Identifying “blue-collar” and “white-collar” workers by their work uniforms

A blue-collar worker is someone who earns a living through physical labor. Back then, members of the manual‑labor class—such as auto mechanics—typically wore inexpensive, durable work uniforms, most of which were blue in color, hence the term “blue collar.”

2026-09-24

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Identifying “blue-collar” and “white-collar” workers by their work uniforms

　　Fengming Apparel – Custom-Made Workwear

　　Teaching You How to Identify “Blue-Collar” and “White-Collar” Workers by Their Workwear

　　White-collar workers are those who earn their livelihood through intellectual labor, including managerial personnel. Office employees typically wear crisp white shirts, which is why they are referred to as “white-collar” workers.

　　Later, some people found this categorization too vague and went on to coin terms such as “gray‑collar,” “pink‑collar,” and “gold‑collar.”

　　Here is an explanation of the classification in English:

　　1. blue collar: blue-collar workers, manual laborers

　　2. gray collar: workers engaged in maintenance and repair technical work

　　3. white collar: office workers, clerical staff

　　4. iron collar — an iron collar, i.e., a robot.

　　5. Open collar, at-home office worker

　　6. Bright collar: a bright collar, symbolizing career success for professionals.

　　7. SOHO gold collar: a professional in the technology and information sectors.

　　8. pink collar: a term often used to refer to female teachers, saleswomen, nurses, and the like.

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