Workers for SingPost, Singapore’s national postal service, are about to get new uniforms. The organization is in the process of getting the new clothing to all 56 post offices and retail outlets throughout the country. As for the postal workers, they have been wearing the same uniforms for the last 11 years.
The new uniforms do not look out of the ordinary by any stretch of the imagination. Still, they represent significant changes in the clothing that postal workers wear. Alsco, a Salt Lake City company specializing in uniform rental, says the new uniforms exemplify how company workwear should be designed.
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1. The Color Scheme
SingPost’s traditional color scheme is white, blue, and red. Blue has historically been the predominant color. The new uniforms continue with that color scheme unabated. More importantly, different uniforms for different types of workers utilize the colors differently. The overall effect is a perfect combination of branding and identification.
As an example, letter carriers will now wear dark blue pants with red and white accents. Their shirts will feature red on the lower half with a combination of blue and white on the upper half. A square design was chosen to separate the shirts into three quadrants, creating a very unique look. It is safe to say that SingPost letter carriers will not be confused with other kinds of workers unless another company intentionally chooses to design something similar.
In terms of branding, this is exactly how it is supposed to be done. Uniform designed for branding purposes not only incorporates an organization’s color scheme, but it also presents a look that says something about the organization itself. SingPost’s new uniforms offer a cut and style that demonstrate professionalism in a more utilitarian way, signifying the functional nature of the postal service.
2. Uniform Function
As you might expect, the uniforms offer differing functionality based on use. For example, counter workers in customer-facing roles at SingPost branches will wear uniforms in a business casual style. Polo shirts or button-down dress shirts for the top and casual slacks for the bottom. The uniforms are fully functional for retail work.
On the other hand, the pants worn by letter carriers feature a number of pockets on the sides. They are, for all intents and purposes, cargo pants. The pockets provide extra storage space while material and construction choices make for pants that should hold up very well to the punishment of the job.
Designing uniforms with function in mind says to employees that a company understands the demands of their daily work. Employees generally appreciate uniforms that are functional first, then aesthetically pleasing after that.
3. Employee Comfort
Last but not least, the new SingPost uniforms have been designed for comfort. The business casual design allows counter workers to freely move without being restricted by formal wear. Yet the same time, they still look professional while doing so. Out in the field, letter carrier uniforms boast a number of features designed around comfort.
Ventilation flaps are a good example. Letter carrier uniforms were designed with ventilation in mind, incorporating flaps with a polyester, viscose, and cotton blend that makes the uniforms very breathable. This is important in Singapore’s hot and humid environment.
Designing uniforms with employee comfort in mind ultimately helps them do a better job. When employees are comfortable, it is easier to work. It’s no more complicated than that.
SingPost deserves recognition for their new uniform design. Hopefully, employees will love the uniforms from the moment they receive them. Their uniforms exemplify how workwear should be designed for comfort, function, and branding purposes.