What to Wear on a Construction Site as a Woman in Construction

This post is all about what to wear as a woman who works on a construction site.

Wondering what to wear as a Woman in Construction to a Construction Site? There is a certain type of outfit you need to wear, but you can still look cute and girly while working on a construction site.

I personally am a woman in construction, and you can best believe I do not sacrifice my personality to blend in with all the men on site. I tend to wear lots of pink, but I still wear my boots and work pants because I still have a job to do at the end of the day. So, in this post, I am going to show you what some of my favorite items are that I wear and love!

Disclaimer: I am not going to be recommending any safety equipment in this post because most companies provide you with those items(at least in my experience), but if this is something you all would be interested in, please let me know!

So, let’s get right into it.

Tops

Tops were the hardest thing for me to find items that I liked and felt cute and confident in, and I did not just want to wear polos every day. So, I finally found some shirts on Amazon that I love, and I essentially wear every day.

Blouse Polo:

I wanted a top that looked professional, like a polo, but flowed and felt like a blouse. So, this Flowly Babydoll Blouse was perfect for me! This is definitely my most worn shirt. I have this in about every color they have.

I also love this shirt because it is super affordable like $12.99?!?! SUCH A STEAL! I am not kidding. I wear this shirt in one of my many colors 3 out of the 5 days of the week, and not to mention it is comfortable and cute. This shirt makes me feel professional because it does have a collar on it, but it is flowy and soft, unlike some polos.

Here is another similar shirt option that has a few more color options than the first one I linked!

Cute Button Up:

Another one that I wear all the time is this Button Up Shirt, but these are in lots of cute colors and a polka dot design! The picture below shows you just how many I actually own lol. As I said, these shirts get A LOT of wear in my closet. They give a cute professional look, but still allow me to feel and dress girly, which is such a priority for me as a woman in construction. I can still dress cute and feel comfortable even if I am in a male-dominated field.

Again, this shirt is very affordable! Some of them are $19.99, and some are $24.99, and I have noticed this brand tends to do a lot of sales. As I am writing this post, I believe they have 25% off. So, it is super affordable for some good basic work shirts!

Polo Shirt:

So, I cannot, not talk about Polos in this post. I do feel like it is a bit of a stereotype that if you are a woman in construction, you just wear polos all the time. While you can if you want to, you do not have to. However, I do have some good options for you if you like a good polo shirt.

I love this polo. There are some really fun colors and patterns that this shirt comes in, and I also love that it has a pocket. While it is probably not a functional pocket, it is still cute to stick a pen or something in. I also love that this is not a traditional dry fit polo fabric; this is a softer fabric that should flow better as well as hide some of those imperfections you may want to hide.

This next shirt is perfect for those of you who are maybe hybrid between the office and the site. This shirt could be dressed up or dressed down. I also love the fit of it. I like the boxy look, and this definitely gives that. Again, this shirt comes in lots of cute colors. They are very bright and girly. I also think the buttons are super cute! As I said, this one is perfect for a morning on-site, and it can transition amazingly into your afternoon meetings, and you will still look very cute and professional!

Lastly, you cannot forget about the traditional polo. While I think polos are definitely not the cutest thing I have ever put on my body, I think there is something to be said about how lightweight polo is. They are breathable and will keep you cool, which can be critical on those hot summer days on-site. They are also generally accepted across the construction industry as appropriate work attire. So, if you like polos and want a few to add to your closet, this polo is a great option! Lots of color options as well as super affordable!

Pants

Now that you have tops, you definitely have to have pants for the workwear outfit.

Pants can also be such a struggle for women, but especially for those of us in construction. When I started shopping for clothes before starting my full-time job, I struggled to find jeans that I really liked. I did not want to wear my normal everyday pants because they would likely get dirty at work. So, I basically needed a whole different pant wardrobe for work, and as I shopped, I just began to notice there were not a lot of options for women in general in the workwear world, but for those of us who are a bit plus size, I felt like the options were no existent.

So, I began to try all the big brands, particularly Carhartt and Ariat. I ordered HUNDREDS of dollars of clothes and ended up hating most of them. But after a lot of trial and error, I did find some pants that I liked. The type of pants that I ended up liking were generally boot cut and high rise, and my brand of choice is usually Ariat. No hate to Carhartt, but they do not really know how to design for curves. I wanted to love them truly, but their pants were always too big around my waist and too tight on my thighs.

But I want to share with you the pants that actually did work for me because I would have loved to know this before I started my job.

ARIAT Women’s R.e.a.l. Perfect Rise Stretch Rosa Boot Cut Jean: These jeans are a great wash, and I love the perfect rise. This isn’t exactly as high rise as I usually prefer, but I have found it is high enough for me. These come up to about my belly button, so definitely not an ultra-high rise or anything but high enough.

ARIAT Women’s Ultra Stretch Perfect Rise Katie Flare Jean: I love these jeans! These have a ton of wash options as well, and they are so stretchy. The Stretch is super important for any bending or moving you might be doing. Whether you are a laborer or sitting in the office, you want to be comfortable and able to move however you need to, and these jeans definitely allow you to do that!

ARIAT R.E.A.L. Perfect Rise Leila Boot Cut Jean: Another pair that I wear all the time and love! They are a great wash that goes with all of my different colors of tops!

Carhartt Women’s Rugged Flex Relaxed Fit Canvas Work Pant: Okay, I am going to link one pair of Carhartt pants. Full transparency: I do not own a pair of these pants. This is one of those that did not fit me correctly, but I wanted to recommend them because I think they would be worth the try. If they fit you correctly, they would be GREAT pants for a construction site. I also love these pants because they are just not jeans. Sometimes, I get tired of wearing jeans every day, so it would be nice every now and then to have a different pair of pants to switch it up.

These pants may not have worked for me, but I definitely think they are worth the shot and would be a great pair of pants if they worked for you!

Also, I am going to mention some non-workwear pants that would also be a good option if you are not trying to spend a ton, or you may want to get some pants that you can wear outside of work as well.

One of my favorite places to get affordable jeans is Target, and my favorite brand is Universal Thread. They are pretty good quality and super affordable. This pair of skinny jeans is one of my favorites if there is a day I want to switch it up. I also wear a lot of straight jeans outside of work, so if I ever want to wear a different style of jeans at work. This pair is great for that!

Save this post for later!

Boots

Now, onto the most uncute thing of the construction site outfit: the boots. Let’s just face it: they are not cute, but very necessary for anyone on a construction site.

Also, it is worth noting that some of my favorite boots that I wear are men’s boots. I have larger calves, so some of the women’s boots are not wide enough for me. It’s not ideal, but they do work. So, I will also include some of my favorite pairs that are men’s.

Calling all Leopard Fans!!

These two next pairs of boots are perfect for you if you love some leopard print and want to add a splash of personality to your outfit with your boots. One thing to keep in mind about these boots is that they have a shorter shaft. Some sites have shaft requirements heights for your boots. For example, the company I work for requires all boots on site to be at least 6 inches tall.

Ariat Women’s Edge Lte Moc Composite Toe Work Boot

Ariat Women’s Fatbaby Twin Gore Western Boot

If you want more traditional boots, these pairs are great options for you! As I mentioned, they are not cute, but they will keep you safe and will definitely work for any construction site you walk onto.

I wanted to mention as well that most of these boots are quite the investment, but all of these pairs that I am recommending are pairs that will last you YEARS. I also think it is important to remember that you will likely be wearing these boots every day on-site, so you want them to be comfortable and good quality!

Ariat Women’s Rebar Wedge Moc Toe Waterproof Work Boot

Ariat Women’s Anthem Waterproof Composite Toe Work Boot

For kicks and giggles, here are the men’s boots that I wear pretty much on a daily basis:

Skechers Work KadmielBennot200180 Mens Boot: I know Skechers is EW, but these are comfortable and provide a lot of ankle support and easy to get on and off.

Ariat Men’s Workhog Wellington Waterproof Composite Toe Work Boot: These are not the exact ones I have, but they are very similar. I have had mine for about 2 years, so I think styles have just changed.

Conclusion

Figuring out what to wear on a construction site as a woman can be super hard, but the key is to find what you like and go with that! There is no perfect standard for what to wear other than making sure you are safe on site, so as long as you are doing that, you can wear whatever you want!

Some of the best advice I got when I started my job in construction and I asked a mentor about attire was, and she said, “Wear whatever you want; do not let anyone make you feel like you are supposed to wear something.” So, find what makes you feel confident, cute, and comfortable and keeps you safe, and wear that!

I hope some of my recommendations help you find your wardrobe for your site visits! It truly can be so hard, and I hope I made the process just a bit easier!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post! Please comment some of your favorite items or things that you wear on your construction site!