyocell is manufactured by dissolving the wood pulp with solvents to extract the cellulose fibre. Lyocell fabric is soft and silky yet very strong and easy to care for. The manufacturing process is similar to Bamboo fabric but more environmentally friendly as latest developments in the manufacturing of Lyocell include closed loop production where solvents and by-products are recycled. Lyocell is also known under the brand name Tencel. Its high breathability makes lyocell ideal for sportswear and underwearUsing leftover fabrics is also a great way to bring value, reduce waste and lower the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Overall textile waste (from consumers and fashion industry) is estimated at more than 1 million tonnes a year. Waste takes the form of off-cuts, leftover fabrics or discarded consumer clothes. A few eco designers specialise in re-using those fabrics and turning them into new clothes. Because of the limited supply of each individual fabric, those clothes are generally made in small batches or even one-offs. This is of course to consumers looking for some exclusivity outside high street fashion.Over the past decade, upcycling has become more and more popular due to the higher value of the end product, the lowered cost of reused materials and the environmental benefits of re-using waste. The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Aside from the chemicals used for growing conventional cotton, dying fabrics has a huge environmental impact. Upcycling helps minimise this problem as fabrics are used “as is” without the need to be “grown” or dyed again. By reducing the use of new raw materials upcycling helps reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions generated by conventional manufacturing.Reducing waste is one of our civilisation challenge. Yet there is no point in recycling or upcycling if consumers steer clear of their end products. Next time you are looking for clothes look out for upcycled labels. They might just surprise you.5 upcycled fashion brands to look out for:Who Made Your Pants
Do You Green by g=9.8
Worn Again
From Somewhere
TRAIDremade

There are companies that expose workers to hazardous conditions which are potentially life threatening because these conditions may cause injuries or even death. The worker needs to be protected from exposure to these harmful materials using protective gear such as Bisley Workwear. This article explores the different industries which require protection from hazardous materials.Cold ConditionsSome industries such as meat processing plants use facilities which have to be maintained at extremely cold temperatures. Low temperatures can cause hypothermia in the worker necessitating them to have protective clothing that will keep them warm and protected.The material that is used to make the clothing for such conditions needs to have an insulation layer so that the worker has excellent protection against the extremely cold temperatures.Mechanical IndustriesSuch industries usually have tasks that make use of power and hand tools such as knives, machines and chain saws. The work place also has items with sharp edges such as glasses and sheet metal. The workers need to be protected from injuries that may arise from cuts and slashing. Protective clothing in this industry includes:- Gloves
– Sleeves
– Helmets
– Protective bootsThe materials used to make the gear needs to be stab and puncture resistant.Radio-active MaterialsThe main concern in such industries is protection from exposure from radioactive matter. Prolonged exposure to such matter is known to cause cancer and other health hazards. An example of such is the nuclear plants which use plutonium to manufacture their products.The protective gear has to come from durable, high quality materials that can stop the penetration and permeation or radioactive particulate matter to the body.For those working with X-ray equipment on a daily basis, the need for protection from different levels of radioactive rays is paramount.Bacterial/Viral ExposureLife threatening transmittable diseases such as AIDS and Hepatitis can be transmitted to workers in facilities such as those that deal with medical textiles. Many staff who works in such environments needs to have garments that have a protective anti-bacterial and antiviral finishes.The material needs to retain the anti-bacterial agent even when the garment is cleaned, dyed and also washed. You can get this and many other gears from Bisley Workwear.Chemical IndustriesA lot of chemical processing companies have environments with vapor, chemicals and gases that can be harmful to the health of workers. Some of the chemicals are very toxic and can lead to burns and even internal injuries.The protective gear that is available for you comes in four categories ranging from A – D. Level A provides the worker with full encapsulation so that he or she is protected fully from any exposure to chemicals. Level B is similar to level A but may lack sealing at the seams. Both level A and B are useful for protection against highly toxic chemicals. Level C and D provide some protection but not as comprehensively as A and B.Thermal IndustriesSome industries will require the worker to be protected from fire and extreme heat. One of the major careers is the firefighting staff who is ever exposed to heat when they put out fires. Other industries such as those dealing in metal milling are exposed to high levels of heat.The material for making the gear for use by these workers needs to be fire resistant and be very durable, lightweight and be able to reduce the heat stress.All these and more garments can be found from Bisley Workwear who manufacture quality protective wear for your workers.