When you hear people refer to “professionalism” they generally mean doing great work, as well as presenting yourself to others in the best possible way.

Beyond just the measure of their skills and abilities, the appearance of your installers and technicians is one of the details that either cements your company’s reputation for excellence, or tarnishes it. I have many favorite aphorisms, but one of them is “the way you dress indicates the respect you have for others.”  To me, this perfectly sums up how you should approach your work wear.

Face it, being an installer means spending your days covered in drill shavings, drywall dust and, on hot summer days rooting through people’s attics, sweat. Regardless, showing up in the morning at a client’s house showered, shaved and in clean work clothes makes an undeniably better first impression than the opposite.

Knowing that, it makes sense to choose work clothes that are not only rugged, but stay looking sharp. At my old job, we wore khakis from Rail Riders because of their toughness, comfort, and tidy appearance. You may prefer Carhartt or another brand of work-wear; just make sure that you have a backup pair in case they get ripped or soiled.

Safety footwear is a no-brainer: It’s mandated for wear on jobsites. Fortunately, there’s a lot more selection available than just work boots today, including dressy-looking slip-ons.

Ah yes, slip-on shoes. Given how often you have to remove your outdoor footwear when entering people’s homes I can’t tell you how awesome it is to be able to slip into or out of your footwear at the front door, especially when your hands are full of boxes or equipment.

Many of you are fortunate enough to exempt from this, but many others have to deal with bitterly cold winter conditions on jobsites for half the year.

I was once on a job in an unfinished house that was so cold we had to pack it in after half a day because we had exceeded the temperature ratings on the Cat5 cable and it was fracturing as it rolled off the spool, but that’s a story for another day.

In those circumstances you desperately need a pair of convertible mitts that can peel back, leaving your fingertips exposed for delicate work, but can be redeployed to warm your poor fingers. Even better, pick ones that have room for hot pocket-style warming sachets.

Lee Distad is a rAVe columnist and freelance writer covering topics from CE to global business and finance in both print and online. Reach him at lee@ravepubs.com