Professional Identity Is Built Through Workwear – The Pertnership with Image Wear Is Part of Everyday Life for Sasky Students'
Images and text: SASKY Municipal Education Consortium
Who among us hasn't, at some point, put on a costume – a chef, a builder, or even a superhero – and briefly stepped into a different role and identity? In working life, however, this is no game. Workwear has a real impact on how work is done, experienced, and learned. For students, it provides more than protection and practicality: it begins to shape their professional identity even before they enter working life.
More than just a clothing for work
According to Marita Kulku, Sales Manager at Image Wear, the primary purpose of workwear is simple and clear: it must protect the wearer. Workwear is not merely a visual detail, but an essential part of occupational safety and smooth working practices. The right materials, standards, and construction make it possible to carry out the work in the first place. At the same time, workwear has a surprisingly strong influence on how one feels about their job.
- When the garment works, the work flows When it fits well and allows movement, working feels natural. And when it's designed specifically for that task, it supports the wearer almost without them noticing.
Marita also emphasises the importance of meeting standards. In high-visibility clothing, for example, it's not enough for a garment to look safe – it must meet strict requirements. There must be a sufficient amount of yellow or another high-visibility colour in specific areas, even though wearers often wish for more black or a more subdued appearance. In such cases, manufacturers must carefully balance user preferences and safety. In workwear, appearance can never come before protection.
The moment a student becomes a professional
In partnerships with educational institutions, the significance of workwear is particularly evident. At Sasky, workwear is fitted for students at the very beginning of their studies. The first few weeks are often a turning point: students look forward to receiving their garments, try them on, and experience their arrival as something meaningful.
– This is especially evident in the restaurant sector. When a student puts on a chef's jacket, there's a clear moment when they feel they are becoming a professional, Marita Kulku describes.
She adds that workwear not only protects or makes work easier but also encourages more professional behaviour. The right attire influences how one approaches studies and work, how work is performed, and how one perceives their role. A professional identity begins to take shape even before the first actual work experience.
Collaboration that is visible in everyday life
The cooperation between Sasky and Image Wear is concrete and ongoing. The fitting days held at the beginning of the academic year are intense: hundreds of students try on workwear in a short time so that everyone gets the right size and suitable equipment for their purpose. The clothes are delivered quickly, often within a week, to ensure safety and allow students to get to practical training without delay.
However, cooperation is not limited to the autumn. Needs arise throughout the year: new students start, staff changes, and working situations evolve. Communication with educational institutions is close, and solutions are found quickly. The partnership is reflected in a smooth daily routine, where the right equipment is in the right place at the right time.
Workwear evolves with its users
At Image Wear, workwear is not designed in isolation from daily life; product development starts from the needs of users and from working life itself. Customer feedback, pilot testing, and practical experiences continuously drive product development forward. Even small details, such as the placement of pockets or the flexibility of the material, can determine how well a garment serves its user.
Marita Kulku points out that the industry is also strongly guided by responsibility and quality. Garments must withstand use, meet strict standards, and respond to ever-increasing expectations regarding comfort and materials, for example.
The most interesting aspect of workwear is precisely its impact on everyday work. It affects work far more directly than many people realise – not just how it looks, but how smoothly work proceeds, how it feels , and how safely it can be performed.
Users often request highly flexible materials, for example, without always considering how this affects protective performance. This is why workwear manufacturers must constantly balance different features. Professionalism expertise is reflected in ensuring that the overall solution works – even when the user doesn't consciously notice it.
Some of Marita's most memorable product development examples involve small but meaningful details. Whether it's the adjustment of a baker's hat or the placement of a pocket, safety, hygiene, and ease of work are always at the core. Workwear is never accidental; it is a carefully considered whole.
Like everything else, workwear evolves over time. As new designs emerge, older solutions fade away. Today's garments are more functional, flexible, and visually closer to everyday clothing. Still, their core purpose remains unchanged: they are made for work and to protect their wearer.
– Then again, for example, traditional hanging pocket vests have largely disappeared. They have been replaced by more practical solutions, such as detachable pockets attached directly to trousers. Office-style workwear has also become more relaxed, and in some sectors it's no longer as self-evident as it once was.
A partnership that builds better working days
Image Wear is a Finnish family-owned company with roots dating back to 1959. Its operations are guided by strong values: responsibility, professionalism, and continuous development. Design, product development, warehousing, and part of the product manufacturing take place in Finland, and operations are carried out closely from a domestic perspective.
Image Wear was selected as Sasky's workwear supplier through a tender process. The cooperation with the company, which has been ongoing for several years, is a partnership that understands the connection between work, learning, and professional identity. It is about trust, insight into everyday realities, and shared goals - supporting students' growth into professionals and responding the needs of working life.
For Sasky, the collaboration with Image Wear is a prime example of how effective company cooperation can work at its best. When workwear works, learning flows. When students feel like professionals, motivation grows, and future experts are created.