Rental workwear takes on urban style with practical fabrics

The rising price of cotton and unstable supply is forcing fabric producers to look at alternative fibres and this innovation is helping workwear rental laundries to address the challenges of rising costs and legislation while meeting the style demands of the customers.

Increasingly companies are using workplace clothing to project a corporate identity but urban and high street fashions are influencing the market so work clothing must now combine style, comfort and function.

At leading workwear provider Johnsons Apparelmaster, brand manager, John Oates says that work clothing no longer seems to be worn solely in the workplace. “It can also be part of a regular day wear wardrobe, so much so that some items have become totally interchangeable.” He adds that cargo trousers are a good example. Once they were seen as workwear, then they became a fashion garment, now they are both.

Oates says that one of the more interesting trends has been the popularity of branded workwear. “These highly designed, multi-feature garments are promoted under a variety of names and are aimed predominantly at tradesmen and other image-conscious buyers.”

However, the workwear rental industry needs to combine style with substance. Rented garments need to be launderable but not all the fabrics favoured by the retail sector can withstand the high temperature processes used by commercial laundries.

To meet these challenges, Johnsons Apparelmaster has launched the Gryzko range of branded workwear and corporate casualwear in 14 different colour combinations. As well as introducing different colours and styles, the range also uses innovative fabrics.

“The core of the workwear range is a stretch fabric from Klopman International,” says Oates. “It has all the launderability and performance features associated with Klopman fabric, with the added benefit of stretch for comfort and fit.

“Durability is further enhanced by the use of Cordura fabric panels where needed.”

Cordura fabric is a primary ingredient in many of the world's leading high-performance gear and apparel products ranging from luggage, upholstery and backpacks to footwear, military equipment, tactical wear, workwear and performance apparel.

The Cordura brand is a registered trademark of Invista, one of the world's largest integrated polymer, intermediates and fibres businesses.

Invista works closely with fabric partners such as Klopman International to produce durable and industrially launderable fabrics for the workwear rental market. Tim Anson, European Cordura brand business director at Invista, says that when suppliers develop workwear fabrics they take account of high temperature wash processes used in the sector. Control of colour bleeding, colour fastness and dimensional stability is vitally important.”

Anson explains that Invista tests each fabric that carries the Cordura brand against an internal branding scheme. He says that any fabric supplier that his company recommends for workwear fabrics has to submit its fabrics to Invista for additional tests. Invista will test a fabric sample against the norm set by the European Textile Services Association (ETSA). “This testing procedure demands the highest standard of colour fastness, resistance to pilling, dimensional stability, and fabric appearance after tunnel drying,” says Anson.

The range of Cordura workwear fabrics has grown over the past four years. Cordura Duck fabric, the latest addition to the range will be on show at the Workwear and Corporate Clothing Show (5 - 6 April, Ricoh Arena, Coventry).

This fabric is based on a blend of cotton and Invista T420 nylon. “While most duck fabrics are traditionally 100% cotton canvas construction, our team challenged the norm,” says Anson. “It has been specifically designed to deliver a comfortable, highly durable fabric with exceptional abrasion resistance and wear life. It has been tested against ETSA standards.”