Summer fashions / new issue

The new issue should be with you shortly - if you're a subscriber, and if not a click on the cover image to the right will set you on your way to a few cheeky freebies in the form of PDFs of some of the articles in the issue.

In one article we talk to people about dealing with changes to dress code staff often take upon themselves to stay cool in the summer heat; and this weekend looks to be a "Phew what a scorcher!"

Does anybody have any good tips to beat the heat? Let us know, we're melttiiiinnnnnggggg.....

Grovelling apology

Sorry! In all the coming and going and general jiggery-pokery of producing a magazine yesterday's blog seemed to get overlooked. It's not to say we forgot about out (anyone who follows our Twitter will have seen our pleas for ideas) but when none were forthcoming we didn't really get much searching done ourselves.

Anyways, we promise a much better return today - we've already got a few things lined up and hope you'll enjoy them, or even just read them.

The final countdown

So this is it, in just over 24 hours the Company Clothing Industry Awards will have started and those that are in attendence will be sipping champagne and looking forward to a celebration of the industry, all hosted by the very lovely Myleene Klass. Those of you that aren't going...what were you thinking?! We'll save you a slice of cake.

It promises to be a great night and culmination of much hard work by us, and by you in submitting the garments you worked so hard to create, and it's great that, especially in the tumultuous times, we are able to bring such a vibrant, diverse and creative industry together to celebrate and share in its achievements.

Fashion is so fickle and often unrealistic, but our industry clothes real people for real jobs, from train drivers to police officers to chefs and bank staff, and we hope the awards night will prove a great opportunity for you to all come together and bask in your achievements.

The blog tomorrow will probably go missing due in the coming and goings in ensuring every last detail is taken care of, but we look forward to seeing you there, and if you have any last minute queries check the website and if it's not on there, get in touch.

No clothes

Okay, so for today, a bit of a change - we're just going to provide you with a couple of links to articles on the BBC website...one about nakedness and the other asking 'are fleeces fashionable?.

Stop the press

It is Friday, and we don't wish to raise too many hackles, but this BBC article, how not to design a work uniform, does make it hard to stay calm. It's all very one-sided and fails to bother to take into account the hardworking, creative and ingenious people in this 450 million pound industry. We though, do know about all this work, and this is exactly why we set up the Company Clothing Industry Awards, to celebrate the clever, interesting and sheer brilliant work that goes on, from fabrics to footwear to fashion design. If you haven't got your ticket yet for the awards on March 12 - get a move on!

As a final note in the next issue, with you shortly, we have an exclusive interview with the suppliers to National Express who gave us the full, updated and correct version of both the story including both the history behind the new contract and uniform as well as addressing some of the issues that came out in the national press. It's far more accurate than most of the mainstream media outlets managed. *Places trumpet back on floor, steps down from soapbox*

Enjoy the weekend!

Fame at last, or sorts

During the snow dump of last week we blogged about the hat fashion of Jack Straw - as you can see here - and today we discovered the very constituency that Mr Straw is from, Blackburn, have written a blog about a blog he wrote about the stick he got for wearing...the boots! Oh it's all so confusing.

Still, it's nice to see we're reaching the key movers and shakers in Westminster. Now if only they'd change our name to Company Clothing, rather than just the more powerful sounding, but incredibly vague, Company, we'd be on to a real winner!

Plus don't forget - it's one calender month today until the awards - if you haven't got a ticket for the event of the year, host by the lovely Myleene Klass, what on earth are you waiting for? The moon on a stick?! Go here, now!

Myleene Klass confirmed as hostess of awards

Here it is then, the news you have been waiting for. The fantastic celebrity fashion icon hostess of our awards is...Myleene Klass.

Her CV is endless and impressive. The star of Ten Years Younger on Channel 4, a model for M&S, former member of Hearsay, an author, a pianist, host of the Classical Brit Awards 2008, and she knows a thing or two about fashion - a bit talented this one. So if you haven't got your ticket to the Event of the Year™, then now really is the time to do so - click here. Now!

Not only that the latest issue of Company Clothing should be with you soon. They're all out there, making their way around the postal system, being loaded into lorries, cars, bicycles, and post bags to arrive, in pristine condition, chock full of fascinating features and interesting articles. Such as Colombian charity manufacturing, branded workwear and some behind the scenes reporting from our award judging. A very pleasent way to pass an hour or two for the purposes of business.

Are we good to you or what?

More Snows

In the next issue of Company Clothing - which should be with you shortly - we have included a news story on the Snow family (snow being a word that's popular right now) in their underpants as part of their support for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

They will front a high profile campaign throughout March in M&S stores across the UK as part of the retailer’s partnership with The Prostate Cancer Charity (TPPC). Presenter Peter Snow, his son Dan and Peter’s cousin, Channel 4 News anchorman, Jon Snow, were selected to front the campaign to highlight the fact that a man’s chances of developing prostate cancer are two and a half times greater if a close relative, such as a father or brother, is diagnosed.

You can read the rest of the news story in the latest issue, but for now we thought the picture of these fine news-reporting fellows would give you something to admire and appreciate in anticipation of the latest issue arriving in the post.

That was the year that was

So here we are, the last day of work (for us anyway), and we thought what better way to sign off in style than with our own review of the year...

It's been another varied and interesting year in the Company Clothing offices...

We've looked in detail at the problems with EN471 (the standard that covers high-visibility clothing), visited a tailoring factory in Portugal and a fabric manufacturer in Leeds, hopped across the Irish Sea to meet Allied Irish Bank and spent a day in the rain at a firing range (full report in January's issue).

We felt all scientific at the nanotechnology conference at the Royal Society and all fashionista when we covered a brief section of the London Fashion Week parade. We've meet buyers and suppliers covering everything from new uniforms at Edinburgh Castle to St John's Ambulance and looked at casualwear in all its forms - hats, softshells, and the great polo review too...

*inhales*

We've looked at PPE - fire resistant suits, electric arc protection and body armour. There's been product reviews of workwear covering everything from head to toe and ear and eye protection too. We traveled to exhibitions in Birmingham and Coventry, attended conferences in Rugby and Paris, a fashion show in Accrington and put garments from soft-shells to kilts through their paces in our rigorous road test column. We've even got to know about the people in the industry and their preferences on everything from Scrabble or Monopoly, to dream holiday destinations, in our 20 Questions column on the last page of the magazine.

And despite doing all this we've even found the time to arrange for the Company Clothing Industry Awards to take place on March 12 2009, organised the judging and hired a top swanky London venue all so the industry can celebrate its talent, achievements and success, and have a drinks or two as well.

All in all then we feel we've earned this break. But of course so do you. Because the reason we're off and about writing about such myriad topics and concerns, is because of the work you do day-in, day-out, creating the stories for us to cover. We hope you enjoy receiving our publication and the areas it covers - be they directly relevant to you, or merely an interesting read, and of course, don't forget the comments button below is your chance to say hello and tell us what you love and what you don't (don't worry we can take it!).

So, from everyone here, a very merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and here's to a weird, wonderful and downright diverse 2009. Who knows what it has in store...

New issue out now

The November issue of Company Clothing is out now and so should be with you shortly if it hasn't already arrived. As it's the last issue before the Christmas break we hope you enjoy the many and varied features we have in this months issue, including a look at some of the issues around body armour, Royal Mail's new uniform, an in-depth look at the new Emirates' Airlines new uniform and more details on our awards. What more could you want?!