Styled to Serve

For 2008, service uniform manufacturers offer styles, cuts, performance qualities and colors to satisfy end users of all types.
June 1, 2008

In 2008, Edwards Garment reshaped all of its women’s pants, shorts and skirts. The company scanned more than 11,000 women of all sizes to develop its new women’s fit.

By Haley Hobson

The common up-sell phrase in the fast-food industry, "Can I get you fries with that?" is not far off the mark in the decorated apparel world. In fact, as a decorator, you should ask your service uniform customers, "Can I get you pants or an apron with that shirt?" With the ever-increasing selection of service uniform apparel in the market, you should cater to your clients' needs, while graciously padding your bottom line.

As PPB magazine (published by PPAI) reports in its triennial research on the top customer industries of promotional products distributors, the Restaurants and Bars category posted the fastest growth, leapfrogging from No. 17 in 2003 to No. 10 in the 2007 report. According to PPB's article summarizing its survey findings, this rapid growth makes perfect sense for two reasons: Americans spend a half-trillion dollars each year eating and drinking at 935,000 locations, and the restaurant and bar industry is America's largest employer after the federal government. "The hospitality market — especially restaurants — has been one of our leading growth areas during the past couple of years and continues to be really strong," says Margaret Crow, marketing director for S&S Activewear, Bolingbrook, Ill.

But service uniform apparel isn't limited to bar and restaurant personnel. This niche envelops such subsets as casinos, cruise lines, hotels, housekeeping, concierges, front desk security, chefs and flight attendants, to name a few. Based on input from its distributors, Edwards Garment, Kalamazoo, Mich., will continue to add products that appeal to restaurants, hotels, casinos and transportation industries.

"In 2007, we added a complete line of chef apparel so our distributors can carry a more complete offering when merchandising the front and back of the house," says Taraynn Lloyd, marketing director. "The National Restaurant Association boasts employment of more than 12.1 million, with an additional 1.8 million new jobs expected to be created over the next 10 years."

MADE TO ORDER
Distributors and decorators should offer a variety of styles and fabrics when selling uniforms to end users. For the service industry, style, fabric and color must define a company's brand. "Many are looking for a soft hand with a Teflon treatment so stains roll off the garment," Lloyd says. "Some ask for moisture-wicking technology, which allows the fabric to draw moisture away from your skin. Others begin their conversation by asking how well does the fabric breathe, is it colorfast, does it resist wrinkles and can it be home laundered?" Ultimately, everyone is looking for value in a uniform.

Sierra Pacific Apparel's Featherlite line consists of performance products, from twills to oxfords, to accessories such as aprons and silk ties. "Virtually all of these products have a guarantee on the common features of stain resistance, soil release, liquid repellence and breathability," says Mark Goldwater, sales and marketing manager for the Houston-based company. "All are color coordinated to become professional corporate uniforms, available in men's and ladies' styles in identical colors and include sizing up to 6XL for men and 3XL for ladies, with talls also available in selected colors."

Wolfmark Neckwear, Neenah, Wis., realizes the importance of performance features in service uniform apparel, even down to the smallest accessories. "One thing that sets us apart is the stain resistance in our polyester ties," says Erin Frawley, image and design coordinator. These ties, as well as the company's poly-poplin tie, which is slightly less expensive, is offered in a clip-on style in a variety of colors and patterns. Currently, Wolfmark is introducing a new chefwear line, complete with chef coats, pants, hats, neckerchiefs, butchers coats and more. "We also will introduce bamboo and eco- friendly fleece products soon," Frawley adds.

The addition of chefwear seems to be gaining momentum with several uniform manufacturers. USAprons will introduce chef apparel in the second half of this year, according to Deb Horn, company spokesperson. The Ogallala, Neb., company's top-selling products are aprons, but rather than offering new styles for 2008, it will increase its inventory and stock colors. "Our [apron] material is coated with an easy-clean finish, which includes a soil-release finish," Horn adds. "Yet it is not Teflon coated, so our screen printing customers are still able to print on it without the fear of the decoration peeling."

With performance being key in today's market, two fabric constructions stand out as the most versatile for service uniform solutions — wovens and knits, according to Eric Rubin, president of Blue Generation, Long Island City, N.Y. For wovens, the company's 65% polyester/35% cotton/poplin shirts are lightweight, with wrinkle-resistant and stain-release qualities. The fabric is used in a variety of styles, including men's and ladies' long- and short-sleeve button-front shirts, as well as camp shirts.

For knits, Blue Generation developed a 60% cotton/40% polyester "superblend piqué knit" that features stain-release, wrinkle-resistant and colorfast properties. "The fabric is soft and durable, and is offered in a variety of styles, including long- and short-sleeve men's, ladies' and youth placket polos, long- and short-sleeve pocketed men's polos, and short-sleeve ladies' V-necks," Rubin says.

While the food service niche may comprise the majority of service uniform apparel, other segments need outfitting as well. Edwards Garment's Signature Collection suits and suit separates are found at stadiums/arenas, office park security, casinos, hotel front desks/concierges, restaurants and airlines, Lloyd says. The company introduced more than 50 new products or color extensions to its existing styles in 2008. "We have an airline using our brown polyester/wool slacks, vests, skirts and blazers with our signature pinpoint oxford shirt for its customer service and flight attendants," she adds. "We also have an arena that uses our single-breasted blazer in red to ensure that its associates are easily recognizable by the general public."

In the end, variety is key. Global Uniform, Branchburg, N.J., which carries the Harbour Glen and Macaw lines, coordinates between lines to ensure customers get exactly what they want. The company's Harbour Glen men's solid piqué polo is a less-expensive version of its Macaw shirt, yet they share the same color palette. "For a certain group of workers, a customer may want to buy a less expensive shirt," says Carl Ray, president. "For instance, a restaurant may buy the Harbour Glen shirt for the back-of-the house employees, who tend to wear out their shirts sooner, while the front-of-the house [workers] will be outfitted in the Macaw shirt."

PRIMED FOR PANTS
Many service uniform manufacturers that once focused on outfitting customers from the waist up now realize there's profit potential in offering various bottoms. "Offering a complete line of pants, shorts and skirts is critical to any uniform program," Lloyd says. "As companies look to have greater control over their employee uniform appearance, the trend is for them to specify what type of bottom (pants, shorts or skirts) that their employees may wear. If you are selling a pant, you want to offer a complementary shorts style, especially as the season changes from winter to summer."

Edwards Garment's most significant introduction for 2008 was its new women's pant, shorts and skirt fit. To develop this new fit, the company used body scans of more than 11,000 women of every conceivable size and shape. From this research data, Edwards produced numerous prototypes, and each was field tested for comfort, wear and style. "The new classic fit has the waistline sitting slightly below your natural waist," Lloyd says. "The leg cut on the pant is straight, but not too narrow. The rise of the pant and short has been shortened and shaped just for the unique curves that only women have."

S&S Activewear also carries a line of pants by Red Kap. "We've carried Red Kap for a number of years, and it has been very popular due to its durability and styling," Crow says. Red Kap offers pleated, plain-front and cargo shorts and pants in classic colors such as black, charcoal, navy, and several khakis and greens. Some styles have soil-release and wrinkle-resistant finishes.

Blue Generation also carries a line of shorts and pants, which are treated with DuPont Teflon fabric protector, and include stain- and wrinkle-resistant properties. The company's flat-front pants offer expandable, elasticized side waistbands for custom fits.

COLOR CRAZE
Today's manufacturers offer extensive color palettes to appease all sorts of clientele. Blue Generation has more than 42 solids and prints for 2008. "While the basic colors account for the majority of sales, we have that special color any customer needs to work with a corporate or team color," Rubin says. "Surprisingly, kiwi, mango, jade and chocolate are among the top performers this year."

"A uniform is becoming more of an identity standard with corporations," says Lloyd. "Companies want their uniforms to color coordinate with their company colors and logo. For example, if their corporate colors are red, royal blue and white, they will select a service shirt in one of those colors so their embroidered logo can be prominently displayed."

Sierra Pacific offers an array of bright colors, "but when it comes to sales, the tried-and-true colors remain white, navy, black, light blue, tans and pastels," says Goldwater. "It's no question, brights are for window dressings, but the trend is lighter colors that can work with most wardrobes." Global Uniform's Ray agrees that there will always be a need for staple colors, but "fruity colors are popular, especially for cruise lines," he says.

S&S Activewear believes apparel color choice depends on various factors, such as "the company's overall image, the specific application or the particular industry," says Crow. "For example, restaurants that have a bold logo or splashy interior décor tend to utilize wovens or sport shirts in bright, fun colors or patterns that match their outgoing image. On the other hand, an elegant hotel chain would use a more muted color palette for its staff."

WHAT WOMEN WANT
Blue Generation was one of the first companies in this market to offer ladies' companion pieces to its men's styles. "We took the current men's style and modified the design to appeal to women, often removing a pocket, eliminating the button-down collar and offering a ladies' fit," Rubin says. "At first it was a tough sell, as the industry was not used to ordering a ladies' garment. After a couple of years, the ladies' concept caught on and if you didn't have a ladies' counterpart, you risked losing the sale."

As the proliferation of ladies' fashions entered the market, Blue Generation introduced a new ladies' blouse designed for women from inception. "The silhouette has 3/4-length sleeves and princess side panels for a tapered fit, is fabricated in a lightweight poplin with [Lycra] spandex and is offered in feminine colors," Rubin says. The company has since offered more categories exclusively for women, such as the ladies' mix-and-match knit ensembles including a button-front cardigan, jewel-neck short sleeve tee and V-neck, 3/4-sleeve T-shirt.

Women want to feel great in their work uniforms, and they want styles that are tailored to their figures. "Women's garments that feature fabric with stretch are a must today," Lloyd says. Edwards has introduced a number of styles with stretch, including a 3/4-sleeve stretch broadcloth blouse that contains 4% Lycra spandex. "The detailed, shirt-like collar sports a narrow feminine placket and the shirttail hem allows you to wear the blouse tucked or untucked," she adds. "Sales for women's products have been phenomenal." Edwards also offers two chef coats that are specifically made for women.

"Women — like men — feel better when they're wearing something that fits and is flattering, which reflects positively in the service they provide should that item be a uniform," says S&S's Crow.

For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Haley at hhobson@impressionsmag.com.

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