Custom Safety Stripes: Hi-Vis Crew Gear That Carries Your Logo
Drive past any job site in the Northwest and you'll see the same thing: crews in black hoodies and hi-vis tees with bold reflective-look stripes across the chest, back, and sleeves — and their company's logo right in the middle. That look is what we call custom safety stripes, and it's one of the most-requested things we print.
Here's what safety stripes actually are, which garments they work best on, and how to make the look unmistakably yours.
Why crews put stripes on everything
- Visibility where it counts. Bold contrasting stripes make a person easier to pick out in early-morning light, dust, and busy yards.
- Team identity. A crew in matching striped gear looks organized before anyone says a word — customers notice.
- It works on the clothes crews actually wear. Instead of forcing everyone into the same vest, the stripes go on hoodies, tees, and sweatshirts your crew already likes wearing.
- Your logo rides along. Every striped piece is also a rolling billboard for the company name.
What custom safety stripes are (and an honest note)
Our safety stripes are screen-printed directly into the garment — typically a silver diamond-plate texture paired with hi-vis yellow, applied across the front, back, and sleeves. They're durable, they don't peel like cheap tape, and they survive real laundry.
One thing we tell every customer straight: printed stripes add visibility, but they don't make a garment ANSI-rated. If your site or DOT contract requires ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 gear, that has to be a certified garment — like the CornerStone ANSI 107 Class 2 Mesh Back Safety Vest (CSV405), which we print your logo on. Most crews end up with both: rated vests for the jobs that require them, striped everyday gear for everything else.
Our 9 best-selling safety garments
These aren't guesses — this is the actual top-sellers list from our screen-print quoting system, ranked by what Northwest crews buy, in Safety Green and Safety Orange:
Tees (the everyday workhorses):
- Port & Company Core Blend Tee (PC55) — our #1 safety seller, period. Cheap enough to outfit the whole crew, tough enough to stripe.
- Gildan Ultra Cotton Tee (2000) — the 100% cotton favorite for crews that don't want poly.
- Jerzees Dri-POWER ACTIVE 50/50 Tee (29M) — moisture-wicking blend for hot-weather work.
- Port & Company Long Sleeve Core Blend Tee (PC55LS) — same shirt, covered arms for sun and scrapes.
Hoodies & sweatshirts (where stripes really shine):
- Gildan Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt (18500) — the classic heavyweight hoodie in blaze orange or safety green.
- Port & Company Essential Fleece Hoodie (PC90H) — the budget-friendly crew standard; stripes on safety green are visible from the next block.
- Gildan DryBlend Pullover Hoodie (12500) — 50/50 blend that sheds drizzle and dries faster.
- Port & Company TALL Essential Fleece Hoodie (PC90HT) — same hoodie in tall sizes, because crews come in all heights.
When the contract says ANSI:
- CornerStone ANSI 107 Class 2 Mesh Back Safety Vest (CSV405) — the certified vest we logo the most, mesh-backed so it's wearable in August.
Prefer heavyweight name-brand gear? The Carhartt Rain Defender full-zip in our photo up top stripes beautifully too — just ask.
Make the stripes match your brand
Silver-and-yellow is the classic, but the stripes are printed, which means the colors are yours to choose. We've done red-and-silver for a dirt works company, orange for a land care crew, even green-and-white to match a company logo. If your brand has a color, your safety stripes can carry it — that's the "custom" part, and it's what makes your crew recognizable at a glance.
Common questions
Do printed stripes make a shirt ANSI-compliant?
No — and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you trouble. Printed stripes are an enhanced-visibility look. For ANSI/ISEA 107 requirements, use a certified vest or garment (we decorate those too) and treat striped hoodies and tees as your everyday crew wear.
Can we put stripes AND our logo on the same garment?
That's the standard layout: stripes across the chest, back, and sleeves with your logo front-and-center (embroidered or printed, depending on the garment).
What's the best seller?
The PC55 tee moves the most units, but the photo everyone asks about is the black hoodie with silver diamond-plate + hi-vis yellow stripes and a chest logo. If you want one sample to show the boss, start there — or request a quote and we'll price your crew's sizes today.
Northwest Custom Apparel has outfitted Northwest crews since 1977 — screen printing, embroidery, DTG, and DTF, all done in-house in Milton, WA. Looking for gear for the whole family too? See our guide to custom youth & toddler apparel.