For many years, my work wear consisted of whatever old T-shirts I didn’t care about any more, and a pair of old jeans. While that combo will still get me through the work day, there are now clothes that are actually (gasp!) designed to keep you more comfortable while you work. We recently received a package with some of that new-fangled clothing; get comfortable, and join us for a quick look at a very small sampling of the many offerings in the Milwaukee Work Wear lineup.
A Tip Of The Milwaukee Fitted Hat
We’ll begin our overview of Milwaukee work wear at the top. Back in the days before records were kept, when I was young, I had a lot of hair. Hey – it was the 60’s and 70’s; EVERYBODY had a lot of hair.
Fast-forward to 2020, and the hair that remains is somewhat sparser and shorter. I blame global warming. In any event, I frequently wear a ball cap now, both to safeguard my vanishing crop of hair, and to keep the sun off of my head and out of my eyes.
My hat rack is loaded up with a fair number of hats, most with some logo or other writing on them. Some are witty, some are boring, some are neither. What they all have in common is some sort of adjustable band. Often, these bands are cheap plastic nubs that get inserted into a row of holes. These don’t tend to last long. Others have Velcro closures, or a cloth or leather strap and clasp to lock them in place. They’re better.
The hat that just showed up, the Milwaukee Fitted Hat, is better than any of those. Although they call it a “fitted” hat, the wording inside the headband, Flexfit, is a better description. The Milwaukee Fitted hat, product #504, has a built-in elastic headband; when you put it on, the hat snugs itself nicely around your cranium.
To accommodate most fashion-sensitive hat wearers, Milwaukee fitted hats are available in a wide array of high-fashion colors: Grey, black and RED (naturally). Okay, maybe it’s a SEMI-wide array. You can also choose between two sizes, S/M and L/XL, which should fit most heads. My actual hat size is about 7-3/4, and the size L/XL fit me very well; it was snug but not tight, and there was still a fair bit of room for those with bigger heads to expand into.
Milwaukee’s logo adorns the front of the hat. There’s another small Milwaukee label on the back, which could actually be used to hang it up. The hat is comfortable, seems to be very well made, and should hold up well. And for the fashion conscious, they look good, too. I even dyed my remaining hair grey, to complete the look!
Milwaukee Work Wear: All Good In The Hood
As I write this, we’re in the midst of an extended run of daily temps in the 90s here in southwestern PA. While it’s hot here now, that won’t last forever; it’s normal to get very cool nights by late August. And I’m fine with that; I grew up in Buffalo, where winter lasts approximately 8 months, and I can take the cold much better than the heat.
Which is not to say I’ll be running around in a T-shirt on those cool August nights and the brisk fall days that follow. Luckily, the lineup of Milwaukee work wear has an app for that, and they sent along a couple of their Heavy Duty Pullover Hoodies for us to wriggle into. Here’s the official list of features:
• Durable, Breathable Fabric
• Comfortable 75/25 Cotton/Poly Blend
• Heavy Duty 450 GSM fabric weight, Wind resistant
• Reinforced pocket seams
• Tear & abrasion resistant fabric
• Comfortable fit rib-knit cuffs & waist
We received blue and grey Heavy Duty Pullover Hoodies. Other than the color difference, the hoodies are identical. Wanna spice up your wardrobe? The hoodies are also available in RED, black, and Hi-Vis.
When I went to try on the blue hoodie, the first thing I noticed was the weight. Milwaukee uses a 75/25 cotton/poly blend for the fabric, and there’s a serious amount of material in these things. The interior material is very soft and comfortable, both in the body and in the sleeves. The second thing I noticed is that when you wear a heavy-duty hoodie on a 95 degree day, feeling chilly is not an issue. Here at HomeFixated, though, no sacrifice is too great in our pursuit of first-hand fit and finish info!
The blue hoodie I got is size XL, and it was a very good fit for my 6’2”, slightly north of 200-lb. frame. Milwaukee didn’t skimp on the length; the hoodie extends well below my waist line. I have long arms, too, and the sleeves are very generously sized, with nice long elasticized cuffs to keep out the elements and keep the sleeves from riding up.
Workmanship on the Milwaukee Heavy Duty Pullover Hoodie is excellent. All the stitching is very well done, and the seams around the pocket are reinforced. The hoodies are available in sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL. That should cover just about everybody in the ‘hood.
A Milwaukee Work Wear Staple: The Milwaukee Pocket T-Shirt
Quick – what’s your favorite color? If you said Hi-Vis Yellow, this is your lucky day! If you have to – or choose to – wear it for safety reasons, the Milwaukee work wear line has a Hi-Vis shirt you may want to check out: the Milwaukee Pocket T-shirt.
On the off chance Hi-Vis yellow is NOT your favorite color, Milwaukee’s Pocket T-shirt lineup includes several other colors to choose from. In addition to Hi-Fashion Hi-Vis, the shirt can be had in RED, grey, black, blue and green.
Like the hoodie, most humans are likely to find a size that fits well, since the pocket t-shirts are available in S, M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL. Here are the rest of the specs:
• Durable, Breathable Fabric – 60/40 Cotton/Poly Blend
• Moisture-wicking fabric treatment repels water
• Sun Protection – blocks harmful UV rays
• Anti-microbial treatment prevents odors & bacteria build-up
• Heavy Duty 230 GSM fabric weight
• Tear & abrasion resistant fabric
• Rib-knit neck maintains shape
• Regular Fit allows for room to move and work
• Tagless neck label gives a comfortable feel
Milwaukee Pocket T-shirts feature a very heavy-weight, durable blend of cotton and polyester, and they’re generously sized. I got the XL size, and it was roomy but not baggy; you definitely don’t need to order a size up. I especially like the long cut, as I frequently wear my shirts untucked, and I don’t want any wardrobe malfunctions frightening innocent bystanders.
I wore the Milwaukee Hi-Vis Pocket T-shirt several times over a period of a couple of weeks. It was very comfortable, and held up fine through the total dismemberment of a fallen apple tree. The heavy construction of the shirt offered good protection against getting whacked by branches as I cut them away, and later during a weedwhacking session.
As I mentioned earlier, it’s been HOT here, in the 90s most days, and no matter what I wore, there was no escaping the heat. The moisture-wicking fabric helped somewhat, but I was still pretty warm. Despite the presence of the anti-microbial treatment, the shirt was definitely in need of laundering at the end of each day. It survived the laundering fine, with no shrinkage, pilling, or other undesirable outcomes. On the bright side, after tossing the shirt in the hamper, I was able to rehydrate and adjust my attitude with an appropriate beverage.
As an all-around work shirt, the Milwaukee pocket t-shirt is an excellent choice. The material quality is heavy and rugged, and it’s well put together. I also like the fact that there’s no tag chafing my neck. For around twenty bucks, it’s an excellent choice from the Milwaukee work wear lineup, and I plan to get a couple more. Maybe I’ll try some of the less-fashionable colors, though.
Milwaukee WORKSKIN Lightweight Performance Shirt
Looking for a lightweight shirt, to use alone or as a base layer? They don’t come much lighter than Milwaukee’s WORKSKIN Lightweight Performance Shirt. The WORKSKIN shirts have been part of the Milwaukee work wear lineup for several years, now; we reviewed a long-sleeve WORKSKIN version a few years back – when it WASN’T 95 degrees every day – that I really liked.
During the steamy weather over the past several weeks, I’ve come to really like the short-sleeve WORKSKIN shirt, too. It has the same attention to detail that makes the older shirt so comfortable to wear: The fast moisture-wicking sweat zones, the offset seams, the comfortable fit.
Here’s the official rundown from Milwaukee:
• Moisture wicking fabric – Stay Dry While Working
• Sun Protection blocks harmful UV rays
• Anti-microbial treatment prevents odors & bacteria build-up
• Extended fast wicking sweat zones accelerates drying
• Durable, pilling resistant fabric extends product life
• Raglan sleeves provide extended range of motion and reduce discomfort from straps and harnesses
• 100% Polyester
• Dries fast, resists wrinkles
• Regular Fit allows for room to move and work
• Tagless neck label gives a comfortable feel
Regarding the fit, I’m no longer quite as lean as I was when the earlier “hair” picture above was taken. My theory is that the hair evolved into fat, which relocated to my stomach area. In any event, the XL shirt I got fits very comfortably. Although not quite as long as the Pocket T-shirt, there’s still a decent amount of tail to tuck in – or hang out.
Our miserable hot recent weather has provided a perfect opportunity to test the sweat-wicking and cooling capabilities of the Milwaukee WORKSKIN shirt. While I’m generally not a fan of polyester, I have to admit the WORKSKIN shirt was very comfortable to wear in the heat. Its lighter weight felt good, and it really did wick the sweat away, and it dried quickly when I slowed down. Which happened frequently. A nice bonus is the UPF 50+ sun-blocking protection. Melanomas suck.
After wearing the WORKSKIN short-sleeved shirt several times – and washing it several times – it has held up nicely. There’s no pilling or shrinkage, and all the seams are like new. For those who get the bonus of having to dodge traffic while they do their sweating, the shirt is also available in Hi-Vis, and both colors come in sizes ranging from S – 3XL.
Want To Work Where There’s Milwaukee Work Wear?
Well, that wraps up our look at a few of the many products available in the Milwaukee Work Wear lineup. There’s a LOT more available, including heated jackets and sweatshirts, heated gloves, winter hats, and more. If it’s time to ditch YOUR ratty T-shirt and jeans, check out Milwaukee’s Guide to Work Wear.
