A defined starter kit for each role makes this easy to get right every time, and simpler to order.
Define one kit per role
Write a short list for each role. A van-based engineer, a receptionist and a warehouse picker need different things. Keep each list to the garments that person needs from week one, with the number of each.
Once agreed, the list becomes your standard order. You stop deciding afresh for every new person and the team stays consistent.
What a typical kit includes
Most kits are built from the same building blocks, adjusted for the job.
- Tops for the working week, such as polos or tunics
- Trousers suited to the work
- A mid-layer for cooler weather
- An outer jacket if they work outside or drive
- PPE from the risk assessment, such as hi-vis or safety footwear
Do not forget the PPE check
Uniform and PPE are different things. A branded polo is a choice. Safety boots on a site, or hi-vis in a yard, may be a legal duty if the risk assessment calls for them. This duty also covers limb (b) workers, such as some casual staff, since the 2022 amendment to the PPE regulations. Check your risk assessment and include required PPE in the starter kit.
Collect sizes before day one
Send the starter a size chart with their offer letter or induction pack, and ask for chest, waist and leg measurements. That gives time to get kit ready before they start. For personalised garments, confirm the spelling of their name too.
Keep a small buffer of stock
If you take on people often, a few branded garments in common sizes mean nobody starts without a uniform. Keep a simple stock list and reorder as it runs low. Agency staff and trial shifts can wear a branded tabard or vest over their own clothes until a full kit is confirmed.
Where to put your logo
Starter kits work best when every garment carries the same approved logo in the same position as the rest of the team. Once your proof is approved, the logo setup is on file, so a starter's polo matches someone who joined years ago. For larger teams, a Client Wardrobe shop keeps each role's garments and your rules in one place, so whoever handles starters orders the right kit without hunting for old emails.
Ordering what this guide covers
The garments this guide talks about, such as workwear polo shirts, branded fleece jackets and hi-vis vests, can all be ordered from one piece with free logo setup. The logo price drops at 9 and again at 25 garments, and every garment with a small logo counts towards it, whatever the style or colour. Before anything is made, we embroider an actual sample of your logo and email you a photo to approve, or you can pop in to our Hull workshop to see it.
