How To Make Your Safety Wear Chic

The world of fashion is full of does and don?t. There are an endless number of articles scattered across the internet with tips how to avoid falling into common pitfalls and ways to maximize your eye for fashion.
But what happens when style and safety clash? 4,836 workers were killed on the job in 2015. Trends like reflective windbreaker jackets and nonslip shoes can save your life, but often times at the expense of your style game. Here are a few of our top offenders and ways you can dress them up without risk to life and limb.

High Visibility Workwear

Reflective clothing is essential for anyone working or exercising during before or after sunset, but whether you?re a working mother trying to sneak a jog in before her 7am board meeting or a construction worker alerting drivers to a change in the normal traffic pattern, reflective safety vests and reflective pants are cringe inducing inventions.
There are a few easy ways to replace them. Some twilight joggers prefer 90s rave culture-styled glow bracelets, and while these are certainly a step up from that reflective windbreaker jacket, they don?t work as well in a work setting.
If staying visible on the job means staying alive, replace your reflective windbreaker jacket with a dark colored work shirts with reflective stripes. Not only does this an appealing color contrast, but the strips make sure your silhouette is still slaying even after lights out.

Nonslip shoes

These clunkers are only kosher in the slipperiest of industries: food and beverage, car wash, and plumbing. If you have a backscenes job, then there is no shame in wearing a pair of blocky plastic shoes. But people who interact with customers, especially high end waiters, should avoid these abominations like a network sitcom.
A nice pair of black shoes with heavy scoring and a little traction spray can make all the difference in safety and an elevated dining experience.

Hardhats

There was a time when hard hats where a sex symbol, but the village people haven?t been popular for decades now. Hardhats have become a symbol of an outmoded concept of masculinity, gruff and dirty and ultimately unbending.
This is a toughy, because protection is of course our number one concern. But why not branch out from the cliche of yellow hard hats? Bump caps provide a more casual look for those working in more secure environs, and for those of you still on the construction front line, don?t be afraid to get a personalized hat in your favorite color, or sporting your favorite sports logo. Remember, fashion is about showing who you are inside.

It can be hard to find the intersection of utility and fashion, but even a few simple steps can have you looking chic and secure!