When visibility is important in uniforms, standard HiVis clothing is often the go-to choice.
It ensures you’re noticeable to the general public, but at the same time, it leaves little room for a company’s unique identity to shine through. That’s why the public transport company in Singapore has developed a corporate clothing collection that combines both elements: visibility and brand identity. And they’ve done it in a clever way.
Students design new corporate uniforms
Until recently, SBS Transit bus captains wore a HiVis vest over their corporate clothing. But from this month onward, that’s a thing of the past. The new uniform set includes a shirt that combines white and dark purple with reflective and fluorescent orange stripes. The matching trousers feature an elastic waistband and multiple pockets. Other staff members, such as station personnel, have also received new uniforms that align with the look of the bus captains.
For the new designs, the company collaborated with young designers from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). During the project, the students worked alongside 3,000 SBS Transit employees and union leaders. The main focus was a combination of functionality and professionalism.
Reflective stripes in different places
This collaboration led to some interesting design choices. In public transport, staff uniforms often use dark base colors to convey professionalism. But for bus captains, the company deliberately chose a shirt that is predominantly white. The idea is to make them stand out more—especially during the day, when reflective strips are less noticeable.
Speaking of reflectivity, the designers found a unique way to integrate it into the clothing. The light gray reflective stripes are placed on the white areas of the shirt. As a result, from a distance, they are hardly noticeable during the day, giving the uniform a calmer, cleaner look—while still being visible in low light or at night.
HiVis clothing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution
The placement of the reflective stripes also differs from the standard HiVis vests previously used. The new stripes are mainly on the front, shoulders, and sleeves—logical, since these are the most visible areas when sitting behind the wheel. On the back, there’s just one stripe across the hips.
This new uniform clearly highlights some of the shortcomings of standard HiVis clothing. That type of gear is designed for people working in environments where they need to be visible from all directions. And since HiVis clothing is associated with safety standards and regulations, we often assume it’s always the best choice. It certainly increases visibility, but not every profession benefits from it equally. By integrating visibility features into corporate clothing and tailoring it to the specific needs of the staff, you can actually gain more from it. And it also looks much more distinctive, helping the company to stand out.
In short: a great example of creativity that also enhances functionality.
