Corporate Away Day Uniforms: Why a Custom Jacket Beats a Polo Every Time
The branded polo shirt is the default corporate away day uniform. It's safe, it's relatively cheap, and it does the job of making a group look vaguely unified. But it rarely makes anyone feel good, and it almost never gets worn again after the event. It goes in the back of a wardrobe or, more likely, the charity bag.
A custom jacket is different. Here's why it consistently outperforms the polo for corporate away days — and why the extra investment is usually justified.
A Jacket Gets Worn Again
The single most important difference is wearability. A branded polo shirt is recognisably a work item — it signals "corporate function" in a way that limits when people will wear it. A well-designed custom jacket, on the other hand, is something people might actually wear on a weekend, during a commute, or at a casual social event. That means your brand travels beyond the away day itself, into the daily lives of your team.
Every time a team member wears the jacket outside of work, they're a walking advert for your brand. The polo doesn't do that.
It Communicates Investment in Your Team
Corporate events are as much about team morale as they are about the content of the day. A branded jacket communicates that the company invested in something of quality — not just the cheapest branded item they could order from a catalogue. That's a message that lands differently than a polo shirt.
Teams that feel valued perform better and retain higher employee satisfaction. The jacket is a tangible expression of that value.
It Works Outdoors
Away days are often partially or fully outdoors — activity days, team-building exercises, site visits, outdoor workshops. A polo shirt is hopelessly impractical in cold or wet weather. A jacket isn't. Your team stays warm, the event goes ahead regardless of weather, and nobody spends the afternoon with their arms crossed trying to stay warm.
For outdoor away days specifically, a mid-layer jacket or a water-resistant coach jacket is significantly more practical than any top without an outer layer.
It's a Better Canvas for Branding
Jackets have more surface area for branding than polo shirts — back panels, chest logos, sleeve detailing. The design possibilities are substantially wider. A jacket can carry a large back print or embroidered crest that a polo simply can't accommodate at the same visual impact.
What to Order for a Corporate Away Day
For most corporate away days, a bomber jacket, coach jacket, or fleece is the right call. Something light enough to be comfortable during activities, but substantial enough to handle variable outdoor weather. Simple embroidery on the left chest with the company logo is classic and professional. Individual names on the chest add a personal touch that teams appreciate.
