Hi-tec comfort looks good in the workplace

1 December 1999



Modern workwear must be practical, comfortable to wear, but also look good. Hi-tec materials are playing an increasingly important part. Janet Taylor reports on trends at the recent Career and Workwear Show.


Workwear and fashion were once two distinct worlds, but now influences feed back and forth between high street, workplace and factory floor. So the “trends zone” at this year’s show appeared a natural development rather than an exhibition gimmick and many of its predictions were already proving themselves on exhibitors’ stands.

An example here is the emphasis being laid on materials - unusual mixes, textures such as ribbed and knitted, double-sided combinations.

Fabric treatments count as much as the materials themselves and this was certainly evident on Carrington Performance Fabrics’ stand. Here the focus was on Quantum, a technology rather than a material, designed to produce fabrics that breathe easily, repel droplets, are soft to handle and protect while still being comfortable to wear.

Chemical structure

Quantum involves changing both the fabric’s chemical structure and the way it is processed. It can be applied both to stretch and standard fabrics (it has been tested on Lycra mixes) but is designed particularly for outer wear and the high-visibility sector, where cleaning can be difficult. Quantum claims to produce fabrics that will withstand perc drycleaning as well as washing, retaining performance for up to 20 washes or drycleans, with the proviso that any cleaning method should always be tested on the whole garment to ensure that it will also suit details and trims. Carrington has its own weaving operation and can produce Quantum processed fabrics.

Fabrics must be able to perform in terms of comfort, protection and launderability, and materials specialist, Klopman is moving forward in all directions. Raphael claims to be the first workwear material containing Tencel, (itself an innovation as it is the first man-made fibre to be introduced for 30 years.) As a result, this polyester/Tencel blend is said to improve with wearing, becoming softer in finish, while remaining cool to wear and therefore suited to warm working environments. High moisture absorbency and good crease recovery keep the fabric smart.

Repellent

Klopman’s Comfort Stretch range is also having an impact in the workplace, combining these named qualities with durability and designed to withstand industrial laundering.

Protective clothing may have to work hard to achieve its end, as workers often face multiple hazards. Klopman’s Megatec is flame retardant, chemical repellent and has antistatic properties.

New blends could also be seen as a future theme. Lauffenmühle has developed Natura, using a linen flax fibre, Flasin, and giving all the benefits of natural linen in a linen/polyester blend. First in line, Melody is a 215g polyester/linen/ cotton blend that gives absorbency of up to 50 per cent, protects against static and is shrink resistant, even after high-temperature laundering.

Rebecca, Lauffenmühle’s colour woven fabric, has been produced in a 20 per cent stretch variant incorporating Xpand, Trevira’s modified high-chem polyester stretch fibre.

The blend claims a supersoft handle, crease resistance and through its stretch qualities added comfort, without losing durability, even after extensive industrial laundering. Rebecca stretch will be available in individual stripes, co-ordinating with the range’s chambrays.

Warntec, a lightweight shirting, looks first at the high visibility market but also has a fashion appeal, illustrating the crossover between high street and workplace. “Dope dying” guarantees colour fastness after repeated laundering. Dual blend construction using polyester microfilament, produces luminance on the outer while the polycotton reverse (75 per cent cotton next to the skin) makes clothing comfortable to wear and, says Lauffenmühle, encourages workers to keep safety garments on.

Still in the realms of protection, reflective materials are also attempting to crossover into other markets as traditional sectors, such as the construction industry, become saturated. This approach could be seen at 3M which sees demand growing via textile rental and even corporatewear. It would particularly like to push forward corporatewear applications, and so has developed Prism high-gloss, brightly coloured reflectives. Using these can help project an image of a company as a dynamic, 24-hour concern, as well as fulfilling a practical function where staff may have to work at night. Airline staff would be one example.

To encourage designers to make more imaginative use of reflective tapes, 3M had produced design concepts showing how the the tape could be adapted to different market sectors.

Another highlight was the addition to the Scotchlite range, 9920 Silver Industrial Wash fabric, as the name suggests the tape will withstand laundry processes. The material has been around for around six months and is finding particular favour in the high visibility market in Germany.

Ideas and concepts being projected in materials could be seen in action on the workwear and corporatewear displays.

Figure types

The unveiling of the Millennium dome uniforms, designed by Dewhirst to a brief by dome sponsors Marks & Spencer, gained the show much publicity.

The brief illustrated the challenges workwear and corporate clothing designers face. The uniforms had to be unisex in style and fit; accommodate a wide range of figure types, ages, ethnic backgrounds and disabilities, while using a minimum number of sizes; be suitable for all weather conditions, and flexible enough to be comfortable while carrying out a range of duties. They must also withstand industrial laundering. They had to use established colours (black and yellow) and incorporate Millennium Experience branding.

Alexandra took as its theme growth by acquisition, showing the companies that now make up the group and so the ability to meet the clothing needs of all business sectors from catering through to engineering and from formal business wear to industrial clothing.

Cadenza

Examples from the new collection by consultant designer Bruce Oldfield were to the fore including Cadenza healthcare garments, targeted particularly at physiotherapists and including tunic, trousers and dress. The range uses Klopman’s Raphael fabric with its Tencel content to give garments drape and crease recovery for continued smartness, as well as a soft handle and also the ability to stand up to industrial laundering.

Another innovation for Alexandra has been the development of garments that meet the demanding specs of the food trade. This covers risk categories from low to high and including barrier garments made from 100 per cent polyester. Although not on the stand, the food trade range could be seen in the recently launched catalogue.

Health and safety specialists have been closely involved with the range’s development to ensure that garments not only meet existing guidelines, but also anticipate future standards – as a tightening of the rules is expected.

Faithful was putting the emphasis on its collections – Butterfly women’s workwear, and the prestige Club collection for men. It is targeting the rental sector in particular, but is keen to differentiate itself from any downward price pressure – hence the emphasis on the branding afforded by these collections.

Butterfly features specially designed women’s jackets and trousers. Fabrics are tried and tested to ensure garments meet the rental sector’s laundering requirements, but are stylish with a soft handle: Lauffenmühle’s Rebecca range including chambrays and Sovereign which makes use of Faithful’s own polycotton. Detail, too, is important. Studs make practical fastenings, but here, for a more upmarket touch, are designed to look like shirt buttons, or have a mock mother-of-pearl finish.

Travel theme

As companies recognise that workwear must have a broad appeal, so they are also widening their scope and stressing an ability to cater for all work and business sectors. This was the theme on William Sugden’s stand. Fashion-based garments with a travel theme included a brand new design for Scot Rail.

It stressed commitment to total service. A project for South Yorkshire Fire service involving shirtings had included extensive wearer trials to establish wearer comfort and easy (home) care.

For some companies, however specialisation is key. A first time exhibitor at the show, personal protection specialist Uvex, is now moving into workwear with its Evolution range which includes flame retardant garments with three-needle feldlock seams. The fabric used is Indura Tufstuff, made by Westex in the US and exclusive to Uvex.

At T W Kempton, the specialisation is fleeces and the company claimed a first with a high visibility fleece to EN471, and easy care as it could be washed up to 50 times.



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