Workwear for tilers

An empty knee-pad pocket protects nothing: it is the foam insert slipped inside that does the work, and it has to stay in front of the kneecap once you are kneeling. Try the trousers on kneeling, not standing: a pocket set too low lets the pad slide down under the shin. The standard governing this protection, EN 14404, applies to the trouser-and-pad combination the manufacturer had tested — one brand's pad in another brand's trousers does not necessarily carry that marking any more. Finally, look at the fabric of the pocket: that is what rubs on the screed, and its reinforcement decides how long the trousers last.

Cutting porcelain or stone gives off a fine dust that lodges in loose knits, open pockets and turn-ups. A tightly woven fabric holds it at the surface and releases it in the wash; a brushed fleece keeps it. Do not shake the outfit out or blow it down with compressed air at the end of the day: that puts back into the air what you avoided breathing. Wash it separately, and often — which argues for several pairs of trousers rather than one very expensive pair.

Grouting is done with a sponge, cutting often with water, and you kneel on a surface that is still damp. Heavy cotton stays wet until evening; a poly-cotton or a stretch fabric dries faster. Tile adhesive and grout are cement-based: fresh, they rinse out; dry, they stay in the fibre and dull the colour. On grey, their marks show less than on black.