For a trade crew's branded shirt, pick drill if you want a structured, heavier cotton shirt that holds an embroidered logo well; ripstop if the crew works hot and wants a lighter shirt with vents; and a polo if the job is mostly in a workshop, a van or in front of customers. All three can carry your logo, but each changes where it can sit. Here's how the styles we list compare.
At a glance
| Shirt | Fabric, as listed | Vents | Chest pockets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ritemate RM100CF | 190gsm 100% cotton drill | None listed | Two, button down |
| RMX RMX002 | 135gsm 100% cotton ripstop | Mesh at chest, shoulders and back, underarms | Two, Velcro down |
| RMX RMX019 | 100gsm 100% polyester ripstop | Mesh at chest, yoke, underarms | Two, Velcro down |
| FXD LSH-3 | 150gsm stretch cotton ripstop | Mesh at back yoke | Two, one with a tuckable flap |
| Pilbara RMPC156 polo | 220gsm 100% cotton pique | None listed (side vent at the hem) | One, left |
| JB's 210PL polo | 210gsm polyester and cotton pique | None listed | One, left |
Drill: the classic trade shirt
Drill is a firm, tightly woven cotton twill, and it's what most people picture when they think of a tradie's work shirt. The Ritemate RM100CF is a long sleeve, closed front shirt in 190gsm cotton drill with two button down chest pockets, a pen division in the left one and two button adjustable cuffs. It runs XS to 6XL in seven colours. There's also a short sleeve RM100CFS in Bottle, Khaki and Navy. Both listings give UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020, useful for crews who move between the van and the sun.
For women on the crew, the Pilbara Womens Open Front RM600BT is listed as 150gsm mercerised cotton twill in sizes 6 to 24, with two button down chest pockets and UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020. It's a lighter twill rather than drill, it's an open front style, and it shares two colour names with the RM100CF, Cobalt Blue and Emerald, so a mixed crew can match on colour name and pocket layout; compare the two product photos to check the shades sit together. It has no Orange colourway, so it isn't a hi vis option.
Our embroidery guide notes that heavy cotton drill takes embroidery beautifully, because the fabric is stable enough to hold a dense stitched logo. The trade-off is weight: at 190gsm with no vents listed, it's a heavier shirt than the ripstop styles below.
Ripstop: lighter, with vents
Ripstop is woven with a grid of heavier threads that helps stop a small tear from running. The ripstop shirts we list are lighter than the drill shirt above, and all three have mesh vents built in:
- The RMX002 is 135gsm cotton ripstop with "Triple Vented" cotton mesh at the chest, shoulders and back, and underarms. Its chest pockets close with Velcro rather than buttons.
- The RMX019 drops to 100gsm polyester ripstop, with polyester mesh vents at the chest, yoke and underarms, Velcro pockets and cuffs "with Swiss Tab".
- The FXD LSH-3 is 150gsm stretch cotton ripstop with a mesh airflow vent at the back yoke, a "Shaped hem with drop tail for extra coverage" and a pen partition in the right chest pocket.
Check the sun rating and size run on each. The RMX002 lists UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020, the RMX019 lists it only "where labelled", and the LSH-3 doesn't name a standard. Sizes run XS to 5XL for the RMX002, XS to 6XL for the RMX019 and S to 4XL for the LSH-3.
The lighter the fabric, the more care the logo needs. A very light polyester shirt like the RMX019 is the kind of garment our embroidery guide says to talk to us about before choosing a method, so we can suggest what suits that fabric.
Polo: a knit top for workshops, vans and customers
A polo pulls on over the head and is knitted rather than woven, so it has a softer feel and some natural give. For trades who spend the day in a workshop, on the road or quoting jobs at a customer's door, it's a neat alternative to a work shirt. The two we'd point a trade crew to both have a chest pocket:
- The Pilbara RMPC156 is 220gsm cotton pique with a left chest pocket, in XS to 6XL and four colours.
- The JB's 210PL is a long sleeve 210gsm pique polo, 65% polyester and 35% cotton, with a left chest pocket and elastic rib cuffs, in Black, Navy or White and sizes 3XS to 6/7XL.
The 210PL's listing cites AS 4399:2020 for UPF protection without giving a number, and the RMPC156's gives no UPF rating, so for a crew that's mostly outdoors, a long sleeve work shirt with a stated UPF rating, like the RM100CF or RMX002, is the better pick. The full range is in our shirts collection.
Where the logo goes on each
Pockets are the main thing that shapes logo placement on a trade shirt. Tell us the exact style when you send your logo, and you'll approve the logo's size, colours and position before production starts.
- Two chest pockets. The RM100CF, RMX002 and RMX019 have a flapped pocket on each side of the chest, as the product photos show, so there's less flat space for a chest logo. The LSH-3 also lists dual chest pockets.
- One left pocket. Both polos have their pocket on the left chest, which our ordering guide calls the standard spot for a main logo, so decide whether your logo goes above the pocket or on the right chest.
- The back. Our ordering guide suggests the upper back for a business name and phone number that people can read from further away, so a crew can carry a small chest logo and a large back print.
Our embroidery or printing guide matches decoration methods to fabrics, and our ordering guide marks the usual logo spots on a shirt.
On the RM100CF and the RMX002, only the Orange colourway is listed with a hi vis rating, and that rating is for day wear (AS 4602.1:2024); neither listing mentions reflective tape. For taped shirts, our Pilbara and Ritemate comparison covers one option. Keep logos clear of any reflective tape, and check site requirements with your safety officer or principal contractor.
Once you've picked the shirt, send us the style, colours, sizes and your logo through our custom workwear enquiry form, and we'll send you a quote.
