If you’re into workwear as a style choice, are a Dickies obsessive, or just think that people studying to be auto mechanics deserve to look cool, you’re going to be excited by a clothing line that NAPA Auto Parts recently put out. NAPA joined with Dickies and created t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, and jackets that it offered under the “TradeWear” label and designed to appeal to students attending trade schools.
When high school graduates are admitted to a four-year college there is “a lot of hoopla,” said Danny Huffaker, NAPA senior vice president of product and marketing. “Everybody’s got all of the gear that’s showing pride in the school.” Students choosing to attend trade school don’t have the same opportunity, he said. NAPA surveyed trade school students who told them clothing is a big part of community and identity.
NAPA didn’t plan to make money on the clothes and, over the course of two giveaways, appears to have immediately exhausted the run of 1,100 items. According to Automotive News, however, the TradeWear line – developed with videogame artist Stephen Bliss – could be replenished.
Workwear for work
NAPA reportedly conducted surveys of trade-school students and learned that they wanted to express themselves with gear that they’d wear on the job: they were already thinking ahead. Bliss is noted for his contribution “Grand Theft Auto,” and NAPA sought him out so that the line would appeal to Gen Zers who might have initially been turned onto cars by playing the game.
It is absolutely not surprising that a line of fairly supercool threads that was offered gratis to anyone over 18 not associated with Dickies or NAPA disappeared in short order (that was the sad news I found when I first visited the TradeWear site). Firstly: free clothes! Secondly: Free clothes with bold labels, patches, and graphics that should make the envious ask, “What’s that?” Thirdly, if I’m in trade school studying to be an auto tech, I totally want this stuff.
NAPA’s stake in the techs of the future
The TradeWear collection is, objectively, a terrific marketing stunt. I like Dickies and wouldn’t mind having one of the jackets. But NAPA is also committed to bringing more young people into the auto-tech profession. “The company…offers scholarships and access to tools, and partners with trade schools and government jobs programs nationwide,” Automotive News reported.
And there’s an urgent need for more people to become techs, as older folks are retiring and not being replaced, and as the industry moves from combustion engines to EVs. Fox Business ran down the dire situation last year, but amid the crisis, there is an encouraging statistic: almost 68,000 auto tech jobs could open up through 2033. We have already reported on 400,000 openings for techs in the U.S. NAPA’s pitch is that if you do go into the profession, you’ll likely be in high demand and may not be as burdened by debt as some of your friends who took the college route. And as someone who has collaborated with many mechanics and techs over the years, I can assure you that if you get good at it, you will be a deeply valued person in a country where there are plenty of cars to work on.
