Why Do Professional Painters Wear White?

Occupational uniforms help us identify societal roles, perpetuate trade traditions, and serve functional purposes. Professional chefs have towering, pleated hats. Physicians have clean, white lab coats. Clowns have those oversized, red shoes. In the case of professional painters, they’ll often opt for bright white apparel.

But why white? Isn’t that counter-intuitive, given the colorful splotches of paint they’re likely to suffer?

1. A Dazzling Tradition
2. The Right Look for the Job
3. Public Expectations

A Dazzling Tradition

One of the most pervasive theories is that white clothes were a consequence of worker unions cropping up in the 1800s. Union painters donned white workwear—and sometimes even a white jacket or black bow tie—to communicate professionalism. Non-union or moonlighting painters, in contrast, weren’t hung up on their appearance and might show up to jobs wearing whatever they wanted. It thus became easy for consumers to determine which painters were actual tradespeople and which were offering semi-skilled labor.

But why did union painters choose white? One possible reason is that work trousers were once repurposed from discarded ship sails. The material was durable as well as lightweight, making it a cheap and reliable choice for sailors. Other laborers soon adopted the practice, and pretty soon, painters were donning white sails to head to work.

In a 1977 column in The Charlotte News, a veteran painter who began his career in the late 1800s (he was 96 at the time of the interview) had another explanation: White was a symbol of a painter’s skill level. The pure shade denoted a master craftsman, whereas an amateur or lower-level laborer might have to wear blue or blue-striped overalls.

The Right Look for the Job

Wearing all white serves a few practical purposes as well. In his 1992 book of miscellanea, When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?, author David Feldman explains that white held a number of advantages for painters in the 18th century. At the time, buildings in England were whitewashed, meaning that lime and water were used to render surfaces lighter in color. Plaster and spackle are also white. When painters sanded or otherwise prepped a surface, they were more likely to be peppered with debris and stains that were white than any other color.

There’s also the painting itself: While it’s true that bright colors will show up on a white jumpsuit, historically, painters were more likely to use various shades of white paint on jobs. Since it was the most common color, it made sense to wear something that would more or less match any stains or drippings.

Tinted paints are far more common now, but the principle remains. While white will definitely show darker colors, the reverse is true: A darker uniform will almost certainly get covered in white spots, making a painter look like they ran afoul of a flock of birds.

There are other practical reasons for the color choice. If a worker needs to use bleach to clean their workwear, darker colors will begin to look washed out; white will remain white. A lighter uniform also helps in hotter temperatures. Few painters would want to wear a dark color when painting a building exterior in the heat of summer.

Public Expectations

Because it’s become so associated with painting, the white uniform also makes painters easier to identify when a stranger might otherwise seem out of place. Like an orange vest on a construction crew, it helps the public contextualize the work. If you see a person wandering around a neighbor’s yard in street clothes, you might find that odd. If they’re wearing white overalls, you’re probably more inclined to think they’re about to do some work.

Painters’ whites may have a slightly subliminal effect as well. If someone sees a crew in the uniform, they may become more aware that wet paint is nearby and are therefore less likely to, say, plop down on a freshly-painted bench or lean against a wet wall.

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