Tailored Hotel Uniforms For Hospitality Professionals

Uniforms are more than simply workwear, they are the first impressions your guests see when they enter your establishment. They are crucial and so, custom uniforms need to convey exactly what your business is all about. Guests are looking for more than simply a place to stay, they want an experience. 

Uniforms ‘allows for your guests to immediately connect with an employee and ask for assistance’, it sets the tone for the rest of their stay from the minute they arrive at the doors of your hotel. 

We understand how challenging it can be to balance aesthetics with practicality and sustainability. The need for your team to appear polished and professional can sometimes lead to compromises on your staff’s comfort. But, by prioritising eco-friendly fabrics and custom-made designs, we can help you create a uniform that is both stylish and responsible. In this article, we will be exploring the importance of a uniform in the hospitality sector, how this can affect customer perception and what we can do to help you. 

The Importance Of Uniforms In Hospitality  

In every industry, a uniform plays a different role. In the hotel and hospitality world, the ‘competition is at its highest and having a stand out uniform that speaks to your brand is one way to guarantee a win.’ A uniform is more than just clothing, it represents a brand and their values. Through a uniform, your hotel or restaurant can effectively communicate who they are and what they stand for. 

At a hotel, various teams of employees such as housekeeping, reception and maintenance staff all work together to help your establishment run smoothly. No matter the employee’s role, a uniform should project professionalism and reinforce the hotel’s image. A well-designed uniform will not only enhance employee comfort, but also the comfort of your guests. Uniforms make it easy for guests to identify staff, making them feel more secure at your establishment. 

Custom workwear will also boost team morale and help improve job efficiency – a happy team is a productive one. Not to mention, well-branded and recognisable uniforms serve as effective marketing tools. Many hotels are often associated with their branding, as their uniforms help push their visibility and recognition for current and new customers.

JSD’s Design Philosophy 

Here at JSD, we pride ourselves in being able to create custom uniforms for the hotel and hospitality industry. From the initial consultation right through to designing the uniforms, we are able to help you create the ideal custom workwear for your team. 

With sustainability at the forefront of everything we do, we prioritise selecting materials which are environmentally-conscious. As part of our Green Thread Initiative, we look at the current textiles and fabrics which are being used on staff’s uniforms, and also the embellishments, such as zips, buttons and any other trims. 

All of these details can be replaced with recycled or natural equivalents, without reducing aesthetic appeal or garment quality. In addition to always checking that all our environmental standards are being met consistently and our ethical practices are being upheld in all of the factories, we also use innovative practices and technologies wherever possible. 

By using 3D designs and development tools, we are able to cut down on lead time and use less samples where possible.By using 3D sampling , it means that physical samples don’t need to be sent out and we can spend more resources on perfecting your design. We also create new and reworked garments without creating any additional waste. This not only reduces costs, but also protects the environment.

Hospitality Uniform Success Stories

As uniform specialists, we have worked across many different clients, helping them to find their dream custom workwear. For example, JSD has been a long term partner of IHG, working with them since 2008. We have created three very different yet ‘highly functional and impactful hospitality uniform ranges for IHG, helping to build Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza as clearly differentiated brands while providing the Group with valuable economies of scale and operational efficiency across international markets’. To this day, we are still a trusted distribution partner, and have supported these hotels 20,000 end-wearers continuously.

Another success story from us is RAC, also known as The Royal Automobile Club. Our brief here was extremely informative and clear. We assisted the club in designing ‘a staff uniform that captures 120 years of luxury and tradition and reflects the distinguished heritage of this world famous private members’ club. To create a smart, fairly formal dress code for staff who ensure that our members receive unparalleled service in the two Clubhouses – at Pall Mall in London and Woodcote Park in Surrey.’ 

The main challenge with this client was the location. We had to design uniforms for two different locations, including the Pall Mall Clubhouse which was more formal and traditional in ambience and the Woodcote Park, which was more casual. To achieve the vital ‘stand out’ look the client was after, our design team explored the subtle contrasts of navy blue against black.  We also played with the ‘hints of the military, with gold braid, hand woven badges with silver wiring, and bespoke branded gold buttons introduced on the formal tailored items.’ 

Coworth Park is another great example of our work within the hospitality industry. Famous for its polo ground, ‘it is a landmark of prestige and comfort for guests accustomed to the finer things in life – blending the warmth and comfort of a traditional country house hotel’. Previous to working with us, the hotel was wearing their existing hospitality uniform range. The brief was to make improvements on the widely recognised uniform. We wanted to retain that 5-star look but enhance the overall appearance. To do this, ‘JSD went through two sample stages to get the hotel uniforms absolutely right, adapting the designs to produce considerable improvements over what had gone before.’

We have also worked extensively with Butlins to create a new hospitality uniform. Alongside including their iconic red blazer, we were tasked with creating uniforms that reflected the ‘changing perceptions of Butlin’s and also aided with staff recruitment’. Our new design aimed to offer the same iconic look, but give a contemporary feel to the well-known brand. In January 2024, the uniform was rolled across three Butlins resorts – Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead.

How JSD Could Help Your Hotel Business Succeed 

When partnering with JSD, we make sure to understand your brief fully before moving forward with designs. 

We can help you to create a hospitality uniform which benefits your team, enhances your customer perception, protects the planet and echoes the sentiments of your hotel or restaurant simultaneously.  

From design to creation, our team of experts can assist you every step of the way. Get in contact with our team now if you are looking to improve your hotel’s image and customer perception and experience.