A few months ago we raised a concern, which we disguised as a simple question - if AI is changing everything we do, will it also change what we wear to work?
Which then led us to ask another question...
Why, in 2026, are we still doing this: printing a catalogue, then giving it away for FREE.
It costs us around R400 per catalogue, and we won't ever know if it's opened or not. And it's not just the design and printing costs - we spend the GDP of a small island nation distributing it… again for FREE. To anyone who wants one.
Which, when you think about it, sounds kind of mad.
So why do we do it? The answer is hiding in plain sight. And we touched upon it in the article above.
It's about human engagement and how much we - and we are guessing many others like us - value it.
We live in a world where AI can now answer a question in seconds - it can even create a catalogue if you ask it nicely. Google can show you thousands of options all on one screen - before you've finished your coffee. These browsers and AI agents are open 24/7 and never take a nap or a holiday. And even our most trusted and preferred method of communication (WhatsApp) has somehow become a shop, a customer service desk and meeting room all in one. And what's become all too common too, is businesses across South Africa digitising the customer journey and claiming it's a forward-thinking business model. Really!?
And here we are, using real models, real designers, real printers, real distribution hubs and putting a uniform catalogue in a box and sending it out into this digital abyss hoping for signs of life.
Why?
Because perhaps one of the lessons of our increasingly digital world is that digital doesn't automatically make everything that came before it obsolete. We are human and we need human experiences.
Digital in our view makes the physical things more valuable.
Your brain may actually quite like paper
There is some interesting research behind this.
Studies comparing print and digital marketing have found that physical material generates stronger engagement and is more memorable. The yellow pages were right when they said, 'let your fingers do the walking' (remember this ad??). Touch/feel = brain stimulation. Research into catalogues has also found that print can complement digital rather than simply compete with it.
Let's think about digital vs hardcopy using our favourite pastime (no not monopoly or computer games). Are you a paperback or a Kindle kind of person? Personally, if I want to escape and jump into a novel, I like the nostalgia and tactile feel of paper in my hands with dog eared corners. There may be something in this - and science suggests there is - research into paper versus screen reading has found that the physical and tactile cues of paper can help us navigate and mentally organise information far better than anything we simply scan over with our eyes. But surely that's not too much of a surprise right?
Back to the question and the answer.
Our screens are busy. Emails arrive while we're reading emails. WhatsApp pings. Teams pings. Slack pings, Ping pings. Our browsers have 32 tabs open and we can't decide which one to shut down. And now AI has popped up and is flooding our lives with information it thinks we need based on an algorithm we inadvertently fed by browsing for products we don't need whilst we circle the death loop of social media from another algorithm we helped create.
A catalogue doesn't ping.
It sits on a desk. Someone picks it up. Folds a corner over. Shows something to a colleague. Takes it into a meeting. Comes back to it three days later.
When you're deciding how dozens, hundreds or thousands of people will represent your business every day, that slower experience is worth every penny to us. It's like finally sitting on that beach with your toes in the sand - there is something so calming and peaceful about switching off from all things digital.
What's actually in it?
Obviously, clothes. Quite a lot of them.
But we'd argue our catalogue is less a list of products and more a working tool for creating a professional wear or corporate clothing wardrobe for your team.
Inside you'll find different styles, fits and colours that can be mixed and matched so not everybody selects the exact same outfit.
Because a modern workforce isn't made up of identical people. We're an eclectic mix of different ages, different shapes, different roles, in different environments with different preferences.
In it there's enough choice for people to find something comfortable, something they would actually be excited to wear, while still looking unmistakably like one united team.
How should you use it?
Don't keep it in HR.
Pass it around. Use it for inspiration. Compare colours and styles. Think about what different departments need. Use it to start a conversation with employees about what they would actually like to wear.
Put it in the staff room. Take it into a management meeting. Give people Post-it notes. Fold corners. Circle things. Ask different departments what they like - and what they absolutely don't.
Then think beyond individual garments and start thinking about a wardrobe.
Which pieces work together? Do different roles need different options? Can people create several looks from a relatively small number of garments? What happens when somebody new joins?
And perhaps most importantly: Would your team actually enjoy wearing it?
The catalogue isn't supposed to make those decisions for you. It's supposed to make the conversation easier.
Then call us. We'll always answer in a matter of seconds. You can call us if you're undecided and need assistance or a sample. You can call us if you're ready to measure up and place an order. You can call us if want to order a pizza (not really, but it did happen and we recommended a great place). Point is, our team are all friendly humans (not a given these days) - they are knowledgeable and trained specifically to help you - there is no digital answering machine with a 'please hold' or 'push 2 for service'.
Digital or physical?
We're certainly not anti-digital. We have a digital catalogue too. We just prefer the non-digital one!
Technology should make buying easier - we get that - it just doesn't need to remove every physical or human part of the experience to achieve that.
And perhaps that's where this connects back to AI.
Last week we argued that as AI takes over more tasks, genuine human interactions will become more valuable.
Perhaps physical experiences will too.
As more of our working lives happen through screens, the things we can hold, touch, share and discuss together may become more memorable precisely because they're no longer the default.
After more than 40 years of dressing South African businesses, we've learnt that choosing what an entire team will wear is rarely just a transaction.
It involves people. Opinions. Identity. Comfort. Culture.
And usually quite a lot of discussion.
Sometimes the best technology for starting that discussion is still something you can put in the middle of a table.
Which is why, in 2026, we'll happily spend around R400 printing and delivering one to you.
And yes, it's still and will always be FREE.
