ABOUT BAREBONES
WORKWEAR®

We strive to be the superior provider of awesome work apparel, footwear, and accessories for work, life, and outdoors.

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The Best Work Wear

A Wide Selection

Socially Responsible

Great Selection. Great Service. No-Nonsense.

This is the part of the website we are supposed to talk about how cool we are. And while it’s true, we are freak’n cool, what really matters is how we service you, our customers, our community buddies.
We’re obsessed with providing the stuff that keeps you going, keeps you safe, and makes you feel better, while you sweat it out on the job.
You are the unsung hero and it’s our job to honor you by providing great selection and service at reasonable prices with no-nonsense marketing gimmicks.
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Stu-Nelsons-actual-garage-Beat-up-van-not-shown

Stu Nelson’s actual garage! (Beat-up van not shown)

In The Beginning…

Like many California entrepreneurs before us, we too, began in a garage, and driving a beat-up van. We know it’s cliched, but it’s true.
Twenty-five years ago, we decided to ditch our day jobs, and strike out on our own. BareBones WorkWear® began with your humble owners peddling used rags & coveralls to auto and hardware stores. True story.

Today, we have become an actual retailer with ten locations in the greater Sacramento metro area, and we launched our own line of workwear apparel and accessories

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to promote mutually beneficial relationships with all of our business associates, including employees, vendors, other retailers, and consumers.

OUR VALUES

Responsiveness – Integrity – Candor – Commitment – Follow the Platinum Rule

(Do unto others as they would do unto themselves)

OUR FOUNDERS

Stu Nelson

Stu Nelson, Trailblazer, Founder, and CEO on odd days, is the man that puts the B in BareBones WorkWear®. Along with his fellow traveler, Mason Moore, Nelson created the BareBones WorkWear® brand and launched its ten retail locations in the greater Sacramento metro.

As with all great California-based companies, Stu began BareBones WorkWear® in his garage by recycling and selling rags and coveralls to auto parts and hardware stores. Nelson launched the BareBones WorkWear® brand in 1998 and are still busy bringing quality, affordable workwear and major brands to the masses. BareBones WorkWear® and their stores cater to those that shower after work and keep America moving.
Nelson is a learned individual and a true Renaissance man. He has all kinds of fancy degrees, including an MBA from Golden Gate University and a bachelor’s in psychology from David and Elkins University. Yet, he’s somehow also found the time to become a professional chef, a Certified Franchise Executive, an American Red Cross Instructor, earn his contractor’s license, and become a superhero. He embodies the saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss.

When he’s not busy being busy and building the BareBones WorkWear® brand, online store, and running the ten retail locations, Stu enjoys biking, working out, and scuba diving. No one is sure if Stu sleeps much or sleeps at all.

Mason Moore

Mason Moore, Brand Navigator, and COO has been by Nelson’s side for almost two decades. Half blue collar, half geek, Mason comes in handy with fixing up and running a store or fixing the computers in it. He’s not half bad with balancing all those business numbers either.
Moore attended one of those fancy schmancy schools, UCLA where he learned a ton and was captain of the track and field team. He has been running business since he was in diapers. Moore worked hand-in hand building cabinets with his dad from 6 years old and working in his mom’s floral and gift shop from 8 years old. In 2001, at 22 years old, he sold out of his first major business and became a billionaire and fought crime at night…okay, that was Batman but that is what he wanted to do; he actually moved to the Sacramento area and started working on computer stuff for the State and Federal Government.
Moore is a very motivated person who cares very much about the happiness of the BareBones customer. Along with Stu Nelson, he has come up with all sorts of off the wall ideas for promoting the brand and has definitely thought outside of the box to keep customers coming back. Mason still enjoys running, playing music (or trying to), taking care of his animals, hanging out with his family and building whacky inventions.

Barey Bones

Hairy Guy, Brander of All Things Excellent

Our inspiration for BareBones WorkWear® and our burly mascot. Barey embodies the BareBones values of strength, style, and resourcefulness. Barey knows how to dumpster dive, get the honey, and hibernate, all traits we admire. A true renaissance bear – Barey tests out all the gear to make sure it’s of highest quality for the rigors of work. From “Tactical Barey” and “Nurse Barey” to “Construction Barey” and “Outdoors Barey” – Barey has walked in your shoes (or boots for that matter) and accepts nothing less than the best. You can find Barey as the face on some of our righteous BareBones WorkWear® gear, or you may get lucky and run into him in one of our ten California retail locations. Never fear – he may be a bear but he loves customer selfies!

Common Sense

Barey Bones

We never meant to be a socially-conscious company, but a common-sense business approach through the years lead us to be pretty responsible — to people, the environment, and especially our customers.
BareBones diverts items from our dumps by offering recycled rags and coveralls, mostly through our wholesale division and found at your local hardware and auto parts store. We recruit conscientious staff, and squeeze out as much as possible in our profits to offer health care and other benefits.
BareBones WorkWear® has been certified by Sacramento County as a Sustainable Business – that means we practice conservation measures, just by being responsible to our environment. We reuse (not just recycle) most of our cardboard.
Our staff has even adopted a street near us to clean up trash several times a year. We donate to many local causes, from Little Leagues, Friends of Aloma Vista Farm, K-9 Association, to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation, and more.

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