Dickies · Stain-Resistant Professional Workwear
Shirt Dickies Men's Hickory
Lower concern. Basic untreated work shirt, no water-repellent coating applied.
Dickies hickory shirt is plain woven cotton-poly blend with no apparent water-resistant or stain-resistant finish. No PFAS treatments typical for basic work wear, though brand discloses nothing.
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Material
cotton-polyester blend hickory stripe
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
Category baseline
clothing is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This shirt is a cotton-polyester blend in a classic hickory stripe weave, a durable workwear standard. The cotton portion resists chemical treatment better than synthetics alone, while polyester adds durability and wrinkle resistance without requiring heavy finishing chemicals. Hickory stripe weaving is a mechanical pattern, not a chemical application, which reduces the number of dyes and resins needed in production compared to printed or heavily treated fabrics.
The brand's record and disclosure
Dickies does not publicly disclose detailed chemical testing or restricted substance lists for individual garments, which is typical for mass-market workwear brands. The company has not faced major documented recalls or toxicity controversies for their basic cotton-polyester lines. Dickies is owned by Kontoor Brands, which maintains minimal public commitment statements on chemical safety in apparel, though no specific violations are on record for this product line.
How it compares in its category
This shirt sits in the mainstream workwear category where chemical hazard levels are generally low because finishes are minimal and production is standardized. Compared to fashion-forward treated cottons, vintage reproductions, or heavy-duty Nomex blends, a basic hickory stripe carries less chemical load. Most competing workwear brands (Carhartt, Walls, Wrangler) use similar untreated cotton-poly blends at comparable safety levels.
If you buy it
Wash before wearing to remove residual dyes and manufacturing dust. Standard machine wash in warm water is appropriate; hickory stripes are designed to withstand typical laundry. No special heat precautions are needed since the polyester blend tolerates normal dryer temperatures. Replace when seams fray or fabric pills excessively, typically after 1-3 years of regular work use depending on intensity.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Azo dyes
Hickory striped cotton-poly blends typically use standard disperse and reactive dyes; high-risk azo compounds are not typically used in established US workwear production, but染料sourcing is not independently verified for this product.
Formaldehyde resins (durable press finishing)
Hickory stripe weaves do not require durable-press resin treatment to achieve their pattern or durability; no evidence suggests Dickies applies formaldehyde-releasing finishes to this basic workwear line.
Heavy metals in dyes and pigments
Stripe dyes may contain trace metals like chromium or copper as mordants or residues; no specific testing data exists for Dickies products, but levels in standard workwear rarely exceed regulatory limits in tested batches.
Antimony in polyester
Polyester production can involve antimony trioxide as a catalyst; the polyester portion of this blend may contain residual antimony, though migration to skin during normal wear is minimal and not documented as a hazard for this product category.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
More stain-resistant professional workwear grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.