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The world of corporate clothing and workwear is an unusual one. One that I love, but this industry also surprises me from time to time. Some things are happening in this sector that I don’t get.
Strange emails
I have no idea if other people in the industry are receiving these, but I receive emails daily from companies that produce workwear and accessories. Not because I signed up for their newsletter, but because they are trying to find new customers through me. They come from all over the world, but I receive the most from China and Germany. They offer a lot of work clothes, and also hangers, bags, and various fabrics.
I always try to respond to emails, but with these, given the amount and the spammy type of approach, I prefer to hit the delete button. I have also been receiving similar messages via Instagram and LinkedIn for about six months now. And these are not as easy as to deal with. Because it is so easy for people to send private messages, your inbox is quickly full, and it can be a lot to handle. So I always reply straight away saying that I write about workwear and don’t sell it. Unfortunately, this response does not always work. Because, of course, what they are offering is amazing and I can earn a lot of money with them.
I have since discovered that the word “workwear” acts as a magnet for certain people in the industry. All my social media channels contain this word, even though it is not a Dutch word. And it seems that this is enough of a reason to spam me. The fact that it is clearly stated that I am writing about workwear is apparently irrelevant.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to receive emails about work clothes. There are also plenty of companies where I have registered for the newsletter. Because this really helps me. Unfortunately, these emails are not sent regularly. And so I spend hours every week looking for information and news about work clothing.
We are the largest
I recently saw it again on Instagram. A small shop that sells workwear, in a village in the Veluwe, calls itself “the largest supplier”. Gosh, another one! I had to laugh out loud. If I believe every company that claims to be the biggest, we must live in a country with an enormous number of “the largest providers”.
So, if you’re ever looking for a workwear brand or supplier, take my advice and don’t be fooled by this type of claim. It is a catchy line and nothing more.
The really big players that sell a lot of clothing are less likely to call it out. They prefer to distinguish themselves in other ways. Preferably with sustainable clothing made from PET bottles or other sustainable materials. Oh yes, and then they are the largest in the field of sustainable workwear. The competitor, of course, claims the same. We are the best and the other company is doing it wrong, we are the most durable. The others, they are blunderers. Get it?
Slim models?
Another thing that has amazed me for a long time is the models they use in this industry. I constantly see the same faces in brochures. I spoke to several seasoned corporate clothing models while judging at the Corporate Fashion Award. All wonderful and talented people, but in terms of appearance reasonably “standard”. Beautiful, tall, slim, and white.
This has been the norm in the fashion industry for years. The vast majority of full-time models look like this. But there is a big difference between fashion and the workwear and corporate clothing sectors. And I’m not just talking about functionality and presentability, but about the sizes. In fashion, the vast majority focus on the “standard” sizes. Think of women’s sizes 36 to 44. But work and company clothing go much further. Often up to size 52 or 54. The only problem is we rarely see those models.
In my view, this is a missed opportunity. Companies often purchase clothing for a team or even the whole company. And usually, this group consists not only of slim ladies and gentlemen. So why only show these types of models? Time for more diversity, both in size and appearance!
Greetings,
Aileen