If you wear your regular clothes to do some outdoor work, soon you’ll be left with nothing presentable to wear. It’s recommended to actually have at least several pieces of clothes that are to be used exclusively for outdoor work. This all depends on the specific conditions you are facing in your line of work.

Truth is, environmental factors can be quite harsh here in Australia. The sun here can be relentless and at some locations, temperature extremes are a regular occurrence. If you work out a lot, you need clothes to protect you and make you comfortable so you can finish your tasks with ease.

No workwear brand knows the conditions we face better than Australian-based ones. So, when looking for clothes to work in, you might want to opt for a quality local brand such as Ritemate workwear. Clothes designed with the Australian weather conditions in mind will definitely make outdoor work more bearable. When choosing yours, here’s what you should pay attention to.

Protection

Everything starts with getting the protection that is required to do your work properly. If you are directly exposed to the sunlight make sure your workwear can protect you against ultraviolet rays and be breathable too. A UV-resistant hat can go a long way in protecting you from the sunrays.

When it comes to covering your body, a pair of jeans and a breathable long-sleeved shirt are truly versatile pieces that will offer good protection. Get high-quality clothing made from hard-wearing fabrics. Just because these are your work clothes it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be built to last. Australian manufacturers, like Ritemate workwear, know the local work environments too well so they use performance-oriented fabrics like cotton, chambray and denim.

Some lines of work, like a construction site or road assistance occupations, require a high degree of visibility. This aspect can be fully integrated into the design of your working clothes. They can be made from bright colours (orange, yellow and similar) and include silver reflective band for road work so that you are clearly visible in all kinds of conditions. This makes work safer, especially if some of the duties are to be carried out at night or around a busy road.

The materials need not be only sturdy but easy to maintain as well. To avoid making compromises while your best work gear is in the washer, get at least two pieces of your best performing and most comfortable pieces.

Practical

These are pieces that are designed to offer function above all. So go for a shirt with two front pockets where you can store keys, a handheld radio, notepad, gloves or compact measuring equipment. Pockets with a half zip or half button can allow you to focus on the job at hand without distractions.

It’s the same with pants too. The trouser that is known as cargo pant can be upgraded to be even handier for work. Look for as many pockets as possible: two open side pockets, Duratec reinforced heels and knee pad pockets, velcro pocket, triple-needle seams for durability and everything in between that will cut on the trips back to your toolbox.

You need to be careful with pockets, though. The clothes should also provide restriction free storage. There is no point in having all your work gear with you if it stops you from moving your extremities as required by the work operations.

Comfort

Although workwear is not exactly designed to be comfortable, the fit is very important. The time spent on completing work tasks differs from person to person. It also varies from place to place. Regardless of the minute details of your work habits, chances are you spend a considerable amount of time in your work clothes.

Since that is the case, you better look for workwear that will at least feel comfortable and allow for movement with ease. So you might want to look at garments with a loose fit, but not too loose to perhaps pose another set of problems like decreased safety or efficiency.

Layering

Weather here is predominantly hot, sometimes too hot to bear. However, occupations that require outdoor operations are unforgiving. You also might find yourself in a situation where you simply have to finish the task at hand even though the rain is pouring out there. Or you need to keep a night watch, and the temperature is sure to drop during early hours of the morning. Some of you may also need to work in cold environments .

To be prepared for any kind of weather situation, you should look into building your work outfit in layers. For instance, you can consider vests with a zipper that are easy to take on and off but will do a great job at keeping your core temperature. Remember: you can always take off your pullover if you are too hot, but you can’t keep warm if the sweater is not there when you need it.

Extremities

Walking over unpaved surfaces will cover you with dust under the knees. That is, if it is dry. If it is wet, there will be mud everywhere. So, it might be wise to go for rubber boots or good quality leather shoes that are able to withstand the constant back and forth trailing on the work site.

Having high-quality footwear can also protect you from injury if it’s reinforced to be impact and puncture-resistant. Get sturdy and bulky shoes with steel cap toes to never worry about getting your feet injured.

Taking care of your hands by covering them with gloves is a no-brainer in some settings. It will allow you to quickly switch from one task to another without having to take the time to wash your hands.