You’ve picked the perfect venue, got the AV sorted and enlisted stylists to bring the space to life, but when its comes to your event staff – have you thought about what uniforms they’re wearing?
According Pamela Jabbour, founder and CEO of uniform design company Total Image Group, getting the dress code right for your team and business is as important as the food you’re serving or the entertainment you’re providing.
Whether your event staff are ushering guests, serving drinks or waiting on tables, it’s crucial for them to look and feel professional and on-brand with the event or venue.
Here are Jabbour’s top four trends in event staff uniforms you need to know about:
1/ Suiting
Traditionally reserved for the fine-dining experience, today’s suiting with its soft edges and varying styles is a great introduction and sets the scene for ‘something special is about to happen in this establishment’.
Suits nowadays do not always represent a formal environment; blazers are worn with jeans for weekend wear and suits are being finished off with sneakers by some of the world’s fashion elite.
This casual spin on classics has opened up a whole new interpretation of the suit for the hospitality and event scene. A slimmer cut jacket with an ankle-length pant takes the too-stuffy edge out of the outfit.
The combination of tradition with pizazz can be achieved through an on-brand tie and sharp vest. Meanwhile, sleeve garters are also great accessories to accompany the shirt and vest look as well as being practical.
2/ Casual
Over the last few years bold check shirts and vertical striped tees have made their mark in the hospitality world, and the look is still working well due to their vibrancy and now-established synonymity. New styles, however, are here!
Get excited about the natural fabrics in shirting for your team, such as crumpled linens and 100 per cent cotton drills, in washed hues of green, blues, grey and white worn sleeves rolled up an out over chinos or jeans.
3/ Aprons
The humble clothes protector has evolved into one of the most important uniform accessories for hospitality and catering businesses telling a very quick story about what your establishment represents.
A favourite is the cross over back, in denim or leather for a funky casual vibe, or in a black knee-length cotton for a traditional formal story.
For a clever edge on aprons, use them as a moving advertisement to convey a message, at a low cost. Printing a slogan, special event details or something catchy on your staff’s aprons can create stimulus in sales and conversation and is a cost-effective way to spread your message.
4/ Branding
Thank goodness for the advancement of technology in the branding world. There is now so much flexibility in regard to colours, messaging and finishes, that you are only limited by your imagination.
Uniforms can now feature decoration techniques similar to what can be seen on the runways in the forms of embossing, debossing and infusion on garments. Get together with your creative team and the results will be amazing using the infusion method!
The world of fashion and uniforms are continuing to intertwine and there is much more opportunity to dress your team in on-trend attire whilst still effectively representing your establishment’s brand and story.
All it takes is an update in a few key areas to not only make your staff feel comfortable and fashion-forward, while effectively showcasing your brand or story to your guests.
Pamela Jabbour is the founder and CEO of Total Image Group, uniform designer and manufacturer to some of Australia’s leading brands such as Dan Murphy’s and Fantastic Furniture. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne and China, Total Image dresses over 300,000 Australians per day in their work wardrobe.
