Blue workwear, a wardrobe must-have

The overalls, coveralls, smock or work jacket are the original workwear worn by professionals in all industries while performing their jobs, according to historical records. Professional clothing has been a mainstream business for nearly 170 years.

Why are work overalls blue?

The term "workwear" is still commonly associated with the expression "blue work" It was originally dedicated to manual and industrial trades. Today, it serves a wide range of sectors of activity. If the term overalls, coveralls and work jackets seem to be losing ground among the "old"

, it is nonetheless widely used by forty-somethings and young people. What does it mean, and where did the name come from? Beyond the hue, what did it matter? This color was inadvertently created by a German painter named Heinrich Diesbach in the early 1700s. An unscrupulous chemist wronged the artist by improving and then selling the recipe for his own profit. The composition of Prussian blue, this very deep blue pigment, was jealously guarded for a long time because of its low manufacturing cost. It is this last reason that explains its massive use in the production of the first work clothes. The color blue became the symbol of work clothes, even giving it its name.

The importance of blue workwear

The essential task of overalls, coveralls and other jackets was to protect the employee from the physical hazards of his profession. Workers were protected from any injury. A construction expert avoided dirt, splashes and bad weather. Later, workwear was used in various sectors, including medicine and nutrition, where it protected health workers from germs; food handlers from cold and heat. The outfit has many pockets, which is fantastic for keeping track of your belongings. This is a typical workday costume that all company employees had to wear to reinforce their sense of belonging. The workers' clothing became synonymous with this work outfit quite quickly. Undesirable because it was considered a social identifier: "blue workwear, worker's uniform, factory work", it was eventually imposed by unions. Superiors often wore their clothes in a different color to distinguish themselves from the workers, either white or gray.

How do you wear blue workwear?

Blue overalls are more commonly found today in simpler jacket cuts than in the 19th century. They are a great mid-season coat, and their shade goes with everything. They are worn like denim jackets, but they quickly gain in elegance and transition effortlessly from afternoon to evening. For men, the blue suit is best worn with well-fitting jeans in a shade a little lighter than its deep blue, and beige or navy sneakers. They go well with a slim waist, a loose skirt that reaches the knee, and shorter hips to the knee for women. Their raw blue hue works well with bright red lipstick: it becomes conventional. Now, anything that is considered blue overalls, whether it is made of cotton, moleskin, new or well-worn, is a must-have in contemporary fashion. Some will like them new from stock, that is to say never used, while others will love them worn, or even patched. Today, the oldest and most worn pieces are a gold mine for collectors and trendy people who know how to match the garment with another style. It is also easy to mix old work clothes with the Japanese technique of shashiko boro which will give it a higher value. As for women, it is now fashionable to wear these clothes in a loose "oversized" way.