At Tibard we deal with uniform on a very large scale and we have seen some interesting demand changes emerge over the last 18 months. Our manufacturing has not only increased in volume, as the industry continues its very strong recovery, but it has also increased in variety. 

At Tibard we deal with uniform on a very large scale and we have seen some interesting demand changes emerge over the last 18 months. Our manufacturing has not only increased in volume, as the industry continues its very strong recovery, but it has also increased in variety. We are seeing clothing items which our customers would simply not have considered viable as uniform items moving through our factory, at quite substantial levels of volume.

Print Screened T Shirts

A few years ago, we would never have expected our restaurant chain customers to be asking for T shirts. Traditionally these have been seen as very informal garments, yes at a café or informal dining (read: takeaways, fast food) but not for formal or service dining. However, times have changed and T shirts are fast replacing traditional shirts and blouses as the main choice for FOH wear.

It isn’t actually all that difficult to understand why T shirts are so popular. For a start, these are not just t shirts. They are personalised to the customers brand through print screening. So they look good, informal but ‘smart’ in the more modern sense of the word.

Our customers also benefit enormously – shirts and blouses most certainly have their place in restaurants but unless purchased by the employees, it can get expensive. The biggest issue is sizing and lack of truly unisex options – it means we have to hold more stock, the customer has to allow for more sizes and when someone leaves, a shirt going with them.

We now supply over 10,000 t-shirts per month to our customers, 2013 levels were only around 3,000.

More Colour, More Choices

There is one product line where we have seen our manufacturing demand explode over the last 2 years – aprons. While they have always been popular items due to their low cost and one size fits all appeal, recently we are seeing more attention paid by customers to getting their apron their way.

As we manufacture in the UK, we can provide bespoke workwear quickly and cost effectively, and aprons are one item that are relatively cheap to produce even when they are bespoke. We are seeing an increased interest from customers wanting their own choice of electric colours, all brand matched to their bright and vibrant businesses - a far cry from the black and grey aprons of the past.

It is not just the colour that businesses are increasingly starting to dictate, it is the choice of fabric. Again, aprons are the easiest item to produce and short rolls of fabric, while not cheap, are cost effective given the outcome. We have seen denims, linens, tweeds, canvas and leather all regularly requested by customers who are all looking to standout and make their uniforms a talking point.

Personalisation Options

Another trend we have seen emerge, partly in response to the rise of T shirts sales, is the changing methods of garment personalisation. Historically, restaurant workwear has stuck with embroidery as the method of choice but now that is being challenged. We now see more and more screen printing, especially for informal items like t shirts and hoodies – larger logos, brighter colours: it’s not hard to see why it is being favoured.

Heat transfers are another way that personalisation can be achieved, one which has huge benefits for both customers and ourselves. A heat transfer requires pressing a high heat source to an image (generally a logo) which has been printed on special paper. The heat transfers the logo on to the garment and a finished personalisation is achieved quickly. This means we can hold stock of plain items and our customers get items quicker, far more efficient than stocking items in every size for every customer.

Informal but Comfortable

Another notable and fairly recent change regarding hospitality and catering uniforms is the more relaxed and accepting attitude towards more everyday, casual clothing choices. For example, going back a few years you wouldn’t have seen many customer facing employees opting for jeans over the more traditional black trousers, and accompanying them with a simple plain T shirt; but today this is becoming more and more popular.

Other more modern introductions into restaurant uniforms are items such as waistcoats and flat-caps worn with granddad collar shirts, again accompanied by jeans and even a pair of Converse or Vans for footwear, which is more reflective to fashions available on the high street.

A lot can be said for first impressions when it comes to the restaurant industry, and staff uniforms form a large part of this. As we know, the appearance of the serving staff can have a huge impact on that important first few seconds, where a new customer will create their personal initial opinion based on what they see, and how they feel.

This development of informal, casual uniforms is down to establishments which are aiming for just that – a casual, relaxed feel. This allows the customer to immediately feel comfortable in their surroundings and in the company of the waiters/waitresses, bringing both parties to a similar level. Of course there is a time and a place for traditionally and smartly dressed, high-class waiting staff in fine-dining establishments, but for some this can be intimidating to say the least. This changing attitude towards dining is one of the main reasons that the more casually styled restaurants are appearing more and more, and are performing well.