Welcome to our newest series, where we explore the fascinating stories behind the clothes we wear to work. 

By India Price

When Jimmy asked me to write this article, I thought back to some of my first days in the working world. The excitement and the anxiety but, more than anything, the hours I spent wondering what the hell I was going to wear. While this may have been amplified by a) my vanity and b) the fact that I work in fashion, I know I can’t have been alone. From childhood all the way to retirement, uniform is a theme for us all – no matter what we end up doing for a living. 

What’s interesting is the stories behind these working day outfits. Why we wear them, how we wear them, the thoughts, feelings and emotions that we attach to certain pieces and how those pieces define us. That’s what we’re going to be exploring throughout this series, where I’ll speak to 4 new people every week about what they wear to work. Enjoy! 

Karl Davies

Mechanic & Handyman at Hawarden Estate.

My job is extremely varied. I can go from doing household chores, paint jobs and gardening to rebuilding a vintage Land Rover and repairing anything that needs work across the estate.
 

My scuba diving kit came in handy at work when I had to retrieve a set of keys that had found their way to the bottom of the lake. Amazingly, I found them. 

What I wear to work depends on the day. Usually, it’s safety boots, cargo pants, a polo shirt and fleece, leather gloves, a hat and a warm coat. But sometimes, you’ll find me in overalls, a spray suit and mask or waterproofs. Now and again, I might even wear a shirt and jacket. 

I pick the colour of my clothes according to how well they hide muck. I choose earthy colours so that I don’t look scruffy, although I do like a bright red or orange top now and again. Everything I wear needs to wash well and be durable though because my clothes take a real battering on a daily basis. 

I wouldn’t say I have one truly trusted item but if I find something comfortable and hard-wearing, I’ll buy it in multiples and let it take on many different lives. My jacket, for example, has gone from being the best snowboarding jacket to a poor-weather work jacket and is now used for dirty outdoor jobs. 

I wear most of my clothes until they are entirely worn out. After that, I cut them up and use them as rags in the garage. 

What I wear on the weekends or on holiday doesn’t really differ from my work clothes, but they do usually have fewer oil stains on them. 

I had to jumpstart my Land Rover in my wedding suit. A top hat, tails and dirty hands at the church. 

At the moment, the item I’m never without is my face mask. But in normal life, it’s got to be a hat and gloves. The hat keeps the sun off in the summer and warms me up in the winter and the gloves protect my hands from cuts and splinters, as well as the cold. 

There’s nothing I wouldn't wear. In one of my earlier jobs, my colleagues and I used to raid the drama prop box and wear some ridiculous costumes, just to give everyone a laugh. It’s not everyday you see a jester and widow twankey changing light bulbs. 

Tara Gladstone

Senior Project Manager at The Good Life Society, Hawarden Estate and Glen Dye.

We always have a lot going on at work and it’s my job to manage most of the creative projects and events that we’re doing. My job is super varied and each day is always different, which means we have loads of exciting things going on.  

I tend to wear the same thing to work, whether I’m at my desk or on my feet. That mostly always starts with comfy, worn-in vintage jeans which I buy from eBay. I’ll more often than not be in a workwear jacket, which is a good combination of form and function; they’re so versatile, comfortable and have loads of pockets which is always a bonus. For shoes, it’s either Blundstones or Converse, which mostly depends on whether I’m working in Hawarden or London. 

I don’t have anything that I’m required to wear for work, but I love wearing my workwear jacket from The Good Life Experience which says “Good” in bright orange letters across the back. I also love our Hawarden Estate team fleece on colder days. We got these from our friends at Albam and it’s a seriously cool bit of kit. 

What I wear for work is all about balance. I like to hit the sweet spot between being slightly smart, or at least put together, and being comfortable. I’m lucky because what I wear to work is actually what I like wearing – and it happens to suit my job! 

The only thing that is directly influenced by what I’m doing on a particular day, is my footwear. I like to weave in a bit of colour too, as I tend to mainly wear grey and black. I’ve found the best way to do this is by tying a bandana around my neck. Not only is it a look quite strongly associated with The Good Life Experience but I also have a load of back and neck problems – so they keep me warm and nimble at the ripe age of 28. 

The most trusted item in my wardrobe has to be Converse. I have a few pairs but I love the Chuck Taylor 70s the most; they have a slightly thicker sole and canvas and just feel a bit more structured. Converse are seriously reliable - they go with anything, can look smart as well as relaxed and they age really well. 

What I wear for work really isn’t any different to what I wear on the weekends or a day off. My style for work is my normal style and since I don’t have a uniform per se, I can wear it all the time. I’m actually probably a bit smarter on weekends, which seems the wrong way around.

I purposefully don’t have a massive wardrobe of clothes. This means that I always wear what I have and some days I’m smarter and some days, I’ll be in my Unrecorded tracksuits. 

Getting ready and thinking about an outfit is a really nice part of the day. I’m quite an obsessive planner, so I like knowing what I’m going to wear – especially if it’s for a certain event or meeting. Feeling good in what you’re wearing really sets you up for the day and makes you feel like you’re going to achieve something. 

I wear stuff I like, stuff that’s comfy and stuff that makes me look like myself. It’s simple! 

I’d never wear a mini skirt. Beyond not really being appropriate for work, it’s just not very me. 

The two small brands I’d recommend are Thunders Love socks and Unrecorded. Thunders Love are truly amazing and comfortable socks and Unrecorded has simple, great basics. It’s owned by my cousin so maybe I’m biased but honestly, their clothes are so good.

Anthony Hall

Land Agent & General Practice Chartered Surveyor.

I don’t have a uniform that I have to wear for work, but I do normally wear a rotation of the same thing. It’s chino-style trousers, a shirt and tie and brown leather shoes – which always need to be waterproof and have a grippy sole. In winter, I’ll add a jumper and a coat. 

I change environments quite frequently for work, moving from the office to peoples’ homes and from the high street to farmyards and fields. And then there’s a hillside or riverbank. Sometimes, I’ll be in all these places in one day. 

I need to be dressed to accommodate any environment I might be in because I’ll be with different people from all walks of life and in all and any weather conditions. What I wear needs to be creditable and presentable, as well as practical and comfortable. 

I recently discovered stretchy chinos which are great and especially good for walking in. Warmth is also a hugely important part of what I wear, especially for outdoor inspections. 

Colourful ties and socks are definitely my thing and I like a good shirt. I always try to go for complementary colour combinations. 

My belt is my truly trusted piece – it’s never let me down! 

I’ll sometimes have to switch up my outfits for a particularly important meeting. I keep it simple by adding a jacket or, if I need to be smarter, I’ll change into a suit. 

The most productive outfits for me are ones that I can forget about. I need to focus and get on with what I need to do, which is why I choose to wear what I do. 

What I wear on the weekends does differ from what I wear to work, but it depends on what I’m doing. I like to be outside in either the garden or the garage (usually attempting a DIY task) or out walking in the countryside. For those occasions, I’ll go for my outdoor scruffs. Otherwise, it’s jeans and a jumper. 

When it comes to something I’d never wear, I’m not particularly keen on lycra!

Laurence Edwards

Bee Farmer at Black Mountain Honey. 

I’m the laziest dresser in the world. Socks and sandals, 15 branded T-shirts in an assortment of colours; that’s me. I don’t really think I have any fashion sense. 

Luckily, I spend the majority of my time in an all-in-one bee suit. It’s absolutely critical for my job and stops me from getting hundreds of bee stings everyday. 

If I was to weave some personality into my beekeeping kit, it would be to pick a different colour but to be honest, I like plain colours like white, cream and beige. Wow, I’m boring. 

I like to think of my clothes as coming in three different uniforms. First, I have a number of plain business suits. Then, I have a number of bee suits. And finally, I have a huge amount of Fruit of the Loom T-shirts and tracksuit bottoms. No middle ground. What’s smart casual?!

My most trusted items have to be the aforementioned T-shirts. They are all from the same company so I can rely on their quality, nice fit and honestly, they take absolutely no thought. 

Practicality and durability are my biggest priorities when it comes to what I wear for work. They really are of the utmost importance and I don’t really care that I might look like a wally! 

The one thing I’d never wear is tight trousers. Refer to my uniform point! Comfort is king. No tight trousers, please. 

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