Patches

[ladylola]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then cajar
I've posted the same question on another forum and in general the concensious seems to be that the patches don't make a scrap of difference as long as they're clean and the work is good.
One comment was that builders should have patches on the trousers something along the lines of it giving the impression of not being afraid to get mucked in , plus of course it does show the wearer is actually capable of repairing something (and should therefore be able to accomplish other repairs) and is a sort of walking advert.

 

[cajar]

fair enough

 

[jeds]

I'm not bothered about patched work clothing myself but there will be people who are. My advice would be overalls. They are pitched about right in the not too smart not too rough category and they're practical as well. And you can claim for them.

 

[ladylola]

Overalls have been mentioned before jeds, and while I don't like working in them as I tend to find the constricting I think I'm going to keep a clean pair in the van with me to slip into if someone asks me into their house for a quote when I'm out working. Other times I'll have changed out of work clothes anyway.

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I'm depending on you son

 

[ladylola]

Ok , er , dad

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

really crap 70s country and western song called patches

 

[ladylola]

This one? If not this is pretty poor too-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXRfobTuDKE

 

[EddieM]

If they don't wear out after 4 months then you arent workign hard enough. And If £6 per four months is too high a cost then as above.

I wear work clothes all day but I dress smart and keep myself as clean and tidy as possible. Why would you want to dress like a pike and then be surprised to lose work.

Thanks for the reply,
To be fair £6 for three years sounds so much better than £72. After all I maintain and look after my van so why not my workwear or do you neglect your vehical and buy another when it starts to get a bit grubby? I suppose I tend to detest this throwaway society we have with all its incumbrant problems. Maybe I could always play on the green side of it, i.e. repairing rather than shipping another pair from half way around the world . Plus most of my customers are from that generation who actually understand what "mend and make do " means.
As I said it's not a question of cleanliness and I haven't been turned down work simply because of the patches. I suppose another angle would be "who would you employ, someone in neatly patched clean jeans or someone in new but dirty jeans?"

I'm not a 'throwaway' type of guy, i like to clean and maintain my stuff, but wearing clothes till your a**e is hanging out them is not being frugal its letting yourself down. Maintaining your workwear means replacing your trousers when they get holes in them, not sewing patches on. It's not mid wwII with ration books, you can buy stuff cheaply and easily these days. If your not taking a pride in your appearance then people will think you dont take pride in your work either.

I have to agree with cajar here, ok, I am no tradesman, but first impressions do matter. If i had someone turn up in a rusty van in tatty (patched) clothes, then i would be dubious, similarly if someone turned up in a 3 piece suit and a bentley I would also be dubious. Smart professional appearance is never gonna offend anyone.

 

[Bosswhite]

Builders Merchants sell NEW Trousers with " Built in " Patches