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Clothes maketh the brand..

Five-star service begins with how your staff dress.

The team’s attire is just as much a reflection of brand as the warmth of your welcome and the quality of your guestrooms.

A uniform should resonate strongly with the clientele and give identity to a brand, a unique identifier which plays a part in differentiating your offering from the competition.

The female front-of-house staff at QT on the Gold Coast, for example, are decked out in vibrant pantsuits a la 1950’s beach club which reinforce the QT brand’s “poppy, friendly, a little bit flirty” ethos and its determination for each hotel to reflect its unique location.

Whether for a general manager, concierge or restaurant waiter, uniforms developed by quality manufacturers in conjunction with a property will ensure a holistic approach which best reflects what you stand for.

Those suppliers can provide customised logos and wording on any staff apparel, and their design staff will work with operators to ensure the best display results.

Out in front

As the face of your accom, front desk staff need to nail their presentation standards.

© Fotos 593 – stock.adobe.com

While you may not be looking for styling as deliberately ‘out there’ as the QT Gold Coast, suit blazers and pants in lightweight, high quality stretch fabrics look smart and provide a base for your style while allowing ease of movement for the myriad tasks frontline staff perform daily.

A shirt choice can either provide a high-end luxury look or a more casual vibe (in denim, for example). For a contemporary look, blazers can be paired with black jeans or sneakers, and waistcoats can be added to the mix. 

Quality manufacturers will prioritise function and priority while creating key pieces to mix and match which help define your brand.

Adjustable cuffs on shirts of service staff, for example, are a must where rolled sleeves are required, and extra-length shirts and t-shirts ensure staff don’t expose their skin when reaching across tables, or up to high bar shelves.

Any fabric must stand up to regular and sustained washing without fading or stretching out of shape, with men’s and women’s shirts generally designed with subtle variations to sit comfortably on different body shapes.

Restaurants and cafés

Australia is a nation in love with dining experiences, café culture and coffee, and a well-thought-out uniform is part of the essential visual appeal of a venue.

 “The most important focus for hotel food and beverage is to make any restaurant or bar a destination in its own right and to give employees the level of expertise they need to succeed,” hospitality writer Terence Baker recently wrote of current industry thinking.

Which means in-house bars and restaurants are increasingly looking to set themselves apart from their parent hotel through styling.

As well as being brand-reflective, hospitality uniforms must stand up to the rigours of work in an often fast-paced and demanding environment.

Aprons, the most obvious contemporary expression of brand style, are designed with large pouch pockets to fit notepads, iPads and payment devices and include easy-tie straps for busy staff.

Latest designs include cross-back, bib, and waist aprons, with coloured ties allowing style variations and fabrics and shades reflecting the latest trends – think khaki, distressed denims and grey linens.

Chef jackets

Kitchen attire, from chef shoes to jackets to hats, is designed with safety top of mind.

That said, there is some room for style back of house.

The customary black or white chef jackets are now being complemented by stone-grey and denim zipped or buttoned options, and red, blue and lime green jackets are becoming de rigeur in the kitchen.

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