Why do painters wear all white when painting?

Nobody seems to know for sure how the practice started, but there are a few theories about why “whites” made sense. In fact, the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, posed the same question to their memberships.

One advantage that just about everyone could agree on is that white connotes cleanliness. A painter, after all, removes dirt and crumbling plaster before applying paint. Many painters compared the purity of their “whites” to the uniforms of nurses, chefs, and bakers. Philadelphia One painters theory is that a white uniform is like a badge that says, “There’s no paint on me, so I’m doing a my job.” Obviously, it is as hard to hide paint smeared on a white uniform as it is to hide a ketchup stain on a chef’s apron.

The white uniform is also a sign of professionalism, one that distinguishes painters from other crafts people. In the early twentieth century, nonunion workmen tried to horn in on the painting trade. These workers, usually moonlighting, wore blue overalls or other ordinary work clothes not related to the paint trade. By contrast, The “real painters” certainly looked professional in there white overalls, white jackets, and black ties.” Even today, most professionals prefer crisp white uniforms (even if they’ve shed the tie), while odd-job part timers might wear blue jeans and a T-shirt.

Of course, a color other than white could still look clean and professional. And at first glance, white seems like precisely the wrong color. By wearing white, you “broadcast” any color you spill. True, but remember that the majority of the time painters are dealing with white paint. And what other color uniform is going to look better when splattered with white paint?

White Painters Pants

I have been painting for 15 yrs, but today was the first time I was asked this question...by a 20 something, who saw me in my whites...I said, honestly, I have no idea; I think it s tradition, I think of it as a uniform, when I started as an apprentice, I wore denim and was more of a gopher and clean up.. One day my boss brought me to the paint store, and said I had learned enough to earn some whites.. so I do think it also shows skill level.. messy pants = messy painter, neat pants, neat painter...If you re looking for exterior, the messy guy is gonna get it done quicker than the neat guy.. Interior work, ALWAYS hire the neat...Honestly, I have whites that are ten years old and they have more dirt stains from crawling on someone s floor, coffee stains, and mustard stains from lunch break than they do paint stains.. Always wear your "cleanest whites" when going on a bid or the first day on the job.. Don t ever wear brand new whites on those days or you ll just look like a newbie. I do love the comment someone made about whites being a walking billboard for the trade.. They are so right... I have been approached many times outside of my job site or the paint store and have been asked for a business card...people just somehow have a preconceived notion of what a real painter is supposed to look like.. I still don t know the real answer of why painters wear white, but his question made me think.. so here s a new piece of logic.. personally, I have only ever purchased Centaurs... they are all made out of canvas/ cotton.. they are essentially drop cloths.. How many drop cloths are a color other than white or a shade of white? I think I saw a camo one once, but I don t think I would trade my whites in for camo

My theory for white . When painting ,

#1 If you are wearing a colour , it will reflect in the wet paint , making the painter not sure if he is covering proper .

#2 When painting a surface , they are usually painting onto a white undercoat . They mix their colour , put a little dab on their white pants , which will dry very fast , and then they can make sure they have the colour they are try to make . basically a test patch , without making the wall

As a pro..this is my take...when you wear white you look more professional and it is another way of advertising your business...when you go out for lunch people can approach you right away and ask for your business cards.Try to visualize dirty specs of paints on blue jeans(it doesn't look cool)When you are a good painter it shows on the clothes you are wearing {less paint on you means you put everything on the substrates and not on your clothes..lol. Overall,When you go to people's house appearance is very important..you look more clean in white.

As a painter myself ,the reason why white is worn by painters goes back to when houses were white washed with lime and water, both outside and inside houses, white coveralls were used so when you spilled it on them it could not be seen, the same reason why mechanics wore black coveralls, and people grinding barley wore brown coveralls.

Actually, there's another reason...back in the day, most farm homes were painted white, and almost EVERY picket fence was painted white. White paint on denim looked, obviously, messy and dirty. White paint on WHITE overalls, well, you could sit down and have lunch and not look too out of place. It's all about blending in : )

Source: http://kcneighborhoodpainting.com/johnson-county-h...

My dad claims it was because painters were a sort of wing belonging to the medical profession during the plague. To paint over surfaces to make them "cleaner" per se

I like to wear my whites, and every new color I use I make a nice thumb print of that paint on them. (Some of my pants have as many as 30 colors on them) You can recommend a color you've obviously worked with before without running to find one of those dreadful color selection pallets. :)

My guess is that when they get real dirty and want to wash their clothes in hot soapy water, the clothes will not fade.Bleach away and nothing damages the clothes..Then again it may be because everyone will know that they are the painters since they have worn white forever and a day.good question.