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

Anyone wear work dungarees? Worn Carhartt cotton ones for years but need something that can take a kneepad easily.

Think Dickies do ones with a kneepad. Incidentally I nearly bought some Carhartt dungarees last week but settled on the stock work pants.

My carhartts are double thickness on the knees I think they can take knee pads too. Filson double tin cloth bib trousers are my favourites, no knee pad pocket, but the double layer of waxed cotton is pretty good at protecting my delicate knees (had 3 knee surgeries so far).

Yeah mine are all double fronted, but fitting a big knee pad in and out is a pain, I could open up the bottoms and add Velcro, but it’s a bit of a faff tbh.

Deffo need pads tho, my knee has been wrecked since starting sparky work. Been fine kneeling for work for years, but kneeling on joists and less even surfaces has caused trouble instantly.

Funny question, but does anyone have any recommendations for braces? The available selection of work dungarees is a lot poorer than trousers, so could probably just get away with braces to get the weight off my hips.

You want x back braces, spread the load much much better but often you’ll need to put the back buttons wider than normal braces.

I am considering ordering some welch x backs.

As in two straps at the front, two at the back yeah?

https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/4_95_100/accessories/suspenders/x-back-suspenders/

Screwfix's finest (Site) take kneepads and cost about £15, the trousers don't last long, but the pads never die. They fit me reasonably well and I don't give a damn when they get shredded.

Those braces do look a good idea, but I still just about have hips and a tightly cinched belt has done the job adequately so far.

My carhartt dungarees have knee pad pockets

the missus picked up a pair of these yesterday. i can already tell she is going to live in them.

The problem is that I have big hips, and I always hang my drill off my pocket on the hook. Add in some other tools/fixings in the pockets, and the weight of the kneepads, you end up with quite a bit of weight on your hips, which gets uncomfortable as the day goes on.

They have the pocket, but the small opening at the bottom is too small for a big kneepad, and I've started using the radbacks ones (which are great btw), but it'd be a faff getting them in and out. On other pairs I've undone some stitching to make the hole bigger, but it's still not as good as a proper pocket. I'm assuming you're talking about ones that look like this:

Yep those are the ones. My dickies overalls just get washed with the pads in. If I got pads for the carharrts I’d get them in and never get them out again until the garment had worn out.

The chances of getting Mrs B into workwear are vanishingly small, let alone getting her to do any actual work.

@nefarious I use a tool belt that will also hold a kg or so of fencing nails or decking screws, it also hides my current paunch.

My wife is jealous that I spend my days in workwear while she has to be presentable for zoom meetings all day long. Her favourite workdays are ones where there are no on camera meetings and she can wear dungarees and wool shirts. Today’s work for me has been chainsawing, splitting and stacking logs for 2023 and moving logs to the house.

I’ve got them too, I have wondered about opening them up and putting some knee pads in them. Mine certainly don’t look like that though they are very painty now

I found that even when I did open them up, the pads sat a bit too low.

Summer toecap recommendations? My winter boots(£25, screwfix naturally) are starting to get a bit toasty.

Obviously want to avoid the ‘19yr old labourer in hiviz clogs that look a bit like his footie boots’ look. Pref high tops, have seen all the obvious offerings from scruffs, englebert etc.

Many years ago I had Adidas high tops from the brief period they made safety boots, shame that’s not still a thing.

I can't recommend anything, because so far I have failed dismally as well. What I can say is don't even consider the Screwfix summer jobbies, wore them for a month because I'm too mean to bin them after a day, I should have.

I'll not bother, I actually have a pair of knee pads that just strap on but i only wear them if im on my knees all day.

Ive always found toecap boots brutal to work in, and im lucky that i dont need to wear them as Id hate it.

I like my v12 rigger boots but they aren’t vegan

@edmundro

He doesn't want to eat them and they will boil his feet in summer.

So it’s settled a pair of Adidas sambas for the summer then.

Workwear, and boots in particular is one place I’ll bend the rules a little. I need to be on my feet all day and after the vegan chainsaw boot fiasco I’ll just wear whatever fits best that I can afford.
Yeah, for me riggers boots are deep winter outdoor action. I mostly tart around a workshop or on set these days so don’t really need much protection from the elements.
Still rocking £5.99 fleece lined jeans in the workshop, they’re cosy and appear to be indestructible.