Features

• The types of work clothes worn by a person vary widely, depending on the worker's gender, age, the workplace, the role of the person and even the location of where the work is done. Work clothes include footwear, pants and shirts or dresses, head coverings and may include accessories such as eyeglasses, gloves, belts and neckties.
  
  

Types

• Uniforms are worn by public servants, such as the armed forces, police and firemen, and to a lesser extent, some medical personnel and service workers. Each branch of the armed forces has its own uniforms, which vary in color and style by rank of individual and include dress and combat styles. Civil servants, such as police and firemen wear uniforms that clearly identify them to the general public and also include protective devices. Medical personnel wear uniforms commonly referred to as scrubs.
  
  While most executives and lawyers regularly wear a self-selected uniform of suits and ties along with a briefcase and cuff links, other office workers have adapted to a "business casual" code of dress, which includes khakis or skirts, button-down shirts or blouses.
  
  Blue collar factory workers may wear jeans and tee shirts, farmers may wear jeans or overalls, daycare staff may wear jogging suits or jeans, and lifeguards and fitness coaches may wear bathing suits, swimming trunks or exercise wear. Service workers such as restaurant employees, janitorial staff and sanitation workers also wear uniforms that identify their business of work and often include a visor or hat, a vest, a shirt with a logo and matching pants. Some sanitation workers or repairmen may wear a jumpsuit or overalls.
  
  

Function

• The function of work clothes depends on the occupation under consideration. Functions of hats, coats, vests and footwear may include physical protection from the outside weather or from potential injury. Uniforms function as a form of identification, of membership in a particular group, and as a way of expressing rank, authority, or honor in one's occupation. Less formal work clothes often require ease of movement and laundering as well as providing comfort to the wearer of the garment.
  
  

Potential

• For occupations such as businessmen, educators and office workers, what is considered acceptable in the workplace has changed considerably even in the past 10 years. Even from place to place within a single industry, work clothes will vary in formality and style depending on whether a formal dress code is instituted by the employer and the overall work environment. Even labor unions have negotiated rules in regards to requirements for work clothes and personal safety.
  
  As the United States moves toward a service economy and away from manufacturing and industry, the world of work clothes is less about uniforms than it is about promoting solidarity within the workplace and protecting the safety of the workers.
  
  

Considerations

• Cost is one consideration for work clothes. Professionals who must pay several hundred to thousands of dollars per outfit for work clothes must often purchase the newest, latest styles of clothing in order to visibly be considered as successful in their occupations. Workers whose occupations are low to moderate salaried may have a difficult time in paying for the needed garments for their jobs, especially if a workplace dress code is in place. Workers may save money on clothing by purchasing from consignment stores, thrift stores, or even yard or rummage sales or online auctions.
  
  Another consideration is the nature of the occupation. People who are averse to being given a strict dress code may not be well suited for employment in certain fields, such as the armed forces or service occupations. These employees do not have a choice in the clothing they wear while on the job and must often maintain an impeccable appearance while performing their work.
  
  

Benefits

• One benefit of work clothing is the physical protection provided by specialized garments used by certain professions, such as the flame retardant coats and hats worn by firefighters or the bullet-proof vests worn by police officers. These garments are designed to minimize physical injury and may even save the life of the worker.
  
  Work clothes may confer a sense of identity and self-respect in some occupations, such as the armed forces, where symbols of honor and achievement are worn on the lapel. In other professional fields, such as law and medicine, the style and cost of the garment can promote an aura of success and distinguish those who are high-performing from those who may be sub-par.
  
  Work clothing also provides feelings of membership and identity within a group and can invoke a sense of cooperation and teamwork among similarly dressed employees.