Ruth Wijaya

(as posted at fashionesedaily.com on 6th October 2008)

I work in a textile manufacturing company and stationed at mills site where employees have to wear uniform everyday. Unfortunately, our uniform is totally out of style. I’m waiting for the day that the management hires a fashion designer to make-over its uniform since we, the employee and the company, are a big part of the fashion industry, we deserve to have an eye catching uniform.

Aside from its ability to reduce social gap among employees, uniform also serves to project company’s image. In some cases, uniform can be useful to help with the day to day operations. They call it workwear, mostly worn by outdoor workers. Workwear has additional function for safety, such as water proof, water repellent, anti stain, anti fire that is still ‘breathable’ at the same time. This kind of fabric, we call it high performance fabric, it requires several conditions. Hence,it will cost more than the normal one but then again safety and comfort are certainly the right reasons to spend money on.

One thing that people don’t know is the dilemma in the process of creating high performance fabric. People invent their hope and convert their dreams with technology nowadays. In the past, to achieve or proof high water resistance, they coated the fabric with tons of chemical until it becomes stiff and thick. With the newest technology, all they need to do is sticking the fabric with a membrane that has thickness for less than 0.05 mm. The new method will not change the feel of the fabric, proven by the fact that the fabric still have a nice drapery to make it easier to turn it into garment. The finishing process can also be done in polyester now, which previously only preserved on cotton and viscose. Combining two materials like polyester and cotton in one fabric to achieve maximum comfort and good appearance is also not a big deal. These days, we can easily find fabric with high performances that have good appearances.

Oh, site workers will always look like astronaut. That is okay since it is for safety, anyway. Uniform can be more attractive with better fabric material for front liners or those who work inside their cubicle,

Actually, wearing uniform gives some benefit for workers. WE don’t need to spend big budget for shopping working attire. It saves our dressing up time every morning. But still, as a girl who call herself fashionista, I’m still longing to receive a super stylish uniform made out of superbly comfortable material, not a dull one that look like an office boy uniform, designed by one of the top designers.

This makes me wonder, if you have a chance to get a uniform designed by local designer, who would you choose??

*Image credit:
workwear: http:/www.aquajet-uk.com
seragam buruh pabrik yang dimodifikasi: polyvore.com