Uniform Shirts

The shirt seems like a simple and generic garment, just a fabric garment worn on the upper body, but uniform shirts are worn to serve many different purposes and to suit many different jobs. The styles of shirt can differ greatly from one another.

Polo shirts are very commonly worn as part of a uniform. They look smart without appearing too formal and the style and cut are comfortable for the wearer. They can be worn in the summer months or used as a layer under a jacket, sweatshirt or pullover during the winter months. Polo uniform shirts are often made of lightweight fabrics such as cotton so that the garment is breathable. The collar can be unbuttoned for a more casual look, or buttoned up to the top. Some polo shirts have small pockets. For example, polo shirts worn by police officers may have dual microphone pockets in the shoulders as well as a microphone loop in the center on the placket, in order to allow the wearer to use their microphone without becoming tangled up in wires. There may also be a pen pocket on one of sleeves. Polo shirts are ideal for many professions because they are designed to be stretchy, allowing the wearer to move freely as they go about their daily tasks.

For businesses or professions that require a more casual look, workers may be permitted to wear a plain style T-shirt, which is looser and more stretchy than a polo shirt and does not have a collar. They may serve as uniform shirts for workers in cafes, which may wish to foster a more relaxed environment for clients. More formal uniforms require a dress shirt, which sports a collar, buttons all the way from bottom to top, and has cuffs at the ends of the sleeves. These are usually worn by male workers; women are more likely to wear a blouse. However, in some industries men and women wear the same kind of shirts.

Uniform shirts can be embroidered with a particular logo or emblem to make them distinctive and unique to a particular organisation, corporation or department. They may have lettering across the back. Representatives of the police and fire department usually wear metal badges on their shirts so that members of the public can identify them easily. The color of the shirt may also help to identify employees. For example, employees of the US government such as police officers and mail workers usually wear blue: mail workers wear navy blue, whereas police officers usually wear a lighter blue.

Undershirts are often necessary in professions which require physical exertion. Some companies offer high-tech garments which are designed to fit tightly to the body so that they can be worn under regular uniform shirts. These undershirts are manufactured to help regulate body temperature: they keep the wearer warm in chilly conditions, whilst the breathable fabric wicks away sweat and helps to keep the wearer cool in hot conditions. These shirts can be long-sleeved, short-sleeved or sleeveless.