January 28, 2025
Workwear and uniforms are evolving beyond convention, as brands and consumers seek out options that are more versatile for an increasingly unpredictable world. With function and adaptability key, we partner with UAB Baltija CutMakeSew to explore the essential trends to consider for workwear and uniforms in 2025.
Offering timeless appeal and limitless functionality, workwear is a mainstay category with global relevance. With a focus on functionality and durability, the workwear category is inherently designed for longevity, making quality construction and production methods a key requirement. Across the board more and more people are looking for high quality workwear to meet the ever changing needs of both industry and lifestyles. Partnering with manufacturers who understand the construction and precision needed to produce durable and timeless workwear and uniforms is essential in ensuring the product performs. Baltija CutMakeSew have grown their experience in the space, investing in the equipment, knowledge and expertise to create workwear and uniforms for everyone from Snickers workwear, to the Danish Ministry of defence, the police and the army. Through years of development and production in the workwear space UAB Baltija CutMakeSew have honed their skills, working through the teething issues surrounding the precision of workwear production to achieve their goals, and improve their abilities.
With casual and timeless aesthetics also dominating the lifestyle market, the properties of workwear are extending beyond the category. With global weather patterns becoming more extreme, consumers are looking for durable and adaptable products, while the heritage of workwear styles is also having an impact on fashion brands, with labels adopting heavy duty detailing and durable constructions.
Below we’ve teamed up with UAB Baltija CutMakeSew to identify five of the key trends to be aware of in 2025 when it comes to workwear and uniforms.
Essential to workwear categories, integrated abrasion resistance ensures durability and longevity, enabling products to work harder and longer. Introduce abrasion resistant panels to high-stress areas, using heat transfers and overlays to reinforce shoulders, side panels and knees. Work with fabric mixes, adding durable flat weaves to points of friction, such as shoulders which are continually coming into contact with backpacks.
With the extremes of climate change becoming an everyday reality, the unpredictability of weather patterns will have a substantial effect on consumers requiring workwear products for the outdoors. From battling extreme temperatures and mitigating the potential for heat exhaustion, through to the increasingly unforeseeable storms, elemental protection will become more and more key when it comes to apparel design. With PFC-free DWR coatings a must-have, elsewhere we’re seeing innovative technology integrated into apparel, allowing the wearer to control their climate and adapt it to the surroundings and environment, increasing air circulation to minimise the chance of overheating.
Modular and adaptable design will increase across the board, as consumers seek weather adaptive solutions, along with products that cater to a wide range of abilities and body shapes. Consider enabling fit adjustments that adapt throughout life stages, with modular add-in panels and zip away sections. Alternatively, consider the need for weather ready adaptability, with zip away ventilation and removable insulated liners for temperature regulation on the move. Modular products that can be altered as needed and desired will become increasingly important for consumers who are looking for styles that work harder, while offering cost-conscious solutions.
With incoming EU legislation and increasing consumer knowledge on the environmental impact of apparel production, and performance materials, there will be increasing expectations around sustainable standards. With the introduction of theEU’s Digital Product Passport(DPP), all products sold from 2030 must state the origin, materials, environmental impact and disposal guidelines to enable repair and reuse.
There is plenty of opportunity in circularity and designing for repair through the use of mono-materials, bio-based, biodegradable and recycled fibers, while considering design to enable easy product repair.
The continued merge of fashion and function offers an opportunity to capitalise on the potential of workwear styles, highlighting materials, durability and longevity while incorporating textures, prints and colour to introduce newness and a fashion-inspired aesthetic to traditional workwear styles. Look to capitalise on the continued interest in the outdoors and heritage workwear brands with tactile materials and playful colour usage that add newness and fashion inspired elements to workwear styles, while designing sets and coordinates that work for both casual and smarter occasions.
BALTIJA CUTMAKESEW, founded in 1940 are a Lithuanian garment manufacturer specializing in producing occasion wear, formal attire, uniforms, workwear, casual wear, sleepwear and sportswear. Certificates; ISO9001
Alex is the owner of byingildsen and member of the advisory boards or advisor for sixteen unique premium garment manufacturers and printing providers, including Baltija CutMakeSew.
