The Lost Secret Of Polo Uniforms

Corporate Polo Shirts (aka - Company Polo Shirts) will be the foundation of many companies staff uniform but how do you ensure you get it right for your company? Smarter than a T-shirt and much 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 has to be well suited for the working environment and be able to deliver wearer comfort & value-for-money.

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

Polo Shirts tend to be worn as a base layer (next to the skin), so it is critical to think about the temperature of the office - your staff certainly won't thank you should they are too hot (or too cold)!

Inside this regard, the choice between Cotton and Polyester (or possibly a mix of the two) is just as relevant as the weight of the fabric itself: Cotton is a natural fibre and is therefore kind to the skin as well as secure to wear BUT a synthetic fabric, such as Polyester, is more robust and simpler to care for. This really is why many Corporate Polo Shirts are made of fabric with a mixture of both Cotton & Polyester fibres.

The exact choice is determined by a range of factors, so it's best to talk to your supplier for specific advice but as a guideline, 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 many different 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 some 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 only 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's difficult to obtain with some other type of embellishment. The traditional placement for the company logo is on the left or right chest but more and more businesses 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 is vital that your supplier digitises the image correctly for use on Polo Shirt fabric and uses the proper backing but an experienced embroiderer will do this as a matter of-course. Sometimes it can be necessary to make minor adjustments to a business logo, for example increasing the thickness of fine lines or the size of small text as a way to give the best result but again your supplier should discuss this with you and advise how it's possible to show your logo to best effect.

Having the right Polo Shirt can really help your company portray a professional image, to both visitors as well as the wider corporate world. An attractive as well as secure Company Polo also can 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 business people to look towards the cheapest option but if that means presenting a poor image or replacing the garments sooner than expected, then what is the real cost?

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