An Informal Guide to Workwear: Form, function and fashion

by A.W. Sylvester, Wes Robinson (Illustrator)

An Informal Guide to Workwear offers a fascinating overview of some of the most important workwear pieces, discussing their history, function, construction and materials.

Workwear has transcended its utilitarian roots to become a staple in modern wardrobes. Originally designed for labour-intensive jobs, today’s workwear blends durable, well-made and sustainable clothing with fashion. In a world of increasingly fast fashion, workwear provides a sustainable alternative as a statement of endurance and quality. An Informal Guide to Workwear explores the links to the past and the incredible history of how this style became a staple. Workwear pieces include:

• berets, popularised by Claude Monet and Che Guevara, among others
• blue jeans, America's sartorial gift to the world
• the siren suit, famously worn by Winston Churchill during the war
• the shop coat, donned by Christian Dior in a show of democratic solidarity with the workers in his atelier

Featuring vibrant illustrations by Michael Parkin, this book is perfect for anyone interested in discovering more about the history of fashion and style.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2025

Reviews

[Anton Hychka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not a definitive answer to the question of workwear; rather, it is an answer to how a good book about workwear looks in 2026.

I noticed that the book suggests dressing modern professions in clothing that was originally created for artists, train machinists, and builders of the previous century. The idea is to give our clothes history and meaning, as if to compensate for the fact that modern professions lack both.

Pros of the book: it is short, rich in historical context, focuses on a selective (small) segment of workwear, and includes beautiful illustrations.
Cons of the book: it is short, rich in historical context, and focuses on a selective (small) segment of workwear.

[Max Noonan-Pomada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheekily Illustrated and chock full of easily digestible but thoroughly written articles on workwear staples

[Thomas Schlanker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informal guide to stolen Valour

[Jacob Vonloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love it

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable little book! The word “informal” in the title is accurate. Each item described would easily warrant its own Articles of Interest episode or a whole chapter in another book. Sylvester’s Informal Guide isn’t looking to be comprehensive, but it is very accessible. Each piece gets a light history and often a personal anecdote or two. If you like menswear and want to be more familiar with all types of workwear, this is a very fun read and it definitely delivers on its promise. Plus the illustrations are wonderful.

[Marc Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful background on workwear with great illustrations.