How to choose workwear uniforms

So, you want to plan out a new kit for your employees with a uniform that reflects and matches your companies needs comes with a few considerations.

Here is a quick rundown of the key points:-

1. How sweaty are your crew likely to get?

This is a very important factor to consider. Garments are made from cotton or polyester either 100% of either or a mix of the two. Cotton is considered a more comfortable fabric that is slightly cooler in hot working conditions. This is true but polyester does have some virtues that are worth considering especially when it comes to workwear. If your staff work in air-conditioned offices then cotton is perfectly fine. If your employees are outdoors in inclement weather conditions or they are doing active tasks that cause them to perspire then polyester or a garment with a heavy poly mix might be a better solution. Polyester has natural wicking and drying elements that means an active person will perspire but the garment will allow for quicker evaporation, cooling and drying which cotton simply cannot match. Sports garments are nearly always made of a synthetic like polyester for this exact reason. It also stands up to more regular and hotter washing which means those filthy jobs where garments are put through a wash rigour can last a great deal longer.

2. Do you have non-standard colour schemes with your brand?

When your graphic designer was given a brief to create an amazing logo and branding, they got carried away with the Pantone book! The result looked amazing when you opened the PDF they sent through the next day but wait!! They decided that they needed to cram 12 colours in your design with loads of gradients and some obscure colours that were all the rage right now. This leads to a lot of problems if you want your garments to match those colours and when we have to print or embroider the logo. Garments come in all the basics like Black, White, Navy, Red etc…and there are also lots of off-kilter colours and interesting tones and textures but there is a limit. We have compiled a list of some colours available with Pantone references for some of the main brands. If you want a garment in a colour that does not exist as a standard off the shelf then this can be done but you will need to buy in bulk and wait 6-8 weeks for them to be manufactured offshore. Our sales staff can provide advice on this point.

3. What decorative process is going to be best for you?

There are five options for garment decoration but in all honesty, only two are suitable for workwear. Screen printing or embroidery.

Screen printing is cheaper and works in most instances for images.

Embroidery is a little bit more expensive and only really is viable for small logos. The reason for this is that it takes longer to embroider a design and the number of stitches in your logo determines the price. The bigger the design, the more stitches, the higher the cost.

A screenprint is great for t-shirts used for short term / high staff turnover situations such as on a waiter/waitress in an informal restaurant setting.

Embroidery is best for a more prestigious look for smarter shirts or polo shirts or for chef wear and aprons, which needs to stand up to the rigours of repeat washing. Embroidery is almost impossible to wreck during the normal wash and wear cycles but screen print can be damaged by over washing or incorrect settings. 

It is not uncommon for us to embroider a logo on the breast of a polo shirt or t-shirt but screen print in the back. This enables a large graphic to go on the back of the garment but avoids the cost that a large embroidery would incur for that back image.

4. What is the objective for this garment?

Are your staff likely to be interreacting with customers or just in the general view of the public?

Is there a health and safety element that needs to be considered?

In a busy store or restaurant or at a trade show or wherever there is a ‘throng’ of human bodies, your guys need to stand out. Being on hand to provide a service that helps the sale is vital. Printing a big welcoming statement like ‘I’M HERE TO HELP’ on the back of the garment helps customers identify your staff. Using your personnel as walking adverts for your business with your website or phone number or whatever you feel is the most pertinent message on the back of a garment is also an opportunity that should be taken. If you are pushing a particular product at any time then ‘WHY NOT TRY OUR NEW VANILLA LATTE’, or whatever is also an opportunity to cross-sell.

5. What is your staff turnover rate and your growth expectations?

Like all purchases that you will make with your suppliers, the more you buy, the cheaper they eventually become. Screen printers and embroiderers work in price breaks so factor this into your t-shirt printing order. There are great savings when you hit the 50pcs and 100pcs price break so think about how many t-shirts you are going to get through in the next 6 months before you make your purchase. Remember that it takes about 10 working days for most print suppliers to turn your order around so plan for that opening or promotion or trade show you know is coming up.

For all your corporate clothing requirements please get in touch with Logos4Clothes on 01400 230 180 or email info@logos4clothes.com.

The Evolution of the Polo Shirt

The polo shirt has been one of the best selling garments in history and we thought we would give you a trip into the past to see how this short-sleeved, casual garment is a true wardrobe staple and why it works perfectly to any uniform.

Polo-shirts and its name are quite recent in their creation compared to other items in your wardrobe. Their story takes us back to the 19th Century in India when the British soldiers decided to watch a polo match. As the sport grew in popularity and the British Military became avid fans and players of the sport they found that the traditional Polo attire of the time was not up to the job and they decided to add buttons to the collars to stop them flapping all over the place while they were playing.

As the 19th Century drew to a close, a gentleman called John E Brooks (grandson of the founder of the Brooks Brothers company based in America) came over to Britain on a European buying trip. While he was there he decided to watch a polo match and noticed the button-down collars the players were wearing.

John was so impressed he took the idea back home to America and Brooks Brothers proceed to apply button-down collars to dress shirts.

This shirt was then introduced in 1896 and became the iconic Button-Down formal shirt. In turn, changing the face of menswear. The shirt is said to be the most imitated item in the whole of the fashion industry and Brooks Brothers still call their shirts the original polo-shirt.

The next evolution of this famous shirt took place on the Tennis court. A gentleman by the name of Rene Lacoste found his tennis attire was rather uncomfortable, it was made more for fashion and looks rather than sporty function. He proceeded to redesign the clothing to make it easier to move in and perform so, in turn, took inspiration from the Polo players.

Lacoste developed a new use for the polo-shirt ad also, in turn, created a new fabric. He designed a short-sleeved white, loose-knit pique cotton shirt with an unstarched, flat collar with a buttoned placket and a shirt-tail longer in the back than in the front.

The aspects that were changed from the original tennis polo-shirt garment to the new design are factors that make it a great all-round item to wear both for work and leisure.

• The soft collar could be loosened easily by unbuttoning the placket.
• The short, cuffed sleeves solved the tendency of long sleeves to roll down.
• The pique collar could be worn upturned to protect the neck from the sun.
• The “tennis tail” prevented the shirt from pulling out of the wearer’s trousers or shorts.
• The jersey knit pique cotton breathed and was more durable.

Other sportsmen took heed and then replaced their current sporting outfits and swapped over to the Lacoste Poloshirt, the polo-shirt then became its own identity and with the economic boom and more relaxed popular culture, the shirt began to move more into everyday wear.

The last step cemented its place in every wardrobe (when it comes to every occasion) was when Ralph Lauren wanted to give his new fashion line a name. He took great inspiration from the royals and the wealthy and the result was Polo.

Since then the polo-shirt has spread across all elements of society – from the everyday hardworking labourer to the smart outfits to be worn at black tie events across the globe.

Logos 4 Clothes have a huge range of Polo-shirts on offer. For more information please visit our website or call 01400 230 180 or email us at info@logos4clothes.com.

5 tips for creating your logo

We all know the importance of a company logo. It could be the first thing a potential customer sees and it needs to be right! A logo can make your business instantly recognisable just by a stylish, simple design. Here are five tips that should help you on the way to creating your own new powerful company logo.

Establish your brand personality

Before setting off designing a logo, think about what you would like your logo to look like. Think about your company brand personality and how you would like it to be portrayed. What does your brand stand for? What are the aims and what image do you want to create in the minds of your customers. These questions will put you in good stead before designing your logo.

Research, research, research!

You need your logo to stand out from the competition. With this in mind, it doesn’t want to look too similar to anyone in your industry. Ensure you take a good look at the competition, small or big before you start designing.

Draw it out!

Back away from the computer now! Before designing your logo digitally, it’s a good idea to draw the logo on paper first. This is very important, especially if you are going to use the services of a graphic designer. Give them a clear, concise picture of what you would like – this will avoid miscommunication and constant design revisions.

Colour can be powerful

Making your logo stand out is vital. Colour can help to do this. Colours can evoke different meanings to a wide variety of people – If you think of green for example, people often think about the environment and eco-friendly ideas – when people think of red people usually think of love, strength, action and leadership.

Finally, how will your logo be used?

Before starting this whole project you need to think about the end game – where you logo will be used? Will it be embroidered onto your corporate wear? Where do you want your logo to be seen? You need to also create different variations of your logo that can be rolled out to multiple areas such as shop signage, billboards, websites, t-shirts and so on.

For all your corporate clothing and workwear requirements look no further than Logos 4 Clothes. Call us on 01400 230 180 or email info@logos4clothes.com. 

Your Spring Workwear Refresh

So, Spring is finally here and there’s never a better time to take a good look at your clothes and have a refresh. With the weather getting warmer, it’s a great idea to get some new lightweight layers to your workwear. Here are a few of our spring recommendations for you.

General benefits of wearing cooler clothes in Spring

The main benefit of wearing lightweight clothing in hotter weather is the coolness they provide. The lighter breathable fabrics allow more airflow over your body . Employees will feel fresh, cooler and more comfortable, as well as being able to perform their duties more efficiently, work harder for longer.

Lightweight Jackets

Whether you opt for either an embroidered or printed logo, personalised jackets will make your brand stand out from the crowd. Being lightweight your employees will feel cooler and more relaxed whilst working or representing your company. They also look very smart and fresh for Spring. Why not check out our great range of Spring 2020 Lightweight Jackets.

Sweatshirts and Hoodies

Sweatshirts and Hoodies are perfect for wearing all year round. They can either be worn layered up with body warmers or jackets or just simply on their own. Hoodies are a real favourite amongst our customers – they also come in a large variety of colours, so finding one to match your corporate colourway is no sweat! Sweatshirts are also a great inclusion to your spring workwear range. Both provide a great professional look whilst remaining comfortable and soft to touch. Why not check out our great range of Spring 2020 Sweatshirts and Hoodies.

What about a Gilet?

When it starts to get a little colder (and living in Britain we all know about this!) you might want to consider a gilet. They can make all the difference. Consider wearing them layered on top of a hoodie, jacket or even a sweatshirt. Opting for a gilet might eliminate the need for an additional thick coat. Check out our superb range of gilets – all of which can be personalised with your logo and don’t forget we have them in a vast variety of colours to match your corporate colourways. We also have a great range of padded body warmers too.

Finally, the essential: Polo Shirts

Good base layers are so important for a uniform. They need to be lightweight and comfortable. Polo Shirts always fit the bill and are extremely popular with our customers. They provide style and comfort in all seasons and are cost-effective too. They too, come in a wide variety of different styles and colours to suit your individual requirements.

So if you feel it’s time your workwear had a refresh, why not get in touch with Logos 4 Clothes on 01400 230180 or email info@logos4clothes.com.

School Leavers Hoody Ideas

Becoming more and more popular with school students and available in a wide variety of colours and styles. Theses hoodies can be personalised in many ways, a particularly popular choice is having all of the names of individuals from a particular class or school year which makes them great mementoes for school leavers.

Great Value Hoodies, with Great Quality

The design of the hoody can be tracked back in time to the middle ages; however, the concept of the school leaver hoodie has only been a recent one that occurred in the last 10-20 years or so. It’s commonplace to have the Badge or name of the school printed on the front of the hoodie and the back left to accommodate the personalisation side of things.

Situations and ceremonies that are more popular choices for having a leaver hoodie are times such as graduation from school, college, or university or an annually held activity group such as a camp or dance troupe. A lot of these moments will be an important time in a young person’s life when they are setting off on their journey into adulthood. This could mean leaving that way of life or certain people because of this and a leaver hoodie is a great way to create something that will be able to honour that for time to come.

The actual design of the hoodie isn’t customisable but the design of everything you want on it is. There are a few concepts that are generally used for this type of thing.

One idea is to have either your surname or preferred nickname and the year of the event that is being honoured, similar to team shirts used by professional sports teams. Another popular choice depending on the size of the class/group is to have everyone’s names that are involved on the same top with the year above, these tend to be more popular as you have records of everyone and not just yourself. A take on that idea is to have a large number on the back denoting the year for example 19 for 2019 and then to have the number made up of all of the appropriate names and titles required meaning at a closure look you can see the names but from further away it will appear as just a number.

Those are just a few ideas for creating a custom leavers hoodie, if you have any other ideas don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs.

How Your Logo Will Help You Build A Strong Brand Identity

To build a strong core for your brand, your logo is essential and making sure yours is an attractive, unique and memorable one is crucial. Otherwise, you can potentially push customers away, no matter how good the services and products you offer may be.
This puts a heavy burden on your logo and the process of choosing yours should not be rushed.
Unfortunately, when it comes to making a good logo, there isn’t a definitive answer. Many factors will need to consider, of course, there are the aforementioned uniqueness and memorability to be taken in to account. To do this you will need to think about the colours, fonts, shape(s) and what you want to convey to your target audience.
As you are aware, colours come in many varieties and each tends to convey a range of feeling and emotions. Make sure you choose an appropriate one to represent your business, green for example is often used in industries associated with nature or ethics while orange is often used to signify communication and adventure.
Different shapes also have the ability to convey a variety of emotions, squares can represent balance and professionalism, circles community and unity and triangles for power and stability. Looking into the psychology behind different shapes can help you determine which would best suit your needs.
Be careful though, striving to be unique can lead to the temptation to overcrowd a logo with lots of colours and shapes. Be wary of this a logo needs to easily and quickly convey your business and being too busy can hinder it a lot. There is a famous saying ‘Less is More’ and this case it’s very true.
At the end of the day designing a good logo is no easy feat but if achieved it will benefit your business significantly. A good logo means more potential to pick up new customers and in turn more sales helping you on the way to creating a strong trustworthy brand.

Get Winter Ready With Our Coats & Jackets!

Another year another winter, that’s right it’s that time of year again. Plunging temperatures and heavy rain are getting ready to arrive. The reality that cold, dark, wet and windy weather will be part of lives for the coming months starts to set in.

Its time to stop denying it, you’re going to need to fish your old winter coat out of storage. Only that’s it, your coat is just that, old. It may have served you well over the time you’ve been acquainted with it, but it sure to be a little worse for wear as the harsh weathers taken its toll on it.
So why not put your old coat into retirement and replace it with a wonderful new one this winter? That’s where we come in, fortunately for you, we have a marvellous range of Coats and Jackets. We have a large number of designs & styles to choose and were sure you can find the perfect new clothing partner allowing you to transition from old to new painlessly and seamlessly. That’s if you were attached to your old one, and if not, we’ve got you covered too.

From fashionable softshells and fleece jackets to hi-vis and heavyweight 3 in 1 coat. Logos 4 Clothes has got a vast range of jackets to pick from, all suitable for a variety of workplaces and work environments. As well as top brands like Craghoppers, Dickies, Fruit of the Loom, Nike and Reggata.

Were not only Coats & Jackets though, no we can provide much more than a great jacket that’s going to see you through the winter and further into the future. We can also provide a range of other clothing and workwear that you may need for the winter. Browse our Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Footwear and Trousers now.

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