Professional Painting Contractors Forum banner

Shirts?

8K views 54 replies 28 participants last post by  Darps 
#1 ·
Required, optional, necessary, professional, tucked in? What are the standards? Personally, I find it repulsive for people who aren't swimming to just be walking around anywhere without a shirt, but I'm kind of a traditionalist (as in medieval).


Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com
 
#12 ·
lol as i been following your post/pics etc, i been wondering how long its gonna take you to start wearing whites.

my dad taught me that you have absolutely zero credibility without wearing whites, red wing boots (NO TENNI-RUNNERS!!!), hat/hardhat, and a brown or black leather belt. shirt tucked in, preferably long sleeve white and have the collar starched stiff as cardboard.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Up until a few years ago, I just wore whatever Tshirt I felt like. Then I figured it would just be easier to order a handful of shirts with a logo and my name and phone # on them. People seem to like to see you wearing a custom made shirt.

Only problem is I have to get my wife's approval on whatever logo I put on the shirts so I haven't reordered in a while and the ones I've got are looking brutal.

I have no idea how you guys are wearing your shirts tucked in. There's just simply no way I could do that and I can't explain why. It would just seem uncomfortable.
 
#17 ·
<<<snip>>>


I have no idea how you guys are wearing your shirts tucked in. There's just simply no way I could do that and I can't explain why. It would just seem uncomfortable.
Get Tall shirts, or Duluth Trading LongTail Tees.

If all else fails, go old school and wear painter's bibs. Take advantage of the Stack Effect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_effect
 
#20 ·
That brings up a question about regional terms. I'm guessing he didn't call them suspenders, amiright? Braces? Galluses?

I remember seeing a photo of our local federal building under construction in the 1910's. The masons were all wearing coat and tie.
 
#18 ·
Anybody have a good online store to order shirts from? The closest local place is about an hour away from me. I tried one company I found online, ordered one sample shirt (cost me like $35 cause I only ordered 1) and after about 5 washes over half of the screen printing is gone.

I called them up and they said "We're sorry, our return policy is 7 days".
 
#19 · (Edited)
Vistaprint. Period.

They had the absolute best price on business cards and Tshirts I've ever seen. They have all sorts of other stuff as well. Really good quality.

I think the last time I ordered shirts (2011, I just checked) I paid about $8 Canadian $ per shirt. In general I can't even buy a plain white Tshirt for that price around here. The logo and lettering on them still pretty much looks as good as the day I got them. Despite having every colour in the BM fan deck plastered all over them.

You can design your own shirts, etc. online.
 
#21 ·
Whites? I've never understood the painter and his whites. Now I understand that whites are part of the cultural heritage of the painter, and that people have come to expect that painters are to whites as the chef is to his chef coat, but the coat no more makes the chef just as the whites do not make the painter. I let my clients know that as well. I tell them if they want a guy who wears whites they need go elsewhere. If they want someone who knows products, application, is trustworthy, and does exactly what he says he will, then they can go with me. I guess I could wear whites and they would get the whole package, but canvas to me is uncomfortable and they get a lot dirtier when doing exteriors.
Now I do wear my good logo long sleeve pools when doing first time non referral bids, but other than that, all the ho is getting is this good ol boy who not only can sell, close, but paint pretty darn good as well.


Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk.com
 
#25 ·
Way back in the day the painter was walking out of a job/building as the new owners were walking in with there suits and ties so nice whites (at the end of the job) became necessary. Also take a guy with blue jeans, then take a guy with whites, have then do the same thing (sanding, patching, painting white, and blue) and at the end of the day the guy in white looks cleaner.

I wear white paints and usually a Dulux shirt, in the summer shorts where I can, and if I'm on a messy job then an older shirt, if a nicer job, then a nicer shirt

Its also union rules. If a union rep showed up on a job site and I want wearing whites, I could be fined. Never seen, or heard of it happening, just written in the by laws
Sent from my SGH-T989D using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
Just my opinion and I know this has been argued before but in my opinion, and yes opinions are like butts, everybody has 1 and most of them stink. When you drive by a house or business and there are guys around in whites it says professionals. And as for telling them what a great guy you are, I have never heard of one saying I don't know my products, I'm not very trustworthy, and I'm not going to do what I tell I am.

As far as painting ability you could be the best in the world, but if you think appearance and perception are meaningless I feel your wrong. So if you can't in to talk to people you can't get the job. Apparently what you are doing is working for you.

I have had people come up to me in line at the fast food place and say can I have your card, will you give me an estimate. And yes I have landed some of those jobs, a few were good size commercial. I don't think they would have asked if I was wearing jeans with paint on them.

Are you losing work I don't know, but really neither do you. Like I said just the way I feel.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Gough said:
That brings up a question about regional terms. I'm guessing he didn't call them suspenders, amiright? Braces? Galluses?

I remember seeing a photo of our local federal building under construction in the 1910's. The masons were all wearing coat and tie.

No, he called them suspenders.

I was born and have lived in TN most of my life, but my parents and older siblings moved here the year I was born from out west. My fathers painting career started in Boise Idaho. I remember him telling me stories about painting in the Capitol building during the term of governor 'Smiley' I think it was..?.

So even though I was born and raised in the hills of Appalachia, I don't have a southern draw.

My avatar is actually a caricature of my father in his uniform. He had it drawn for advertising and I still use it. It's a pretty good likeness really.
 
#31 ·
I think some of this "uniform" perception is something that has been ingrained into you all. I'm not part of a union, so I could care less what's written into their bylaws, they're not my bylaws. And as for jeans, etc, and strictly just speaking for myself of course, it has been a long time since I had to wear whites, but now that I don't, I still wear some form of dockers with a logo shirt of sweatshirt if I am outside. I am by no means a slob. When I am doing estimates, I am presenting myself professionally, but since I do it all, since I am a one man operation, I do not always have the luxury of "dressing for the estimate." Most of the time it is after a 12 hour day that I also have to do an estimate or two.


Sent from my iPad using PaintTalk.com
 
#37 ·
I got a picture from a guy who was helping another guy out yesterday that showed the owner of this company painting a home shirtless. I could never do that. Not just because I'm slightly obese, but because it's just rude. I try to always be mindful of others, especially homeowners. But this is the same guy that turns the homeowner's garage into his shop without asking, so being polite isn't the first thing on his mind.


Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com
 
#39 · (Edited)
Most of my guys wear whites and we just wear free tees from SW, or BM, or one if our suppliers' stores...we used to have company logo shirts but the owner hasn't gotten a batch in many years. Honestly wish he would, but it's his company...I demand the whites inside, as they don't have rivets like jeans do...rivets put marks in hardwood floors...as far as shirts on or off when it's hot, it's generally gotta be on, unless it's an out of the way, low profile job...I think no shirt on looks cheap and low budget, not professional. Random not white tees and jeans? Looks like under the table non pro to me...tucked in, specific boots, belt colors...jeesh. way too control freak freaky to me...no offense, just another opinion...
 
#40 ·
My buddy has his guys squared away. He bought them white hoodies and t-shirts with an understated company logo. I think he has them pay for the pants. They also have white hard hats for commercial jobs and orange reflective vests for the occasions where they are more public. Real professional looking!

Even when his employees want to express themselves with a camo hat or different style work shoe, they all still present continuity and the "image" of a professional painter.
 
#41 ·
Personally I want my guys wearing plain white shirts at the very least. Long or short sleeve it really doesn't matter to me. White Dickies in either shorts or pants is obviously preferred over jeans but it really doesn't bother me as long as they can paint.

When I hire someone calling themselves a professional painter I always meet them in a coffee shop before they ever step foot on a job site to see if I like the looks of them. I tell them then what I like my painters to wear but if they show up on a job site on their first day wearing a red Bud Light shirt I instantly start to wonder.

I made a few shirts with the company name but I mainly just wear them when going to do quotes or when going to trade events.

The last few years I have been regularly hitting my local Sherwin rep up for boxes of tees which I hand out to the crew. The guys love it. I used to do that with Benji shirts too but my local BM store is pretty stingy with tee's and their shirts are black (huh?) so we don't wear them.

Painters wear white. The public and clients expect it in my opinion.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top