The question of the ages is, how do I afford work clothes when I’ve only just been hired? It is the question that has plagued humanity since the Ancient Greeks. Back then work wear was nothing more than a dayglo toga [totally joking].
Despite how easy it is to make a toga from an old sheet these days, for the Greeks, togas were not easy to procure. The ancient Greeks didn’t have spare sheets lying around.
Thankfully, workwear has come a long way since Ancient Greece. Togas are drafty. Back then, most of your cost would go into spinning the thread for the cloth and weaving the fabric on a loom.
That much about clothing hasn’t changed. We still spin thread and create fabric on looms. It’s more automated now, less drafty once assembled, and the quality is way better.
There are a few more steps between manufacturing fabric and making it into clothing. As one branch of clothing, workwear requires even a few more steps, more stitching, better textiles, but the basics remain the same from togas to butcher frocks.
Workwear, in general, is the best clothing. It’s sturdier. It’s more classic. Most importantly, it’s cheaper than most department store fashions.
Still, the prospect of buying a closet of new work clothes may have you in a panic considering your latest bank statement. Don’t freak out.
With a little careful planning, some attention to brands and smart choices, you can start to bud your wardrobe with a few key items immediately. Start at the beginning.
Buy Genuine Work Clothes
Many people find it surprising to learn how inexpensive workwear brands can be. The assumption is that quality comes at a price.
This is true in every other facet of life but not clothing. The x-factor in this equation is the overinflated fashion industry. There, high-cost does not reflect quality craftsmanship. Avoid like the plague.
A big mistake some people make is thinking they can shop the discount retailer to find off brand work clothes or factory seconds at a cheaper price.
Not only do they fail to save on their initial purchase, they end up with clothes that don’t stand up to the punishment work clothes have to take.
Even worse, if they buy factory seconds, the clothes don’t fit right.
With work clothes, you can buy once, buy right, and still not blow your budget. Stick to the workwear brands worn by the professionals, Dickies, Carhartt, Round House, Stan Ray, Red Kap, and others.
Shop By Brand
While work clothes are generally cheaper than fashion wear within the world of workwear it’s possible to save even more.
It’s generally the same for men’s as it is for women’s options. The same brand names always jump to the top when we sort our options from lowest to highest cost.
When shopping for pants, brands like Portwest, Red Kap, and Edwards offer the most low-priced options. That said, don’t overlook other brands. Even Dickies produces a pair of straightforward jeans that sell for well under $20.
For simple shirts, the same brands that make no-nonsense options in the department stores do the same for work clothes, but they’re cheaper when you buy from someone like All Seasons Uniforms.
You’ll find brands like Hanes and Fruit of the Loom on the low end, but also brands like Gildan, Bayside, and Jerzees.
Strategize Your Purchases
As with anything new, with a new position or job we get excited. As it should be. So sad is the person who has a new job but is loathe to begin.
With that excitement comes the desire to validate that new job. [Translation: spend money on gear.]
It may be as easy as the credit card swipe to outfit an entire closet for a new role, but unwise for many reasons.
Seasonal changes, times in position, getting to know the company culture, these aspects and more may affect what you want to actually wear in the long run.
The best approach is to boil down your new job to the immediate apparel needs first. Wants can come later.
Sure, that Carhartt jacket would look great on you, but it’s July. There is a heat wave and two months of summer left at least.
You can purchase the jacket after two months of paychecks in your bank account if you still think it’s the best thing since the invention of dayglo.
Know Their Exchange Policies
Imagine this scenario…
You take time to consider your options. With careful consideration, you put down your cold hard cash or float your credit to invest in a few workwear outfits. Everything seems great.
Then, after spending some time with the clothes, you notice they don’t fit so well or you don’t like the way they look. These are clothes you’re going to spend a lot of time in so they’ve got to be the best.
When you try to return or exchange them, you find out that where you bought them that’s not an option.
The problem is, to save more, you bought from a liquidator or an unknown site. They don’t take returns for whatever reason.
Now you’re stuck wearing something you don’t like or spending more money on new clothes. If you’d known up front that you couldn’t change your mind, you could have dodged this bullet.
You could have purchased from a reputable work clothing supplier.
Go Reputable or Go Home
Actually, the great thing about the modern age of internets is you can buy from a reputable distributor in the comfort of your home.
Of course, we’re biased to All Seasons Uniforms, so definitely check our inventory first, but whatever you do buy, buy from an established company.
It is possible to find deals on marketplace sites (Amazon, eBay, that sort of site), but your guarantees for authenticity vary in the deep sea of shopping.
Just because it says it’s genuine Dickies or Carhartt out there, doesn’t mean it is. Brands work overtime to stop imposters from selling fakes, but it happens.
Please excuse the pitch, but a distributor like All Seasons Uniforms has a reputation preceding the internet, one we aim to keep. Every brand we sell is direct from the manufacturer, no fakes.
That means you buy the right clothes the first time. They fit right. They last. And, when you have a problem, All Seasons Uniforms is happy to help you find a solution.
You don’t have to walk around in togas made from old bed sheets. Buying affordable work clothes is as much about buying inexpensive as it is about buying smart.
Saving a dollar or two on the front end of your workwear can cost you ten times that when you realize you’ve bought from an unscrupulous vendor or when you’ve purchased off-brand work clothes.
Don’t do it. Buy once. Buy right. You can afford work clothes.
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.