Style Advice for Blue Collar Workers
The term ‘blue collar’ found its origins in the blue shirts worn by the working class. Unlike the white classy shirts worn by ‘gentlemen’ of the era, the indigo blue shirts were designed to cover up any imperfections and stains gained throughout the working day. Nowadays, workers are able to choose the way they dress, unless they need to wear a uniform. The clothes you wear give you the opportunity to not only impress those you work with, but to let your personality shine through. If you’re struggling to know how to style yourself, though, keep reading for some easy to implement advice.
1. Remember That Your Clothing Needs to be Functional
Whether you are working in boiler rooms inspecting HVAC equipment like these HVAC engineers, or you spend your days performing landscaping, it’s wise to keep in mind that your clothing needs to be functional and practical for the job you are performing. If you need specific items of safety equipment, such as steel capped toes or a high visibility jacket, these are not things that you should avoid wearing in order to project a more stylish look. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t options available to you. Boots, for example, can be found in a variety of different colors and styles, yet still provide the protection that you need.
2. Find Clothing That Fits
A lot of blue-collar workers didn’t consider wearing fitted clothing in the past, and this often led to them wearing shirts and pants that were far too big for them. However, even if you have to wear a uniform, finding items that fit you can do a lot for your appearance. Clothing that is comfortable but well-fitted well help to show off your physical, manly physique. It will also make it easier to move around and perform tasks. Loose, unfitted clothing is also a safety hazard and the last thing you want is for the cuffs of an oversized shirt to get caught in the machinery that you’re using. Whether it’s a pair of jeans or black pants, a polo shirt or a traditional shirt, make sure to have it properly measured and designed to your physique.
3. Wash Your Clothes Daily
As a blue-collar worker, your work clothes are going to become dirtier than most by the end of the work day. To give a good impression, it’s important to ensure you put on a new set of clean clothes at the start of every day. To minimize the amount of cleaning you have to do, it’s wise to look into protective items that you can wear over your clothes. This may mean protective overalls, or a protective apron. There’s a clear difference between a man who gets dirty during the course of his working day and a man who doesn’t take care of his appearance. You want to be the former.
Blue collar jobs are much more physically demanding than white collar, but if you keep the above advice in mind, there’s no reason you can’t look just as good… if not better!