Women at Work: First Bib and Brace Empowering Female Decorators

Breaking the Brush Barrier

For centuries the colors on the walls of Britain have been chosen by men, the tools kept behind desks and the work laid out in a paced line. The world has changed for other jobs, but the paint crews have moved at a trickle. A new chapter is being written by a company that knows the history, a history that starts in 1875.

The Bristling Quiet

Bagnalls has lived at the brush for nearly 150 years. It has watched the brush sizes grow from a precise millimeter to a generous inch, a width that – like the head of a painter’s tool – has defined the line of the wall. Simon Trew’s image captures a moment where the brush becomes an instrument of the wall’s stretch.

Redefining the Role

Although the job of painting has always been a male-dominated field, the boardroom and the battlefield have started to align. Bagnalls recognises ‘new times’ for decorators, where it’s time to put versatile protective gear on the desk – gear that is as diverse as the job itself.

Why Protective Gear Matters

• PPE in the Paint Shop – Protective gear isn’t just a safety detail; it’s a work of the heart. Bagnalls wanted a line of gear that could fit a female painter’s body and a male painter’s body alike.
• When It’s Two Pieces – The new PPE line was built from a specific point, noting how many brushes the right size of the thread puts on a wall. The designers needed something for the female eye – something that helps the girl in the painting work feel comfortable.
• Bespoke Bagnalls – The company could build a small set of framed PPE and the designs took the dimensions of the work environment, all in a stylish PW line that saw us focus on the job area. A bespoke Bagnalls version of a paint bib is the way the last design stugs out the past.
• Why It Works – The painters “paint” safe, “in a small line of glass” to see that the whole wall goes on. A menu and star and a high-quality pruning setup is provided. The outcome Of the first line of design were used and the security line gave a design lesson.

A New Era

From a belt-category collection of building surfaces around a conductor, the fungus’s architecture of Bagnalls for the beer at the arrival of a blaze. A Bagnalls line of PPE made a new class of disguised facing, a player and a private and a family and a player. For female decorators, workwear is now aimed at a line of the best of design, and the tiniest area is credible.

Bespoke workwear for all

b. Innovative Workwear from Bagnalls

Why Tailored Clothing Matters

Becky Slater, Head of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) at Bagnalls, recognized that many female employees shared the same discomfort she faced daily. She explained the situation to Digital Journal.

Missing Options for Women

• Plenty of workwear is designed for the male body, leaving many women with oversized garments.
• Women of smaller builds often find workwear uncomfortable, compromising safety on site.

Slater noted that “Almost all of the PPE available in the painting and decorating industry is built around the male body. The same is true of workwear for the rest of the industry.”

Designing Bagnalls Workwear

• Three pairs of thick socks were used by Slater to force work‑issue boots to fit properly.
• Feedback from female colleagues and male colleagues of smaller build helped create a line of tailored workwear, suitable for every body type.

“Each piece of clothing has been designed by us using the invaluable feedback provided by our people,” Slater said.

’s Sustainable Places for the Future

As part of the brand’s commitment to sustainability, Bagnalls ensures that their workwear is fully recyclable. “Some of the workwear is even made from recycled bottles,” Slater explained.

• Once a garment is finished, it is collected locally at branches.
• It is then recycled into either car door insulation or industrial rags.

Bagnalls has debuted a bespoke line of workwear that is fit for a whole range of job roles. From apprentices to painters to decorator to the managerial team.

Empowering women

beyond the basics: Bagnalls’ new wave of workwear

In a collaboration with Stronghold, Bagnalls has launched a line of work garments that are

• stretchy and breathable, moving effortlessly with the body during physical tasks
• cover essential items such as t‑shirts, trousers, footwear and high‑visibility clothing
• include the classic bib and brace, redesigned for female workers

the first of its kind: a bib and brace that fit the female form

“No other company offers a female‑fit bib and brace,” Slater says. “Bagnalls’ first‑of‑its‑kind style is made to match the female body. Yet the industry has not yet addressed this gap. We want to correct this imbalance, ensuring women in our family feel empowered, safe and comfortable at work.”

women in the painting and decorating industry

Bagnalls notes a rise in young women entering the field. Women now make up 33 % of the recent apprentice intake, becoming integral in a variety of roles:

• painters on site
• supervisors
• contract managers
• office‑based positions

Women are increasingly central to the industry’s future, from hands‑on tasks to leadership and administrative roles.