Companies seek flattering, fashionable uniform options

Hotel & Motel Management, March 15, 2004 by Lisa Matte

The low-carb diet that's all the rage these days is having a ripple effect on lifestyle choices that reaches far beyond selecting bacon and eggs over yogurt and granola. As disciples of Atkins and similar plans shed pounds, their interest in fashion--particularly sleek styles that showcase their slimmer and trimmer physiques--increases exponentially.

"With all of the carb-busting that's been happening, people are looking for a clean, figure-flattering look," said Heather Altieri, commodity manager for Avendra Corp., a procurement service company serving the hospitality industry in North America and the Caribbean. "We're trending away from pleated pants. Instead, you'll see a micro-fiber shirt partnered with flat-front pants."

But that doesn't mean what's comfortable at home is OK on the job.

"It's a professional look," said Judy Anderson, owner/designer of Creative Specialty Apparel. "Our clients still want brand identity, but without all the bells and whistles. It's a reflection of what's happening in the fashion world.

"Think back to Princess Diana's wedding [during the early 1980s]," Anderson said. "Compare what she wore with what brides wear today. It's a more classic and streamlined look [today], but there's no doubt it's a wedding dress. Ruffles are gone. Now it's very clean--almost architectural."

Frank Cambria, national account manager for the U.S. division of French uniform designer/manufacturer Bragard, said there's a noticeable difference in hotel uniform styling between the United States and Europe. U.S. hoteliers are more likely to embrace fashion trends.

"In Europe, you still see the classic three-button suit or a long, sleek coat for women behind the front desk," Cambria said. "Here in the United States, there's a tendency to emulate American designers, following consumer and retail trends."

While hotel uniform styling in the United States might follow consumer trends to a degree, the standard palette remains a conservative black, navy, gray or tan, with additions of color in the form of accessories, such as a scarf.

"I always get my color direction from the architectural direction of whatever property we're working on," Anderson said. "I receive direction from the people doing the restaurant or lobby design."

Anderson said employees and managers have to be happy with the design and details of the uniforms. For employees, that usually means creating a design that might be more mainstream. To please clients and managers, the key is to take employee satisfaction into consideration while still creating a design that's identifiable as a uniform and conveys the brand identity.

Comfort is another key component of design. The advent of technologically sophisticated fabrics, including cotton-polyester blends that look and feel like cotton and wool blends that breathe, has enhanced the comfort of uniforms.

"The basic design has remained the same with elements such as a collar on a dress varying," said David Adams, corporate director or lodging and hospitality for H.W. Baker Linen Co. LLC, a division of Best Manufacturing Group. "The fabric is a new generation of polyester that feels as soft as cotton."

Tunics are becoming more popular because of their comfort.

"Some higher-end properties will have custom lines developed," Adams said. "Three-star properties and up tend to prefer dresses to tunics, as a dress meets the formal, polished image the staff needs to convey as they are seen frequently by guests."

hmm@advanstar.com