Workwear; or, Dandy rigouts in which to perform manual labour.

Did the search and couldn't find a thread about workwear.

I presume there are plenty of people who work in manual labour(ish) jobs and as such are wearers of workwear. Tradespeople, craftspeople, technicians etc.

I work as a heating engineer so I spend my days building plantrooms, pipework and ductwork mostly.
I don't have to wear a specific uniform but I always struggle to find the balance with what to wear.
It can often be a fairly dirty job with plenty of opportunity to tear/ cut/ burn clothes so I've been tending to just wear jeans and a revolving carousel of Primark sweatshirts/hoodies which are basically a consumable.

I'm permanently on the lookout for snazzy workwear however so has anyone any top recommendations?

Not a huge fan of the shiny Snickers type of kit, I used to wear it all the time and while it's practical I just didn't get on with wearing it and the materials aren't terribly pleasant. The only Snickers trouser I actually likes were the floor layers ones which are super heavy cotton as opposed to the polyester type.

I'm also super keen to find a nice pair of safety toe boots that don't look terrible, something classic styled and comfortable for all day wear?
I'm currently wearing a pair of Equitector boots but I'm between sizes so they're not the best.

Protective footwear:
https://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section/11366/sn/SGR80007#.XAA55-KYS00

Trousers: Craghoppers Kiwi Classic;
https://www.craghoppers.com/classic-kiwi-trousers-black-pepper/

Hmm... thinking more along the lines of "hipster" workwear for myself? Basically workwear that doesn't look like modern workwear.

Possible renaming of thread to: If Rapha did workwear?

https://www.arco.co.uk/search/Clothing-Workwear/_/N-7xc

https://www.arco.co.uk/products/8H6200?s=1&BV_SessionID=@@@@0490788829.1543519555@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadhhghdlldfcflgcefkdfggdfnn.0

"hipster" workwear

Maybe https://www.old-town.co.uk ?

Dandy Rigouts is a great name. Wish my parents had called me that. I'd show the world as Dandy Rigouts.

Fucking costly

Regarding safety shoes search for the Cofra Old Glories series, there are some nice ones, I have the brown Stoppata.

Ia Hard Yakka still a thing?

Dickies surely still do actual workwear as Carhartt do? (not the WIP fashion cut stuff)

I wear Englebert Strauss - really good quaility, not sure if hipster though, I’m too old to know.

This stuff is great!!

Obviously a big fan of Carhartt, actually tempted to try the W.I.P dungarees as I prefer a more fitted style...

Must revisit Dickies!

^^We have their tshirt, jackets and fleeces at work, good stuff.
As I’m in arb I wear chainsaw trousers. Pfanners are the closest we get to hipster strides.
I used to wear Howies work trousers when I was in workshops. Stayed in tact and never ripped at the seams after years of paint, dirt, oil and dust.

Beware of the W.I.P. dungarees, I have now one two sizes smaller and it still is not ,fit‘ – I think they look cool when being worn more wide. I bought my size, but after a while I thought it is too big, and bought later the smaller version.

Proper American carhartt, not the UK fashion brand, hard wearing / long lasting!

https://www.marks.com/en/brands/carhartt.html#lvp=1

For work boots these are amazing, handmade to order by craftsmen in the Peak District for £60, https://www.rufflander.co.uk/brands/rufflander/

These are excellent! I'll be considering a pair next!

Hard Yakka is still going - don't know if it was ever trendy though? Do really like their shirts though... Speaking of aussie work apparel, Blundstone's are great and very 'in'.

Filson kit is really nice looking, fairly spendy though and I've no experience with it in terms of quality.

Filson

They have become my default go to clothing brand.

Mackinaw wool jacket, warm, loads of pockets (including a poachers pocket that can take a laptop or iPad) not changed in design in a hundred years and can keep out pretty serious rain for a while.

Tin cloth jacket - hard as fucking nails, similar great pockets. Get the liner and you have something that is warm, waterproof and durable.

The wildfowl hat - made of the same tin cloth with wool lining. It is super practical, warm but of questionable aesthetics, but what do you expect of a hat that has drop down earmuffs that then turns into a hood. But lots of people keep commenting on how warm/practical it looks. And fuck it, when a storm is lashing down being warm and dry beats looking a little bit weird.

ha, was just posting below

No way haha! That's exactly what I wanted to hear, might have to start having a think about purchasing something from them!

i have basically gone full redneck, but when out on my tractor it sort of feels right

dickies overalls with knee pads for grubby stuff. filson for day to day, its rugged, but has that look and feel of quality, paired with jeans or chinos and redwing boots or veldtschoen and I can look reasonably smart, it also tends to age well.

thankfully my wife quite likes their stuff too, i picked up a brand new mackinaw cruiser jacket for £200 and it turns out she had been considering buying me one for xmas

The wildfowl hat - made of the same tin cloth with wool lining. It is super practical, warm but of questionable aesthetics, but what do you expect of a hat that has drop down earmuffs that then turns into a hood. But lots of people keep commenting on how warm/practical it looks. And fuck it, when a storm is lashing down being warm and dry beats looking a little bit weird.

I'm speechless...

This is the tricky part I find though, finding a balance between something practical, hard wearing and aesthetically pleasing. For example I have a really nice Patagonia fleece vest my girlfriend recently got me which I know would last no length of time if I were to wear it working. I'd be guaranteed to burn grinder holes in it the first day. I actually found the best item I ever wore for work was my Barbour jacket which eventually has given up due to a negligent waxing schedule on my behalf.

The hunting clothing department of Decathlon is litty