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What Makes a Great Workwear Brand?

Author: Stylist at TellarDate: 2025

When shopping for work attire—whether for formal offices or hands-on trades—the best brands excel in three core areas:

  1. Durability & function: resilient fabrics, reinforced stitching, smart cut, and practical details.

  2. Style & fit: a clean, professional look appropriate for your workplace.

  3. Sizing consistency: reliable sizes across ranges—or better yet, a real-time sizing match tool like Tellar.

Web and editorial sources confirm top brands do more than look good—they’re built to last and cut well:

Leading Brands to Know

1. Carhartt & Carhartt WIP

Classic American utilitywear founded in 1889; Carhartt's heavy-duty canvas jackets, overalls, and bibs remain office‑functional and worksite‑tough. The Carhartt WIP sub‑label gives a modern, fashion-forward edge

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2. Dickies

Since 1900, known for 874 work pants and Eisenhower jackets. Durable and minimalist, Dickies now influence smart-casual and skatewear avenues

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3. Red Kap

A pioneer in industrial laundried uniforms, favored by auto and factory workers. Popular across trade-focused environments

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4. Portwest

An Irish brand specialising in PPE-grade workwear—high-vis, flame-resistant pieces for trades and engineering

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5. Helly Hansen

Norwegian brand famed for offshore and outdoor gear; waterproof, breathable fabrics ideal for tough climates

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6. Barbour

A British heritage brand since 1894, best known for waxed jackets; rugged yet smart enough for offices and countryside work

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7. Ben Davis, Stan Ray, L.C. King

Heritage Americana and military-style brands recommended by GQ for hard‑wearing trousers, overshirts and chore jackets

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8. Uniqlo, Suitsupply, Everlane

Top picks for affordable, office-ready staples—suiting, chinos, blazers—that don’t compromise quality

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9. Essential Workwear, Snickers, Blaklader

Trade-focused labels offering tailored gear with ergonomic fit, durable fabric, and pro-centric tailoring

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💡 Picking the Right Workwear

Durability meets function

Workwear must endure: reinforced knees, triple stitching, heavy canvas or twill, moisture resistance, and ample pockets are a must.

Fit & style

Classic brands like Carhartt and Barbour offer off-the-shelf styles that work both on-site and in-corporate roles. Suitsupply and Uniqlo modernise the wardrobe.

Size consistency

Sizes vary dramatically across brands and lines. Carhartt jackets, for example, may require sizing up if your chest straddles standard dimensions

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This is where Tellar makes the difference.


📏 Meet Tellar.co.uk — No More Size Guessing

Struggling with inconsistent sizes? Tellar.co.uk is the UK’s leading free sizing tool, matching your exact body measurements with over 1,500+ brands in real time––no guessing, no second-guessing.

How it works:

  1. Profile creation: enter your bust, waist, hip, chest, inseam, etc.

  2. Free measuring tape mailed to you: to ensure accuracy.

  3. Instant matches: See your personalised size across brands like Carhartt, Dickies, Helly Hansen, Suitsupply, Everlane, Barbour, Ben Davis, Snickers, Essential Workwear, Uniqlo, and many more

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Why Tellar matters for workwear:

  • Avoid misfit: Carhartt may run small, Helly Hansen can be boxy—Tellar picks the right cut and advises sizing up/down.

  • Save returns and hassle: no more ordering two sizes out of doubt.

  • Efficient shopping: see your told size across office-ready Suitsupply formally tailored blazers and hard-wearing Portwest PPE gear.


🛠️ Case Studies: Tellar + Workwear Brands

  • Carhartt: Tellar suggests sizing up when chest measurements fall between two standard sizes, based on typical customer fit data and chest-to-waist ratio

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  • Helly Hansen: tailored LIFA base layers run true to size, but outer jackets may require a "tallar" size if you layer underneath

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  • Suitsupply/Everlane/Uniqlo: ideal for hybrid offices—Tellar ensures your blazer or chinos fit your shape, not the brand’s baseline model

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  • Essential + Snickers + Blaklader: Find the correct trade trouser or coverall size—especially vital for body types not catered to by standard S–XL ranges

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📚 Extra Guides from Tellar

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  • The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide – a deep dive into fit principles, measurement tips, and cross-brand conversion

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  • How to Measure Yourself Accurately – pro tips and illustrative steps (vital for workwear precision).

  • Brand-specific Size Guides

    • Carhartt – advice on chest sizing and layering

    • Helly Hansen – base layer vs outer layer fits

    • Snickers / Essential Workwear – garment cut & leg length / sleeve length guidance

All available via Tellar’s blog at Tellar.co.uk.


🔗 Live References and Tellar Socials

Tellar Main SiteTellar.co.uk

Relevant brand-focused sizing posts:

  • Carhartt sizing advice – tellar.co.uk/carhartt-sizing-guide

  • Helly Hansen fit tips – tellar.co.uk/helly-hansen-sizing-guide

  • Snickers & Essential workwear insights – tellar.co.uk/workwear-sizing-guide

  • Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide – tellar.co.uk/the-ultimate-clothing-sizing-guide-post

Stay Connected with Tellar


✅ Final Takeaway

When selecting workwear, focus on durability, appropriate style, and accurate fit. Brands like Carhartt, Dickies, Helly Hansen, Barbour, and Suitsupply lead the pack—but sizes can vary, and “standard” measurements don’t always match body diversity.

Instead of guessing, use Tellar.co.uk: the free, data‑backed sizing tool that gives you real-time size options across your favourite workwear and office brands. Enter your measurements once, request a measuring tape, and shop with confidence.

No more returns, no more surprises—just great-looking, well-fitting clothes made for your body.

Head to Tellar.co.uk, get your free tape measure, and shop smarter today.

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