Colm O'Regan: Have we seen the end of builder's arse?

The history of workwear has gone through many evolutions. Years ago it was shirt and tie, a Sweet Afton clamped in the jaw, and stoic silence. Then came overalls, old Italia 90 hoodies, and Wranglers jeans

Builder's arse: a dying breed?

When in Westport, you have to go to the site of pilgrimage nearby. A place where generations have found solace and safety. I’m talking of course about the IDA industrial park outside the town and the headquarters of the workwear company Portwest.

It’s probably one of those Irish success stories that doesn’t have much fuss made about it. 5,000 employees, 120 years, staff in 130 countries.

It’s a big time for Portwest and workwear manufacturing in general. You see it in the co-ops and the hardware stores. The space devoted to clothing has increased a lot. Various articles in The Hardware Journal — the official magazine of the hardware association of Ireland — say it increased hugely during covid. Homeowners spent their money on home improvements rather than holidays abroad.

The viral Chadwicks ad showing how Snickers trousers will make you irresistible to both sexes has had hundreds of thousands of views. An apprentice electrician has won the Rose of Tralee. She wasn’t dressed in trousers with loads of pockets but still, a message was sent. I am delighted we have an apprentice electrician Rose of Tralee. I’ve been saying to my own girls since they were toddlers. Get a trade, become electricians. It’s fulfilling, useful and there’s money in it. The future is electric, it’s handy in an apocalypse and they can do a few jobs around the place, that I might make a balls of. Apart from all of that, no one will ever dare ghost them. They can be the ones who disappear off the face of the earth without so much as a WhatsApp or a DM.

The history of workwear has gone through many evolutions. Years ago it was shirt and tie, a Sweet Afton clamped in the jaw, and stoic silence. Then came overalls, old Italia 90 hoodies, Iron Maiden T-shirts, and Wranglers jeans. But now, everyone looks like a futuristic Italian cop. Slim line and zippy-uppy necks. Quite frankly, shit cool. I’ll service your boiler then I’ll drop a bussin’ tune. Even steel toecap boots have gone from ‘Ladybird Book Giant’s Boot’ to something you’d wear to a gig.

I don’t qualify for decent workwear yet. I’m still at the ‘knocking around clothes’, ‘duds’, and ‘I don’t care if I get paint on that’ stage. Although I own a trailer and recently changed a light switch, I haven’t the full safe pass yet to be wearing a Snickers or a Portwest. Sometimes I cosplay that I’m a Scottish spark by wearing my tartan pyjama trousers inside out.

What are the next stages for workwear? The immediate question is: have we seen the end of the builder’s arse? There’s a lot more design going in now. And speaking of design, where does workwear go next. I don’t know how it can get cooler but perhaps every item is Bluetooth enabled and wearable tech so you can get up to the minute information on how much money you are making.

Will workwear become so cool, it’s worn when you’re out out? There are anecdotal tales of people being stopped going into pubs as they’re still in their Snickers but that won’t last long. The jeans transitioned from miner’s trouser to nightclub staple. The runner went from trackside to disco.

The other next stage for workwear: its appearance in charity shops or on Vinted. The home improvement urge that ran out of steam. The hi-vis work jacket quietly disposed of. You already see a lot of running gear in charity shops as good intentions peter out. That’s when I’ll swoop in and grab them. Unlike other items of clothing, you don’t want your workwear to look too new. You want it prescuffed.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have timber to cut. I need to get my hours up before I qualify for my Portwest pass.