http://www.CompanyClothing.co.uk/library/rss/rss.xml Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:24:00 +0100 l.debell@hgluk.com (Lotte Debell) b.halper@hgluk.com (Barry Halper) en-gb Copyright 2010 Governetz Public Property The new Matrix C3 glove from BM Polyco provides superior protection and dexterity for a cost effective price, according to the company. The glove is made from a seamless cut resistant shell with a polyurethane palm coating for cut and abrasion resistance. It has been engineering to provide a close and comfortable fit that offers the wearer good flexibility and dexterity. The Matrix C3 is designed to be used for a range of tasks including component handling, general assembly, electronics and manufacturing. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:00:03 +0100 The sun has finally come out, so it's time for those working outdoors to start thinking about sun protection. To help them, RTG International has launched a sun cape to its Skyns performance clothing range that attaches to hard hats to protect the back of the neck. The sun cape is made from RTG's CoolSkyn fabric which is a 100 percent wicking polyester, and it comes in both high-vis yellow and orange. The cape is certified to EN 471 and provides UVPF protection of 50+. The use of Coolskyn also helps to keep the wearer cool and comfortable by absorbing sweat and transferring it away from the skin. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:54:06 +0100 Birmingham-based contract production specialist Orbit International has joined forces with Swiss uniform supplier Jacob Weil to win the contract to supply Dnata Switzerland with foul-weather, high-visibility jackets made from Gore-Tex technical fabrics. The new contract involves the supply to Dnata airport workers of 500 Gore-Tex jackets conforming to European Standard EN343 and EN471.  This is the first time that Dnata Switzerland, the major Swiss airports handling company, which is a subsidiary of Emirates, has used Gore-Tex products to fulfill its PPE requirements for staff. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:41:26 +0100 Nanotechnology and safety concerns, retro uniforms, healthcare market changes and lots more inside this month's issue. Read July's Company Clothing online now and keep in touch with the key stories for the corproatewear industry. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:09:49 +0100 Whatever you may think of England’s performance in the World Cup, at least they looked like world-beaters in their official team suits. Alfred Brown, a UK weaver of worsted cloth that has been around since 1915, produced the fabric for the suits. This is a very distinctive pure new wool black and white birdseye weave, using a 19.5 micron wool. At 320gsm, it drapes and wears well, and looks both sophisticated and modern. The fabric has been made into suits by M&S, the official tailor to the England Football Team since 2007, to specifications set by team coach Fabio Capello. The style is classic, designed to complement a variety of shapes and sizes, and is available for football fans to buy in 90 M&S stores across the country. Ian Brown, joint managing director said: ‘We are proud to have woven the cloth for the England World Cup squad. We hope the team will enjoy wearing their suits.’ Richard Price, menswear director at M&S said: ‘The FA and M&S are both great British institutions so we are extremely proud to continue to dress the England team this summer. The M&S official FA replica suit is an extension of this great partnership, allowing everyone to feel they can be a part of this exciting experience.’ Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:13:48 +0100 Finnish student Kati Joki has won the Lindström Award 2010 design competition. Kati, who is a student at Lahti University OAS Institute of Design, designed a workwear collection for Kone Corporation’s maintenance personnel. This was the fifth time that textile service company Lindström had organised the Lindström Award for workwear design. Clothing design students from all over Europe and Asia took part in the competition, tasked with designing a workwear collection for maintenance personnel at Kone Corporation that would strengthen the company’s brand. Finalists worked with Lindström’s design team to develop the garments they had designed into prototypes According to the judging panel, Kati Joki’s collection came out on top because of its combination of functionality and approachability. ‘We paid attention to the fact that it corresponded best to the judging criteria given in the assignment,’ said the jury chair, fashion design professor Mascha van Zijverden from Artez, Arnhem School of the Arts. The winner will receive a traineeship at Lindström’s design department and a scholarship worth 5,000 euros. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:06:56 +0100 The British Safety Industry Federation has awarded its product innovation award to Veripro, the earplug fit testing system from Howard Leight by Sperian. The award, which recognises excellence and innovation in the safety industry, was presented at the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards gala dinner held during Safety and Health Expo 2010. Veripro makes it easy to determine the Personal Attenuation Rating of a worker fitted with any earplugs through a simple test, enabling both safety managers and workers to establish if a worker is receiving optimal protection. ‘Hearing conservation is an area we are passionate about,’ said Josephine Audoin, marketing manager for Sperian Protection UK. ‘We are delighted that the genuine innovation demonstrated by Veripro has been recognised by the British safety community.’ A recent HSE report, Real world use and performance of hearing protection, reported that ‘possibly only 60 percent of workers supposedly using hearing protection are in fact protected’, citing incorrectly fitted devices as one of the main reasons. Another concern is the weakness of the single number rating system for earplugs which only provides a theoretical level of hearing protection, not an actual measurement. In response, Howard Leight developed Veripro. The complete test runs through five frequencies to determine PAR and is recommended for annual use. The quick check is a simplified test at one frequency, used as a fast and easy pass/fail test for more frequent use. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:03:43 +0100 Australian Wool Innovations will unveil its new Merino Casual and Merino Touch collections at Spin Expo New York this month (July). The Merino Casual collection consists of knitted garments and fabrics with distinctive textures and finishes, created using a range of dyeing and finishing techniques. The collection is intended to demonstrate the natural versatility of Merino wool, combining comfort and functionality with a relaxed style. The new collection builds on the success of last year’s inaugural Merino Casual collection and addresses the global trend towards a more casual style of dressing, according to AWI general manager of product development Jimmy Jackson. AWI will also be exhibiting a range of Merino Touch commercial apparel made from super-soft yarns and fabrics designed to provide a touch of luxury in an affordable knitted garment. ‘The commercial garments that will be on display at Spin Expo demonstrate that knitters can produce classic garments that look and feel luxurious, yet are reasonably priced,’ Jimmy explained. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:48:20 +0100 Clothing market demand in Asia and Oceania is forecast to grow by an average of 10.9 percent per annum between 2009 and 2014, according to a report by Textiles Intelligence. As a result, demand will be worth US$267 billion by the end of the five-year period compared with US$159 billion at the beginning. Within the region, growth in China alone is set to average 18.9 percent per annum, with market demand in China reaching US$87 billion by 2014 compared with US$37 billion in 2009. This represents an increase in market size of US$50 billion in absolute terms, which equates to almost half the increase in the region as a whole. Other fast growing markets include Indonesia, where clothing market demand is forecast to grow by 15.3 percent per annum between 2009 and 2014, and Vietnam, where an increase of 15.5 percent per annum is predicted. However, these markets, valued at US$12 billion and US$22 billion respectively, will remain smaller than the market in China. Elsewhere in Asia, there will be strong growth in India, at 16.8 percent per annum. However, at US$11 billion, clothing market demand in India will remain considerably smaller than China. The slowest growth in the region will be in Japan, at just 2.9 percent per annum, followed by Hong Kong at 4.5 percent per annum. In Australia, on the other hand, growth will be a somewhat brisker 6.1 percent per annum and in New Zealand 6.5 percent per annum. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:43:44 +0100 RTG International is celebrating the award of quality management standard ISO 9001 to its directly-owned factory in Lanxi, China. The challenge now, according to production and development director Marcus Aldred, will be proving the authenticity of the certificate overseas where false accreditation claims are an issue. RTG International has traded out of China for the 16 years, and built its own manufacturing facilities in Lanxi based on the best aspects of Asian manufacturing.  The factory is run by a permanent team of UK quality control personnel and supported by a state-of-the-art Datel computer system that integrates with clients’ system and allows live access to production schedules.  RTG actively encourages clients to visit the factory to see first hand both the company’s production capability and the facilities it provides to local workers. ISO 9001 for Design, Production and Service is one of a number of quality awards RTG  is working towards, such as ETI, Sedex, SA8000, Reach and WRAP. ‘We are delighted to have achieved this accreditation,’ said Marcus. ‘This is a fantastic achievement for our teams both here and abroad who ensure the highest quality across the board and continue to push the boundaries of excellence.’   Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:39:17 +0100 Dupont Personal Protection has set up an online training course that is intended to provide assistance in selecting protective clothing, ensuring that Type 4 spray-resistant chemical protective suits are worn in complete safety. This new, educational training tool is completely free of charge and accessible from the company’s home page at www.dpp-europe.com. Presented in the form of a guide, it should take safety managers and users only five minutes to understand the key criteria for selecting appropriate Type 4 coveralls. The online training course is interactive and particularly relevant for industries using sensitive application methods, where greater protection against liquids and dusts is required and in which allergenic sprays or compounds are used. Dupont has drawn up a list of five essential criteria that should be considered when selecting chemical protective clothing: seams, permeation, abrasion, permeability and CE marking. Customers are guided through the online mini-training course via two tabs; ‘criteria’ and ‘explanation’. With supporting graphs, illustrations and videos, they can easily check whether the protective clothing selected is suitable for its intended use. On completion of the questionnaire, users can download a free, more detailed document on the five key criteria, supplemented by seven additional criteria: certification and quality, resistance to particle penetration, market information, use in clean rooms, linting, biological and antistatic protection. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:57:21 +0100 NM Williams, manufacturer of the Disley-Williams corporatewear collection has launched a new website www.nmwilliams.co.uk featuring its new stock lines for 2010/11.  The coordinating men’s and ladies’ shirts and blouses collections include the introduction of a non-iron range in seven new colours and 12 new styles. Yet another addition is a washable hospitality collection for men and women in black, made from 100 percent polyester.  The trade supplier has also expanded the size range in its tailoring, going up to a size 60 inch chest for men and size 30 for ladies. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:29:02 +0100 Safety glove specialist BM Polyco has launched Gator Grip GGT5 in its Hexarmor range, which is aimed at the oil and gas industry. Gator Grip combines the strongest grip in any oil situation with industry-leading cut and puncture protection, BM Polyco says. Develop for and evaluated in real world situations, Gator Grip GGT5 benefits from the unparalleled cut and puncture resistance of Superfabric, a material made of tiny guard plates which provide the user with cut level 5 protection. The plating geometry of the Superfabric guard plates displaces oil into the gaps between plates, preventing formation of oil film. Tested in light and heavy oil saturation situations with LGC and FR56 fluids, the palm of Gator Grip allows maximum contact with tools, improving handling in all oil solutions. The high-vis glove is designed to improve dexterity and has impact protection on the back of palm and fingers to prevent contusion and crush, with double-stitching to eliminate detachment issues. The glove is also suitable for use in the construction, metal pressing and railway industry. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:16:40 +0100 The APA-ACPO International Policing Exhibition 2010 is set to be the most high profile event for police, police authorities and the Home Office following the general election.  To help meet the new political agenda for policing, over 100 leading suppliers to the policing and security sectors will showcase their latest technology and services in the areas of surveillance, protecting the public, counter terror, domestic extremism, public order, serious organised crime, police transport and more. Organised on behalf of the APA and ACPO in association with the Home Office, the show takes place from 30 June to 1 July at Manchester Central and is free to attend for all police authorities, police officers, police staff, associates and colleagues. The exhibition will see more than 100 exhibitors, including a number of uniform, PPE and footwear suppliers, showcasing their products, and will also feature a  variety of educational workshops, presentations and case studies from organisations currently engaged in groundbreaking projects with police forces and authorities. For more information visit www.apa-acpo.co.uk Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:15:00 +0100 Leading name badge supplier BIG Badges is offering Company Clothing readers at 25 percent off introductory offer on first orders. The company, which supplies badges to major organisations such as Tesco, Asda, B&Q and Virgin Trains, is offering the discount to highlight the speed and convenience of its service, as well as the quality of its products. BIG's badges can be ordered at branch level, through bespoke online ordering systems developed for each customer, and can come in a myriad of different styles. To take advantage of this offer, get in touch with BIG and quote Company Clothing. www.big.co.uk Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:57:23 +0100