9 Reasons You Need To Stop Stressing About Polo Uniforms

Corporate Polo Shirts (aka - Company Polo Shirts) are the basis of many businesses staff uniform but how do you ensure you get it correct for your company? Smarter than a T-shirt and less formal than a shirt, the Corporate Polo can often provide just the right balance between style and substance but like any item of corporate clothing it must be suited to the working environment and be able to deliver wearer comfort & value-for-money.

It might sound obvious but a Polo Shirt is just not an item of safety clothing, so it's vital that your company (or perhaps a suitably qualified person) accomplish a risk assessment. Anyone involved in hazardous work requires special consideration, which is why today's article is only intended to handle Corporate and light industrial applications - for which the first choice is fabric.

Polo Shirts are often worn as a base layer (next to the skin), so it is critical to look at the temperature of the place of work - your staff certainly won't thank you whenever they are too hot (or too cold)!

Inside this regard, the choice between Cotton and Polyester (or a blend of the two) will be as relevant as the load of the fabric itself: Cotton is a natural fibre and is therefore kind to the skin and comfortable to wear BUT a synthetic fabric, for example Polyester, is more robust and easier to care for. This really is why nearly all Corporate Polo Shirts are made of fabric with a mixture of both Cotton & Polyester fibres.

The exact choice depends upon a range of factors, so it's best to speak to your supplier for specific advice but as a rule of thumb, Cotton Polo Shirts in 220 to 250gsm weight fabric will normally be reserved for office & clerical staff, whilst Cotton/Polyester in 180 to 220gsm weight are mainly utilized for Company Polo Shirts in light industrial fabrication & engineering.

Polo Shirts are accessible in an assortment of styles; usually they come with two or three button opening (placket) at the neck, a rib knit collar and short sleeves but you can find additional options and several of these may be useful, for example a lengthy back panel (to keep the wearers lower back warm) and side vents (for ease of movement).

Colours need to be considered in light of your corporate logo and if there is not much of a similar colour available from stock then complement a complimentary colour or (if you require sufficient quantity) perhaps a bespoke Polo, manufactured to match your company colour/s.

For Corporate Polos there can really be only one choice and that's embroidery. An embroidered Polo Shirt looks so much smarter than one which is printed and conveys an air of quality that is challenging to obtain with every other type of embellishment. The traditional placement for the company logo is on the left or right chest but more and more companies are adding additional embroidery to the chest, sleeves and back for example the company website, brand names and sometimes individual wearer names (however this does limit the possibility to reuse the garment, if a member of staff should leave).

It's important that your supplier digitises the image correctly for use on Polo Shirt fabric and uses the proper backing but a professional embroiderer shall do this as a matter of course. It sometimes can be necessary to make minor adjustments to a business logo, for example increasing the thickness of fine lines or even the size of small text to be able to give a great result but again your supplier should discuss this with you and advise how it is possible to show your logo to best effect.

Having the right Polo Shirt will certainly assist your company portray a professional image, to both visitors and the wider corporate world. An attractive and comfortable Company Polo can also help unify your staff and motivate them to work with the company, rather than just for the company.

Unfortunately, Corporate Polo Shirts tend to be seen as little more than a cost to the company also it can be tempting for buyers and company owners to look towards the cheapest option but if that suggests presenting a poor image or replacing the garments sooner than expected, then what's the real cost?

Sometimes the main difference between a cheap garment and the right garment is measured in pennies. With the correct choices and also the right supplier, your Corporate Polo Shirts should represent real value-for-money and that's a far more savvy way of protecting your bank balance for the long-term.