My BCG shirts hang in my closet most of the time. I had short and long-sleeved company shirts made several years ago.

The short-sleeve polyester weave shirts sport purple and white colors and they’re embroidered with my logo, tagline, and website address. The long-sleeve buttoned cotton shirts are purple and embroidered with my logo and website address.

Going Purple

This year I decided to wear my short-sleeved shirts every time I go out in public. I change to a T-shirt when I arrive home, but I have my polo shirt and purple BCG hat when I go anywhere — the bank, a restaurant, and even the grocery store.

When I started wearing my BCG shirt, people treated me differently. They looked at me, of course, because they don’t see many people wearing purple shirts. That’s one reason why I wear purple shirts. I also noticed people treating me professionally, even in a non-professional environment such as a grocery store.

That behavior continues to this day. People say hello, make eye contact, and smile. They say “excuse me” in busy store aisles.

Standing Out

So far, people haven’t asked me for help and that’s another reason why I wear purple: not very many businesses do. If I wore another color such as red or green, I would not only blend in with other businesses but may look like the employee of another business.

When the weather turns cooler (hopefully sooner rather than later) I’ll switch to my long-sleeved shirts and see if that makes a difference in others’ reactions. My fancier short-sleeved shirts may be more interesting because of the color contrast. No matter what, my BCG shirts will get a lot more wear in the next year or two.

Do you wear branded clothing when you go out? If you do, how do people treat you?