The Complete Guide to Custom Workwear in the UK

Everything you need to know about choosing, ordering, and caring for custom workwear and branded clothing for your business. This guide walks through the lot: picking the right garments, embroidery vs printing, hi-vis regulations, sizing, and bulk ordering. Written by our team, who’ve spent over 20 years supplying UK businesses.

What Is Custom Workwear?

Custom workwear is clothing personalised with your company logo, name, or design. Usually that’s done by embroidery (stitching the design straight into the fabric) or printing (applying it with ink or transfer methods). It earns its keep three ways: it builds brand identity, gives your team a professional look, and in a lot of industries it ticks the safety and compliance boxes too.

We supply and customise workwear for businesses of every size, from a sole trader after 5 branded polos to big organisations ordering thousands of embroidered jackets. We stock over 9,000 products from more than 200 leading brands.

Embroidery vs Printing, Which Is Better?

This is the question we get asked most. The honest answer? It depends on what you need.

Embroidery

Embroidery stitches your logo directly into the fabric using industrial machines. You get a premium, slightly raised finish that looks the part and lasts the life of the garment.

  • Best for: Polo shirts, jackets, fleeces, caps, corporate wear, anything where you want a premium, long-lasting finish
  • Durability: Excellent, survives hundreds of washes without fading
  • Setup cost: One-time digitisation fee (we do this free), then a per-item stitching cost
  • Ideal logo size: Up to about 12cm wide for chest logos. Larger designs are possible on backs
  • Minimum order: No technical minimum, but 5+ items recommended to keep the cost sensible

Printing (Screen, Transfer, DTG)

Printing puts your design on the surface of the garment using ink. A few methods to pick from:

  • Screen printing: Best for large runs (50+). Vibrant colours, hard-wearing finish. Setup means making a screen per colour
  • Transfer printing: Good for complex multi-colour designs and smaller runs. Your design is printed onto transfer paper then heat-applied
  • DTG (Direct to Garment): Like an inkjet printer for fabric. Best for photographic designs and one-off items

Our take: for most businesses, embroidery on the chest and printing on the back gives you the best of both, a premium look up front without the cost running away with you.

How to Choose the Right Workwear for Your Industry

Construction and Trades

Construction sites need clothing that meets specific safety standards. At the very least, you’ll want:

  • Hi-vis jackets or vests, EN ISO 20471 compliant (see our hi-vis guide below)
  • Safety boots, steel or composite toe cap, EN ISO 20345 rated
  • Work trousers, durable fabric with knee pad pockets and plenty of tool pockets
  • Waterproof jackets, because British weather does what it likes
  • Hard hats and gloves, site-specific PPE requirements

Popular brands for construction: Portwest, Beeswift, JCB, Regatta, and Result.

Healthcare and Medical

Healthcare workwear has to be comfortable across a long shift, easy to clean, and smart in appearance:

  • Tunics and scrubs, breathable, easy-wash fabrics
  • Lab coats, white or coloured, embroidered with name/role
  • Comfortable footwear, slip-resistant, anti-fatigue

Hospitality and Catering

Front-of-house and kitchen staff pull in different directions:

  • Chef whites and checked trousers, traditional or modern styles
  • Aprons, bib, waist, or full-length depending on the role
  • Front-of-house uniforms, polo shirts, shirts, or blouses with subtle branding

Corporate and Office

Corporate workwear is about subtle, professional branding:

  • Branded polo shirts, the most popular corporate uniform choice
  • Oxford shirts and blouses, with a small embroidered logo
  • Softshell jackets or fleeces, for client-facing outdoor meetings
  • Lanyards and accessories, low-cost branding items

Sports and Leisure

Team kit has to be comfortable, breathable, and available in team colours:

  • Performance polos and t-shirts, moisture-wicking fabrics
  • Hoodies and track tops, for warm-ups and sideline wear
  • Printed numbers and names, heat transfer vinyl for individual personalisation

Schools and Education

School uniform needs to be durable, affordable, and easy to wash:

  • Sweatshirts and cardigans, embroidered with the school logo
  • PE kit, hoodies, t-shirts, and shorts
  • Book bags and backpacks, printed with the school name

Understanding Hi-Vis Classes and EN ISO 20471

Hi-vis workwear in the UK must conform to EN ISO 20471. There are three classes, set by the minimum area of visible material:

Class 1, Lowest Visibility

Minimum 0.14m² of fluorescent material and 0.10m² of reflective tape. Usually vests and simple garments. Fine for low-risk environments with limited vehicle movement.

Class 2, Medium Visibility

Minimum 0.50m² fluorescent and 0.13m² reflective. Vests, waistcoats, and short-sleeve garments. Suits most roadside work and warehouse environments.

Class 3, Highest Visibility

Minimum 0.80m² fluorescent and 0.20m² reflective. Full jackets, coveralls, and trousers. Required for motorway work, railway environments, and anywhere with fast-moving traffic.

Our take: when in doubt, go Class 3. Better over-protected than under. Portwest and Yoko both do strong ranges across all three classes.

Size Guide, Getting the Right Fit

Sizing shifts from brand to brand. Here’s a rough guide for the most popular workwear brands:

Men’s Sizing (Chest in inches)

  • XS: 34-36″ | S: 36-38″ | M: 38-40″ | L: 40-42″
  • XL: 42-44″ | 2XL: 44-46″ | 3XL: 46-48″ | 4XL: 48-50″

Women’s Sizing (Bust in inches)

  • XS: 30-32″ | S: 32-34″ | M: 34-36″ | L: 36-38″
  • XL: 38-40″ | 2XL: 40-42″

Tip: ordering for a team? Get a sample in your most common size first. We can send samples at cost price, far cheaper than ordering the wrong sizes in bulk. Different brands fit differently, so it always pays to check.

How to Order Custom Workwear

Ordering is straightforward:

  1. Browse and choose your garments, shop online at xceluk.com or give us a call to talk options
  2. Send us your logo, email your artwork to sales@xceluk.com in AI, EPS, PDF, SVG, or high-res PNG format
  3. We digitise and proof, we convert your logo for embroidery (free) and send you a virtual proof to approve
  4. Production, once you’re happy, we embroider or print your order in-house at our Haverhill workshop
  5. Delivery, dispatched via tracked courier, usually within 5-7 working days of approval

For plain (undecorated) orders, turnaround is usually 1-3 working days.

How to Care for Embroidered and Printed Workwear

Look after your branded kit and it’ll go the distance:

  • Wash inside out, protects the embroidery and print from rubbing against other garments
  • Use a moderate temperature, 40°C is right for most workwear. Check the care label
  • Don’t use bleach, it wrecks both embroidery threads and printed designs
  • Tumble dry on low, or air dry if you can. High heat can damage transfer prints
  • Don’t iron straight over embroidery or prints, iron around them or lay a cloth over the design
  • Sort loose threads promptly, if a thread starts to pull on embroidery, trim it rather than tugging

Bulk Ordering and Trade Pricing

Bigger orders get better pricing. The more you order, the lower the per-unit cost, on both the garments and the decoration.

  • 1-9 items: Standard retail pricing
  • 10-49 items: Small discount on decoration costs
  • 50-99 items: Reduced per-unit pricing on both garments and decoration
  • 100+ items: Best pricing available, contact us for a custom quote
  • 500+ items: Contract pricing, we’ll work with you on the most cost-effective solution

We also run trade accounts for regular customers, which gets you consistent pricing and priority turnaround.

Choosing the Right Brand

With 200+ brands in stock, picking one can be a bit much. So here’s a quick rundown of our most popular brands and what each does best:

  • Portwest, Hi-vis, safety, and workwear. Cracking quality for the price. The industry standard for PPE
  • Regatta, Outdoor jackets, fleeces, and softshells. Great for branded outdoor workwear
  • Fruit of the Loom, T-shirts, polos, and sweatshirts. Reliable, affordable, wide colour range
  • Gildan, Budget-friendly basics. Excellent for large-run printed garments
  • Russell, Premium polos, sweatshirts, and fleeces. Lovely surface to embroider onto
  • Kustom Kit, Corporate shirts, polos, and knitwear. Smart, professional finish
  • Uneek, Broad range of everyday workwear. A solid mid-range option
  • Result, Outerwear, hi-vis, and performance clothing. Durable and practical
  • Beeswift, Safety boots, PPE, and hi-vis. A trade-focused range
  • AWDis / Just Hoods, Hoodies and casual wear. Huge colour range, soft fabrics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum order for custom workwear?

There’s no minimum order on plain (undecorated) garments, so order a single polo shirt if that’s all you need. For embroidery and printing, we suggest at least 5 items to keep the per-unit cost reasonable, but we can do smaller runs.

How much does embroidery cost?

It comes down to the size of the design (measured in stitches) and how many garments you’re doing. A typical left-chest logo (up to 7,000 stitches) runs roughly £3-5 per item on orders of 10+. We give exact pricing with every quote.

Do you deliver to my area?

Yes, we deliver UK-wide via tracked courier. Free delivery on orders over £99+VAT. Standard delivery is £5.95 for smaller orders. Our workshop is in Haverhill, Suffolk, and we look after businesses across Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire, plus nationwide delivery.

Can I see samples before ordering?

Yes. We can send samples at cost price so you can check the quality, colour, and fit before you commit to a bigger order. We’ve also got a showroom in Haverhill you can visit, call 01440 712290 to arrange.

How do I send my logo?

Email your logo to sales@xceluk.com. We accept AI, EPS, PDF, SVG, or high-resolution PNG/JPEG files. We’ll digitise it for embroidery free of charge and send you a virtual proof before we start production.

What if I don’t have a logo yet?

No problem. We can work with simple text-based designs, or point you towards graphic designers who’ll create a logo for you. Plenty of businesses start with just their company name in a clean font, and it looks professional and costs very little.

Do you print on garments I supply?

Sometimes, yes, we can decorate garments you provide, though we’d usually steer you towards our own stock so we can guarantee the quality and consistency. If you’d like us to print on your own garments, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.

How long will my embroidered workwear last?

Embroidery is tough and typically outlasts the garment itself. Look after it (wash inside out at 40°C, no bleach) and embroidered logos stay sharp and vibrant through hundreds of wash cycles.

Can you match my brand colours?

For embroidery, we’ve got access to hundreds of thread colours and can match to Pantone references. For printing, we use full-colour CMYK processes that reproduce just about any colour accurately.

Do you offer rush orders?

Yes, subject to stock. Tell us your deadline and we’ll do our best to hit it. Standard turnaround is 5-7 working days from artwork approval.

Contact Us

Ready to order, or after some advice? Get in touch: