With half a century of combined experience advising and supplying businesses with staff uniforms and workwear, it’s fair to say we’ve learnt a thing or two. Absolutely nothing beats good planning, so when developing your uniform brief, here are a few things you might want to consider in advance.

1. Make your uniform choices practical

Are the uniforms that you currently have practical? Have you asked your staff how they feel in them and how they think they could be improved? Getting your staff involved with uniform choices is a great idea, after all they are the people that have to wear the uniform. It’s important that uniforms are carefully considered to make sure that they are completely fit for purpose. Depending on the sector and job role, many different factors will play a part when making the decisions.

2. Consider size and stock quantities

Have you worked out which sizes and quantities you will need for your workforce? What are your requirements in terms of stock holding? Are you able to hold your own stock or do you need your uniform provider to keep hold of it for you and distribute it as and when it’s needed? You must consider the quality of the uniform – good quality stock will last for longer and will mean you will need to replace clothing less frequently. Cheaper stock will mean that you may have a higher turnover of product.

3. Reflect your brand with style and colour choice

A uniform should be a true reflection of your brand. Customers should be able to clearly identify which company your employees work for by their uniforms. Many companies have identity guidelines for uniforms detailing their style and colour, as well the size and position of logos. We can help you maintain visual consistency by working with your Pantone, RGB and CMYK brand colours.

4. Make your logo and branding stand out

How prominent do you need your logo to be? Where would you like it placed? The best position for logos will depend on the garment. On a tailored t-shirt or shirt, the most common place for a logo to go is on the chest to the left. However, printed and embroidered logos can be placed on the sleeve and back.

Branding: Do you want embroidery, screen printing or digital printing? Are you concerned about sustainable print? Eco-friendly water-based inks avoid the use of Plastisol, which can be damaging to the environment and humans.

5. Choose the right fabric and know your budget

Do you have fabric preferences? Perhaps there are specific guidelines or regulations you need to follow? Clothing for Events stock everything from arc flash wear made using 100% inherent VXS+ fabrics and ThermSAFETM to bespoke uniforms made from the softest eco-friendly organic fabrics.

Be realistic about your budget – how much can you afford? Don’t forget to factor in repeat orders for corporate uniforms, especially if you plan to take on extra staff.