Summer Reflective Work Trousers

What Are Summer Reflective Work Trousers?

Summer reflective work trousers are made for teams who work outdoors in the hot season and need to be seen. The difference from the winter model is not only a thinner fabric — in the heat, the visibility material itself becomes a burden, and the design of the trousers changes accordingly.

Mars Wear produces them at its own facility in Zeytinburnu, Istanbul, with a pattern and logo specific to your organisation, from a minimum of 100 pieces, and ships within Türkiye and abroad.

The Cost of Visibility in the Heat: Tape Does Not Breathe

Reflective tape is not fabric but a plastic film. Its microprism surface reflects light back, but it does not let air through. This leads to a consequence everyone overlooks in summer products: every strip of tape added to the trousers stops sweat evaporating in that area.

In practice, this means:

• On the winter model, adding more tape is no problem; on the summer model it is a direct loss of comfort.
• That is why, in our summer design, we optimise the placement of the tape rather than increasing the amount: below the knee and at calf level, on the line where movement is seen most.
• We do not put tape on areas where airflow is critical, such as the back of the leg and the inner thigh.
• Enlarging the fluorescent background area instead of adding tape gives the same visibility without the heat load — because fluorescent fabric breathes.

If your team is in the sun all day, our preference is not "more tape" but "more fluorescent background, with a little well-placed tape".

Breathable Fabric: 16/12 Gabardine

For summer production we use 16/12 gabardine — 100% cotton, our summer weave. It is lighter and more breathable than the 7/7 gabardine we use in winter production.

Cotton's advantage in summer is that it absorbs sweat and lets it evaporate; polyester-heavy hi-vis fabrics hold their colour but leave sweat sitting on the fabric. For teams working in hot climates, this difference is clearly felt at the end of the day.

In return there is one disadvantage, and we should state it plainly too.

Fluorescent Colour Fades in the Sun — and When It Fades, Protection Ends

EN ISO 20471, the standard for high-visibility clothing, separately requires that the fluorescent background fabric does not fade; the fabric is exposed to simulated sunlight with a xenon arc lamp and its colour is measured with a spectrophotometer both new and after exposure.

The reason is simple: the function of fluorescent colour is daytime visibility. When the colour fades, the trousers still look sound, the stitching is tight and the tape still reflects at night — but the daytime protection has ended. The wearer does not notice, because the garment does not look worn.

On a summer site, this can mean retiring garments before the end of their physical life. We recommend planning your orders around this reality: in annual supply, the right approach is not "replace when worn out" but a colour check at the end of the season.

The standard defines three fluorescent colours: yellow, orange-red and red. Almost only yellow and orange are found on the market; red is also a valid option and is often a good way out for matching a corporate colour.

For the class thresholds and which class is needed for which job, see our EN ISO 20471 reflective classes guide; for year-round use, see our reflective work trousers page.

Pocket Layout

Standard: 2 side pockets + 2 back pockets + double cargo pockets on the side of the thigh. On the summer model we make the pocket flaps single-layer rather than with a mesh lining — a double-layer flap creates an extra insulating layer on the thigh in the heat.

For teams who do not carry tools, removing the cargo pockets makes sense for both coolness and cost; this is decided on the pattern, not chosen from a catalogue.

Colour Options

• Fluorescent yellow — the most common, the highest daytime contrast
• Fluorescent orange-red — stands out more than yellow on sites with dusty and earthy ground
• Fluorescent red — the third colour defined in the standard; for companies whose corporate identity is red
• Contrast lower leg — a navy or black lower section; in jobs with heavy asphalt, paint and oil stains, it keeps visibility on the upper leg while hiding the area that gets dirty

Our own design team works out your corporate colour in a way that can be applied without reducing the fluorescent area.

Which Teams Are They For?

• Road and motorway maintenance — asphalt repairs, road marking, the summer maintenance season
• Energy, natural gas and water network field teams
• Construction — concrete, formwork, steel fixing; the busiest period in the summer months
• Municipal services companies — street sweeping, refuse collection, parks and gardens
• Landscaping, gardening and agricultural businesses
• Logistics open ramps and fuel station staff
• Traffic marshals and outdoor event teams

If You Need a Certified Product

High-visibility clothing is Category II personal protective equipment; certification is issued by a notified body for a specific tested product. If certified PPE is mandatory in your workplace, say so at the start of the project — fabric and tape supply and the certification route are set up accordingly, and we share in writing what is covered. If there is no requirement, this product is summer corporate work trousers with high-visibility features.

Complete the Set

• Reflective Fluorescent Safety Vest — the top garment; assessed together with the trousers where Class 2–3 is needed
• Reflective Work Trousers — year-round use
• Winter Work Trousers — the seasonal counterpart
• Work Shorts — Summer Cargo — hot-climate teams who do not need visibility
• Gabardine 16×12 Summer Work Trousers — the same fabric without reflective elements

For all options, see the reflective workwear and summer workwear categories.

Logo Application

On high-visibility clothing, the logo must not reduce the fluorescent background and reflective area. On trousers, the safe areas are the side of the thigh and the back waist.

One extra note for the summer model: a large transfer print covers the fabric's breathable surface. For teams working in the heat, a small embroidery should be preferred. For a comparison of methods, see our logo printing and embroidery guide.

Ordering and Production Process

1. Needs discussion — at what times of day the team is in the sun, whether they are exposed to traffic, whether certified PPE is mandatory.
2. Design decision — fluorescent area and tape placement, contrast lower leg, cargo pockets.
3. Sample — pattern, fabric and tape approval with a physical sample.
4. Design approval — the logo position is set so that the visibility area is preserved.
5. Production — standard delivery 15 working days.
6. Shipping — within Türkiye and abroad, delivered to multiple sites.

Our minimum order is 100. For the size breakdown, you can use our workwear size chart guide.

Care

• Do not use fabric softener — it leaves a film on the tape and reduces retroreflection.
• Do not use bleach — it directly damages the fluorescent colour.
• Wash inside out and dry in the shade. Drying in direct sun adds to the UV load the garment is already exposed to.
• Do not iron over the tape.
• Do a colour check at the end of the season: a faded fluorescent background has lost its daytime protection even if the fabric is sound.

For details, see our workwear care guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there less tape on the summer model? Reflective tape does not breathe. Adding more tape in the heat reduces comfort; we achieve the same visibility by enlarging the fluorescent background area, without creating a heat load.

What is the difference between 16/12 and 7/7 gabardine? Both are 100% cotton gabardine; 16/12 is our summer weave and 7/7 our winter weave. The summer one is noticeably lighter and more breathable. You can feel the difference on a sample.

Is cotton or polyester better? Cotton absorbs sweat and lets it evaporate, making it more comfortable in the heat. Polyester keeps its colour longer. If the team is in the sun all day, we recommend cotton; if garment life comes first, a blend.

How long does fluorescent colour take to fade? We do not give a time — it depends on sun exposure, washing temperature and drying method. The measure is not time but the colour itself; check it at the end of the season.

Is fluorescent red really a thing? Yes, the standard defines red alongside yellow and orange-red. It is rare on the market; we produce it.

Can the cargo pockets be removed? Yes. For teams who do not carry tools, removing them makes sense for both coolness and cost.

Do you produce a women's pattern? Yes, women's and men's patterns are developed separately. Size range XS–5XL, with larger special sizes.

What is your minimum order? 100 pieces.

Do you ship abroad? Yes, we ship within Türkiye and abroad.