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3 styles we can bring in · Premier, LarkwoodBib and brace, dungarees and braces.
The trouser with a bib and straps — still the right garment for anyone kneeling, reaching overhead or carrying tools all day. Brought in to order, in the sizes and colours the team actually needs.
Premier
Clip-on trouser braces
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Larkwood
Organic cotton dungaree
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Larkwood
Denim dungarees
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No prices here on purpose. These are the styles we can bring in; what they cost depends on the quantity, the sizes and the standard you need, so we quote against your actual order rather than publishing an average.
Why trades still buy bib and brace
Two reasons, and neither is nostalgia. The bib keeps the gap at the small of the back covered when someone bends or kneels, which an ordinary trouser does not, and the straps carry the weight of a loaded tool pocket off the waist and onto the shoulders. Plasterers, painters, decorators, dairy and food processing all still specify them.
Bib and brace, or a coverall?
A coverall covers more and is hotter. Bib and brace lets someone work in a t-shirt underneath in summer and a fleece underneath in winter, and comes off faster at a break. If the hazard is dirt and wear, bib and brace usually wins on comfort. If the hazard is spray, splash or flame, the coverall wins because there is no open top.
Sizes and the strap question
Size on the waist, not the chest, and check the strap adjustment range if the team has a real spread of heights — a fixed-length strap that fits a six-footer will not fit someone at five foot four. Tell us the size spread and we will pick the range that covers it rather than two ranges that each cover half.
Bib & brace: the questions people actually ask
What is the difference between bib and brace and dungarees?
They are the same garment, and the words split along trade lines rather than design. "Bib and brace" is the UK trade term and what you will see on a workwear supplier's list; "dungarees" is the everyday and fashion word for the same bib-fronted trouser with shoulder straps. If you are buying for a working team, search bib and brace — the fashion word mostly returns fashion garments.
Are bib and brace overalls good for plastering and decorating?
They are the traditional choice for both, and for a practical reason: the bib covers the chest and the small of the back when you are reaching up or bending down, which is most of the day in both trades. White is still standard for decorators because it shows contamination rather than hiding it, and because it is what customers expect to see in their house.
What size bib and brace should I order?
Order on the waist measurement, not the chest, and allow for what goes underneath — a bib and brace worn over a fleece in winter wants the next size up. Check the strap adjustment range as well if your team covers a wide height spread; a strap that suits a tall person is uncomfortable on a short one even at its shortest setting.
Do you sell trouser braces on their own?
Yes, clip-on trouser braces are a separate item and we can bring them in with an order. They are the cheap fix for the common problem of a work trouser that fits the leg but not the waist, or a trouser pulled down by a loaded knee pocket. If that is the actual problem, braces are a lot cheaper than re-kitting everyone in a different trouser.
Can bib and brace be flame-resistant or antistatic?
Certified versions exist, but they are a specialist order rather than something off a general workwear list. If the job needs EN ISO 11612 for heat and flame, or EN 1149 for antistatic, tell us that at the request stage and we will quote only garments that genuinely hold the mark — not something that merely looks heavy-duty.
How do bib and brace overalls wash?
Normally, on a 40 degree cycle, with the straps unclipped so the metal fittings do not batter the drum or the garment. Dirt-barrier cotton and polycotton will shrink slightly on the first wash, which is another reason not to order tight. Anything with a protective finish follows its own care label, not the general rule.