Sector guide · Painting & decorating
For a decorating firm, whites are simultaneously uniform, PPE and marketing — the trade's whole brand is neatness, and the kit customers see is the quote for the next job. This is the firm-level view; the individual's list lives in the role guide.
The firm
| Role | Kit | The detail |
|---|---|---|
| Decorators | White bib & brace or trousers, white tops | The personal list: the role guide |
| Spray specialists | Disposable Type 5/6 coveralls, fitted RPE | Overspray and solvent mist change the PPE tier |
| Prep & restoration | FFP3, sealed eyewear, nitrile gauntlets | Old coatings and heavy sanding — the FFP rules apply hard |
| Exterior crews | Whites + EN 343 layer, hi-vis near roads | The outdoor half of the trade |
| Apprentices | Full whites from day one | Habits and brand start together |
The economics
Decorating is sold on trust and neatness, and the crew's appearance is the only marketing the customer experiences for eight hours a day. Embroidered whites — firm name on the bib, clean garments in rotation — convert directly: the neighbour who sees a tidy branded crew is the next quote. The maths works because whites are cheap to run properly: emulsion boil-washes out of cotton, garments rotate three-per-person, and the whites-washing playbook transfers almost line for line.
The firm-level discipline is tiering the PPE by task, not by person: everyday brushwork needs the basic list; spray days and old-paint prep escalate to disposable coveralls, fitted RPE and the splash-rated tier — kept in the van as a kit, not assigned to a body.
Fleet
Questions
Three functions at once: splashes show instantly (quality control in a customer's house), white boil-washes clean cheaply, and a branded white crew is walking marketing in a trade sold entirely on neatness and trust.
A tier above brushwork: disposable Type 5/6 coveralls against overspray, fitted respiratory protection appropriate to the coating (solvent-based products need more than a dust mask), sealed eyewear and nitrile gauntlets. Treat it as a van kit for spray days.
Yes — chest and bib embroidery is the standard way decorating firms brand their whites, and it survives the boil-wash cycle that would peel a printed logo. One digitised logo covers bibs, polos and softshells alike.
Supply and customise, or embroider what you already use — send the logo and the headcount.