Landscapers, parks and gardens teams and council outdoor crews spend most of the day in the sun, so their uniform should cover as much skin as it reasonably can without cooking them. The simplest way to plan it is by layer, from the top down: a hat with a brim or neck flap, a light long sleeve shirt with vents, and light work pants. Here's what we list for each, and what each listing says about sun protection.
Head: shade the face, ears and neck
A cap leaves the ears and the back of the neck in the sun. Cancer Council's advice is that caps and visors don't give enough protection. For crews outside all day, a broad brim or a legionnaire does more:
- The Legend Life Surf Hat 4287 is heavy brushed cotton with a cord and slide toggle, sized 55, 57, 59 and 61cm. Its listing gives a UPF rating of 50+ and cites AS/NZS 4399.
- The Legend Life Poly Viscose Legionnaire 4057A has a flap that hangs over the back of the neck, as the product photos show, with Velcro and elastic at the back to adjust the fit. It also lists UPF 50+ and AS/NZS 4399.
- The Legend Life Bells Surf Hat 4487 is cotton canvas with a 7cm wide brim, in three sizes from 54 to 60cm. Its listing doesn't give a UPF rating.
The 4287 and 4487 come in head sizes, so collect head measurements along with shirt and pant sizes. Our broad brim and sun hats collection has the rest, and our bucket hats guide covers brims and sizing for bucket styles. On sites where hard hats are required, follow the site rules and the hard hat maker's instructions on brims and sun accessories.
Body: long sleeves, with vents
For a full day outside, long sleeves are the default: a sleeve keeps covering the arm all afternoon, while sunscreen wears off and needs reapplying. Our summer work shirts guide explains how sleeve length, fabric weight and UPF work together. For outdoor crews, look for a light cotton shirt with vents that let air through.
The Ritemate vented range fits that brief. Each of these is listed as 150gsm cotton twill, with cotton mesh vents at the underarm and shoulders, two button adjustable cuffs and UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020:
- RM108V3: open front, in Khaki, Navy or Orange, sizes XS to 5XL. Only the Orange is listed for hi vis day wear.
- RM107V2: open front, two-tone Orange/Navy or Yellow/Navy, sizes XS to 6XL, listed for hi vis day wear. There's a closed front version, the RM107VCF.
- RM208V2: the women's two-tone version, in sizes 6 to 24.
The RM208V2 comes only in the two hi vis two-tones. For women in a team that doesn't need hi vis, the Pilbara Womens Open Front RM600BT is listed as 150gsm cotton twill with UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020, in sizes 6 to 24 and 14 colours, including Black and French Navy. It lists no vents, and none of its colour names matches the RM108V3's, so compare the two side by side.
Because the listings give the same fabric and vents for the RM108V3, RM107V2 and RM208V2, a parks or nursery team that doesn't need hi vis can wear the RM108V3 in Khaki or Navy, while staff who need hi vis day wear can match them in the two-tone RM107V2, if it meets what their council or principal contractor requires.
Legs: light work pants rather than shorts
Shorts leave the lower legs in the sun all day. Light long pants are the better default for full days outdoors, and both of these list UPF 50+ to AS 4399:2020:
- The Ritemate RM1004LW is a light weight cargo trouser in 190gsm cotton drill, with bar tacks at the crotch and front rise. It's Navy only, with regular, stout and long leg fits.
- The RMX011 is 200gsm cotton with 2% elastane for some stretch when kneeling at a garden bed, with reinforced knee and heel patches. It comes in Black, Dark Navy or Tan, and the listing gives a women's size equivalent from 8 to 24 alongside the men's waist sizes.
When the crew works near traffic
Council crews can move between parks, footpaths and roadsides in the same week. If any of the work is on or beside a road, the hi vis requirement comes from the council or principal contractor, not from the uniform catalogue. The hi vis shirts above are listed for day wear only, without reflective tape or a night rating. For night or low light work, check what's required with your safety officer or principal contractor, and keep logos clear of any reflective tape.
Putting your name on it
A logo on the hat front and on the shirt's left chest lets the public see who the crew works for. The Legend Life hats are ordered a little differently: after checkout you send us your logo and its position, and we confirm the decoration method that suits the hat. For shirts and pants, our embroidery or printing guide covers cotton twill, and what to watch with hi vis.
When you've chosen the hat, shirt and pants, list the styles, colours and sizes, note who needs hi vis, and send it through our custom workwear enquiry form, and we'll prepare a quote.
