Greetings to Dimexians and to everyone who happens to read this text.
Since I have never before taken part in any blog as a writer, I’m pleased to be this time’s Dimex blogger, and I’d like to thank Tuire here for coming up with the idea.
In the following article, I will discuss what is considered important in workwear in Estonia, what the preferences and perceptions are regarding the use of work clothing, how these have changed over time, and what differences there are compared to the Finnish market.
I’ve been involved with workwear for eight years now, first at Dimex’s subsidiary Katimex and since autumn 2012 at Dimex. Although you might think I know this field and the local market inside out, I can say that just as the world as a whole is constantly changing, so too are work clothes, how they’re used and everything related to them. So you can’t let yourself be caught off guard – you have to be constantly ready to adapt to new conditions and specifics that may arise or have already arisen in this field. Compared to when I started working with workwear, both the models and customers’ expectations have changed radically, and the overall market situation is also different now.
When Estonia regained its independence in the early 1990s, people had little money and there was hardly any work, and workwear was the last thing anyone thought they were missing, because in general there had previously been no real experience of using dedicated work clothing. I think that more conscious use of workwear in Estonia began at the end of the last century, when the first sewing companies that also produced workwear had been established and, above all, had managed to stay in business, and when some small entrepreneurs started bringing used workwear to Estonia from the Nordic countries as humanitarian aid and selling it here.
During the period of economic growth, when business activity picked up, the use of workwear also increased significantly, thanks to the emergence of many new companies in the construction, real estate and industrial sectors. One of the main keywords describing the use of workwear in that early 2000s period could certainly be “differentiation”. This stemmed from the desire to be distinctive and stand out from competitors also in terms of appearance. Most companies dealing with workwear offered almost every client the opportunity to order specially made models or even entire collections tailored to their wishes, measurements and preferences – the so-called “tailor-made suit”. As a result, it often seemed that the main argument in choosing workwear was not how safe, durable or functional it was, but who looked the most striking and attractive.
In fact, in a country as small as Estonia, where according to statistics 75% of companies have 5–15 employees, it’s not possible to offer everyone special solutions, i.e. tailormade sewing services, especially when it comes to workwear. I think that both in Estonia and in Finland, during the economic downturn workwear was one of the first cost items where savings and cuts were made. In that sense, the recession made its own corrections: for the companies that survived and continued to buy workwear, the key criteria for their choices, in addition to price, became above all the functionality, comfort and durability of the clothing, as well as immediate availability, i.e. fast delivery time. Purchasing decisions started to be made mainly in favour of those workwear suppliers who had a ready-made collection and products available for immediate delivery. To a large extent, this mentality has remained to this day, and Dimex’s concept fits these conditions exactly. That’s why I still see good potential for Dimex to grow in the Estonian and Baltic markets. Dimex has developed a very substantial collection; new models are being developed and old ones improved on a daily basis, and there should be suitable products there to meet most requirements. Although we are close neighbours and kindred peoples, we are not similar in every respect and our preferences don’t coincide in all choices, including workwear. Over the years it has become very clear that while Finns are happy to use all kinds of work trousers, from the simplest to hanging-pocket trousers, Estonians prefer bib-and-brace trousers or dungarees. This is also shown by the fact that every year the best-selling products in Estonia include bib-and-brace trousers or dungarees. The main argument from Estonians is that they “want to keep their back warm” :). Another subjective observation of mine concerns winter jackets. In Estonia it’s simply not acceptable for a winter jacket not to have a hood, whereas in Finland it doesn’t seem quite as essential – or at least that’s how it seems to me. Fortunately, Dimex is a progressive, developing and flexible company and, being customer-oriented, we can add a hood to a jacket when needed, or remove, for example, unnecessary hanging pockets for the customer.
Based on all of the above, I believe that among the Dimex-branded workwear there will continue to be suitable garments not only for Finns and Estonians, but for the whole of Europe and, why not, the whole world. Dimex is a strong brand, and with good products it’s not impossible to be represented in any corner of the world. THE WORLD IS OPEN! :)