Greetings to the people of Dimex and everyone who reads my writing. Since I have never written on any blog before, I am now happy to be a blogger for Dimex. I would like to thank Tuire who suggested this idea to me. In my article, I consider what is considered important in Estonia when it comes to workwear, what are the preferences and perceptions regarding the use of workwear, how they have changed over time, and what differences we have compared to the Finnish market. I have been working in the workwear industry for eight years, initially in a subsidiary of Dimex called Katimex and since autumn 2012 in Dimex. Although one could assume that I know this industry and its market thoroughly, I would say that as the world changes, workwear, its use and other related matters are also constantly changing. So I cannot let things surprise me, but have to constantly be ready to adapt to new circumstances and things that may appear or have appeared in my field. If you compare the time when I entered the workwear industry with the present day, you can say that the models and customer expectations have changed significantly, and the general market situation is also quite different now than it was then. When Estonia became independent in the early 1990s, people had little money and there was a shortage of work, so work clothes were the last thing they needed, as most employees already lacked experience using separate work clothes. I assume that the conscious use of work clothes began in Estonia at the end of the last century, when the first profitable sewing factories were established, which manufactured work clothes, among other things, and small businesses that began to import and sell used work clothes from the Nordic countries. During the economic growth period, when business activity recovered, the use of workwear also increased significantly. This was influenced by new companies in the construction, real estate and industrial sectors. The key issue in the use of workwear in the early 2000s was to stand out from others. This was due to the desire to be unique and to stand out from competitors also in terms of appearance. The majority of workwear companies offered almost every customer company the opportunity to order models made specifically according to their wishes, sizes and preferences, or even a customized collection. The main thing in choosing workwear was not how safe, durable or functional it was, but who looked the most efficient and amazing. In a country the size of Estonia, where according to statistics, 75 percent of companies have 5–15 employees, it is not possible to offer everyone special solutions, i.e. tailor-made sewing services, especially when it comes to workwear. I assume that in both Estonia and Finland, workwear is one of the first items of expenditure to be saved and cut during a recession. The recession changed practice so that companies that survived and continued to buy workwear made their choices based not only on price but also on the functionality, comfort, durability and availability of the clothes, i.e. short delivery times. Purchasing decisions began to be made mainly in favor of workwear suppliers who had a ready-made collection and whose products were immediately available in stock. The same attitude continues today, and Dimex also meets these conditions in terms of its concept. That is why I think Dimex has good growth opportunities in the Estonian and Baltic markets. Dimex has designed a very impressive collection. New models are developed and old ones are improved every day, and our product range meets the requirements of most customers. Even though we Estonians and Finns are close neighbors and related peoples, we are not exactly the same and we do not always prefer the same things – including when it comes to workwear. Over the years, we have noticed that while Finns are happy to wear all possible work trousers – from the simplest to the ones with hanging pockets –, Estonians prefer open overalls. This is also indicated by the fact that this year the best-selling products in Estonia are exactly open overalls with straps. The main argument Estonians give for them is that they warm the back :) . My second subjective observation is related to winter jackets. In Estonia, a winter jacket without a hood is not accepted, while in Finland a hood is not a priority, at least that is how I feel. Fortunately, Dimex is a progressive, evolving and flexible company that takes into account the customer's wishes: if necessary, we will add a hood to the jacket or remove unnecessary hanging pockets for the customer. Due to all of the above, I believe that there will always be suitable outfits among Dimex branded workwear – not only for Finns and Estonians, but for the whole of Europe and maybe even the world. Dimex is a strong brand, and with good products we could manage to enter the market of any country. THE WORLD IS OPEN! :) Best regards, Taivo Lõhmus Country Manager taivo.lohmus@dimex.fi