How might we design a system to provide economically disadvantaged tradespeople with access to workwear? 

Bread Sandwich's streetwear collections act as financial drivers and tools for change. Funds from clothing sales are redirected towards facilitating the “Hot out the Oven Program” where Bread Sandwich holds workshops that connect tradespeople and small trades teams with manufacturers to co-create their own workwear, facilitating discussion around pain points and possibilities to blend fashion and function for social impact. 

Let's Get This Bread. 

Bread Sandwich's clothing collection explores three key themes:

The Current State of Workwear: 

Putting the spotlight on the current limitations of current workwear, exploring its inability to protect adequately from the hazardous nature of construction work, and the lack of durability and comfort over long periods of use. 

The Appropriation of Working-Class Culture: 

Examining how elements of the working-class uniform have been adopted by mainstream culture, stripping away the importance of the garments while the workers struggle with functional uniforms.  

The Physical Toll of Construction Work:

Visually communicating the physical risks and injuries construction workers face and highlighting inadequate workwear’s role in jeopardising worker safety. 

This project positions “Bread Sandwich” as a tool for social change, facilitating awareness around the struggles with workwear to improve access to workwear for financially disadvantaged tradespeople. By designing a collection of clothing imbued with the narrative surrounding trade culture, the project generates resources to allocate towards durable and functional workwear, ultimately improving the safety and well-being of construction workers and tradespeople. This solution addresses the inequalities in the construction industry and promotes more equitable access to essential workwear.