Peter Dumigan, MD at Hultafors Group UK, details why the need for comfort, wellbeing and efficiency not only shaped the first trousers but has driven the latest innovation in modern work trousers almost 2,500 years later.
As much as we might take the functionality of a pair of trousers for granted, they’ve developed and evolved over the years through innovation, by responding to the demands of wearer’s needs and their practical requirements.
Deep roots in history
It is said that the origins of trousers as a functional, practical garment can be traced back to the warrior equestrian societies of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor as far back as the sixth century BC. The Scythian and Persian peoples developed trousers as a practical alternative to wearing robes on horseback.
Trouser-type garments took many forms over the next 2,000 years and it was only into the early 19th Century that ankle-length trousers – until then worn mostly by the lower working classes – became more widely accepted as the garment of choice throughout society. The evolutionary process of trouser design and development was one in which garments were tailored to the practical needs of their wearers.
It was further driven by the impact of the industrial revolution and the need for clothing in the workplace that was specifically suited to the needs of those employed there. Probably the most significant clothing development in the 19th Century was Levi Strauss’s invention of the canvas work trouser for miners in 1853. It was the first of its kind, but it wasn’t until 1873 that further innovation was seen with Strauss’ introduction of blue denim trousers, later incorporating metal rivets for greater garment durability and longevity.
Despite innovations such as the zipper-fly for trousers and the basic-styled garments like the Bib ‘n’ Brace and boiler suit, the workplace had to wait over 100 years, until 1975 in fact, for the next stage in trouser evolution.
A constant evolution
It was the invention by Matti Viio – a Swedish electrician – of the holster trousers with kneepads that heralded the Snickers Workwear brand and the era of purpose-designed working clothes for modern-day professional tradesmen and women.
Since 1975, Snickers Workwear has been inventing and reinventing work trousers with kneepads each with a combination of leading design technology, hi-tech fabric innovations for comfort and functionality and, more recently, a sharp focus on sustainability.
In what is its most significant trouser innovation to-date, Snickers Workwear has now launched built-in, certified kneepads which are completely integrated into a pair of premium stretch work trousers – the AllroundWork stretch trousers with Capsulized kneepads and holster pockets.
The result of an intensive research and development process that has spanned the last three years, they deliver low-profile, comfortable impact protection – tested, performance validated and certified to exacting international standards.
These new work trousers are an innovative combination of cutting-edge sportswear technology coupled with well-established workwear know-how to suit individuals who are constantly on the move and want the comfort, flexibility and durability of welded-into-place, certified knee protection.
Building Capsulized kneepads
Designed and engineered in partnership with YBC, the Capsulized kneepad components comfortably deliver effective penetration protection and impact absorption for the wearer.
A durable CORDURA stretch covering provides external fabric durability, integrating with the first performance layer of high-density foam which delivers maximum protection. This combines further with a shield of Ortholite comfort foam technology that’s highly shock absorbent.
Comfort and protection is further enhanced by a foam comfort layer for pressure release when working while kneeling. Finally, there’s an inner polyester fabric which seals the outer protection layers onto the trouser leg and provides a comfortable surface between the wearer’s knee and the kneepad itself.
It’s effectively a Capsulized ‘layer cake’ with a number of protection layers that work with each other to dissipate the energy created by the impact of working on your knees or if you accidentally bump them in and around the workplace.
Taking things to a new level
It’s widely accepted that the long-term effects of knee injuries and the impact of working on your knees can cause a lifetime of discomfort and restricted movement. Yet history has shown that properly designed trousers have an important part to play in delivering comfort, efficiency and well-being in physical activities. Snickers Workwear’s latest innovation takes the trouser design and development process to a new level.
Visit the Snickers Workwear AllroundWork Stretch Trousers with Capsulized kneepads product information page online here