As operators shop for workwear options for 2026, many are seeking cooler, more comfortable styles that reflect a shift to younger employees, according to operators we contacted.

Jerry Martin, vice president of sales & marketing for Prudential Overall Supply, a national industrial operator based in Irvine, CA, says he was struck by recent research incorporating census data and surveys conducted by garment supplier Workwear Outfitters (WWO). These statistics show that over the past six years millennials (born 1981-’96) and Gen Z (born 1997-2015) people have come to dominate the U.S. workforce. “This is kind of interesting, as it relates to the ...