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Nowadays, we find it quite normal for Hivis clothing to be worn in certain professions. In many cases, it is also mandatory. But did you know that there is a remarkable history behind Hivis clothing? In this article, I will tell you all about it.
The remarkable history of Hivis clothing
At the beginning of the twentieth century, fluorescent fabric was first used by cyclists. They wore it as a sash around themselves so that they would be more visible in the evening.
However, the idea of high-visibility clothing as we know it today only came about later. It was invented by the American Bob Switzer, who was injured in 1933 while working at the Heinz Ketchup factory in California. When it turned out that his eyesight was impaired, he had to recover in a dark room. His brother Joe, who was a chemist by profession, entertained him in the room with luminous paint.
This gave Switzer the idea to develop fluorescent fabrics. He dipped his wife’s wedding dress in the paint, and thus the very first fluorescent garment was created. Later, he and Joe founded the company DayGlo Color Corp, with which the brothers focused on the development of fluorescent pigment.
Railway workers in Hivis clothing
Initially, it was only railway workers who wore fluorescent clothing. As a result, they were easily visible to trains arriving at stations. This clothing was made of fluorescent yellow or fluorescent orange fabric.
In 1964, the clothing was also worn in the Scottish region of the British railways. But this did not go without resistance. A report from British Rail shows that the employees felt that the fluorescent clothing made them less masculine and brave. The employees were also nicknamed “fireflies” because of the fluorescent orange jackets.
It was not until the 1970s, when fluorescent clothing was also worn in construction, that the clothing became more accepted. What also helped was the fact that studies were conducted on the visibility of the clothing, which showed that employees wearing Hivis clothing were more visible from a distance.
Worldwide use
Nowadays, high-visibility clothing is worn all over the world, and there are various standards that determine what to wear, when, and in which country. For example, India, America, Canada, Australia, and Europe all have their own manuals outlining the rules. And the company that the Switzer brothers founded in the 1930s still exists. As of 2025, the DayGlo Color Corporation is the world’s largest producer of fluorescent pigment. Their pigments are used worldwide for magazines, (work) clothing, shoes, cosmetics, packaging, plastics, art, and even food and drinks. And that’s quite remarkable…
Kind regards,
Aileen