A Buyer’s Guide for Custom Safety Apparel

Safety apparel improves worker visibility and helps to prevent struck-by accidents, such as backovers. But traditionally bulky, unattractive hi-vis gear can demoralize workers and turn them away from wearing their safety clothes.

Increase voluntary compliance with stylish hi-vis clothes. Make the best decisions for your team members with this buyer’s guide for custom safety apparel.

1. Select the Right Performance Level

Safety apparel’s number one job is protecting personnel from accidents and injuries. That’s why it’s important to get clothes that perform well in the worker’s particular environment.

The ANSI/ISEA 107 standard provides guidelines for hi-vis clothing standards, categorizing them into types and classes. Types are based on expected use settings and work activities. Class 1 garments are designed to meet the minimum requirements of high-visibility materials, while Class 3 garments must meet the highest requirements.

The classification depends on attributes of the garment’s bright fabric and reflective materials. Fluorescent fabrics appear brighter than the worker’s environment. Retroreflective material improves visibility in low-light or dark conditions when a light source shines on the garment.

Selecting the right performance level ensures proper protection for personnel. And it’s important to meet OSHA standards to create a safe, compliant workplace.

2. Consider the Weather

You want personnel to feel comfortable in the safety apparel you provide. Consider whether you want to order T-shirts or hoodies and add special features, such as moisture-wicking.

If you’re ordering T-shirts, choose between long and short sleeves. Sleeve lengths can help workers feel warmer or cooler. For cold worksites, hoodies provide excellent comfort. Thicker material will keep workers’ core and arms warmer, and the hoodie protects the head, ears, and neck from the cold and wind.

Fabric type and garment construction also impact how the apparel keeps the wearer warm or cool. Some garments come with vented mesh side panels that improve ventilation so that fabric doesn’t become soaked with perspiration. Moisture-wicking improves comfort and can help reduce fatigue.

3. Choose a Design

One of the most exciting things about custom safety apparel is choosing the design. When you order from SafetyShirtz, you can select a design from our lineup or create a new design.

Our current selection features an array of designs, such as topographic, patriotic, and camping graphics. The design of each garment complements the hard work and determination of the person wearing it.

Custom safety apparel provides business owners with a practical way to increase brand awareness. Your business’s logo promotes outside recognition of your company. Whenever your team is on the job, passersby will recognize your business and your quality work.

Using your business’s logo also builds team spirit. Logos help your personnel stand out and stand together. And when safety clothes look great, it can enhance workers’ sense of pride in their work and the company that values them.

4. Don’t Forget the Back

With custom safety clothes, your personnel can look great. The design on the back of your apparel is another opportunity to enhance the style and improve branding.

Currently, custom work shirt orders from SafetyShirtz start at 48 pieces and offer the same front and back design. Starting at 126 pieces, you can choose different designs for the front and back of the garment. Adding the business logo on the back of the apparel maximizes your business’s exposure. It’s also a place where people intuitively expect to see a design, which means that it can complete the look.

A professional look makes a good impression internally and outside of your business. And with the right placement and sizing, the logo won’t interfere with enhanced visibility. We will ensure that your hi-vis gear meets regulatory requirements regarding fabric color, placement, and length of retroreflective strips.

5. Pick the Right Font and Colors

Create a balanced look with the right font style and colors. Font with a lot of embellishment might look good on paper, but it can be hard to read when placed on a shirt or hoodie. Choose an easy-to-read font that makes words and numerals stand out. This will keep your business name and contact information clear, and it won’t clash with the style of the apparel.

ANSI-approved hi-vis colors are fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red, and fluorescent red. If your garment features these colors, black ink will make your design stand out.

SafetyShirtz enhanced visibility clothing comes in a wider range of colors. In many cases, black ink will still look excellent, but other colors can look great too. Let us help you find the right color combination that meets your business needs and promotes your style.

6. Get the Right Sizes

It’s critical for personnel safety and satisfaction that you place an order with the right garment sizes. Proper fit ensures safety gear performance.

Small clothing restricts worker movement and creates discomfort. When workers can’t properly lift or stretch their arms because of tight clothes, the apparel limits what they can accomplish.

When clothing is too large, it becomes a risk to safety as the fabric can snag on equipment or materials. Rolled-up sleeves also make clothing bulkier and increase the chance of snags.

Ill-fitting clothes also look bad and work against the purpose of fashionable safety clothes. When workers feel confident in their safety apparel, they’re more likely to wear it. Giving workers poorly fitting clothes gives personnel a negative impression, and they make your business look less professional to outside perspectives, too.

SafetyShirtz doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to safety clothes. We carry hoodies and shirts from sizes small through 3XL so you can get the right fit for your employees. We’re also expanding our selection of apparel in women’s sizes.

As this buyer’s guide for custom safety apparel shows, there’s a lot to consider when ordering stylish, effective safety clothes. The right performance level, garment type, and fit are critical for worker safety and comfort. And a quality design helps workers look their best, boosting morale and increasing voluntary compliance.

For stylish, high-performance safety T-shirts and hoodies, shop with SafetyShirtz. Our selection of custom hi-vis clothing comes in a range of styles and sizes that are perfect for your workforce. Place your order today!