Six Outrageous Thoughts About Polo Shirts
Corporate Polo Shirts (aka - Company Polo Shirts) will be 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 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 must be ideal for the working environment and be able to deliver wearer comfort & value-for-money.
It might sound obvious but a Polo Shirt just isn't an item of safety clothing, so it's vital that your particular company (or a suitably qualified person) perform a risk assessment. Anyone involved in hazardous work requires special consideration, which is why today's article is only intended to cope with Corporate and light industrial applications - for which the first option will be fabric.
Polo Shirts tend to be worn as a base layer (next to the skin), so it is critical to consider the temperature of the place of work - your staff certainly won't thank you should they are too hot (or too cold)!
In the regard, the choice between Cotton and Polyester (or perhaps a mix of the two) is just 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, such as Polyester, might be more robust and easier to care for. This is why the vast majority of Corporate Polo Shirts are made of fabric with a mix of both Cotton & Polyester fibres.
The exact choice relies upon a number 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 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 an extended 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 that's printed and conveys an air of quality that's tough to obtain with every other type of embellishment. The traditional placement for the company logo is on the left or right chest but increasingly more businesses are adding additional embroidery to the chest, sleeves and back for example the company website, brand names and sometimes individual wearer names (though this does limit the potential to reuse the garment, if a member of staff should leave).
It is important that your supplier digitises the image correctly for use on Polo Shirt fabric and uses the proper backing but a knowledgeable embroiderer will do this as a matter of course. Sometimes it may be necessary to make minor adjustments to a company logo, such as raising the thickness of fine lines or the size of small text in order 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 correct polo uniforms Shirt will help 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 are often seen as little more than a cost to the company and it may be tempting for buyers and business owners to look towards the cheapest option but if that implies presenting a poor image or replacing the garments sooner than expected, then what's the real cost?
Sometimes the difference between a cheap garment as well as the right garment is measured in pennies. With the right choices and the right supplier, your Corporate Polo Shirts should represent real value-for-money and that is a far more savvy way of protecting your bank balance for the long-term.
