Fashion Forward
“Uniforms” are out. Hotel “fashion” is in. The buzzwords for staff apparel: clean-lined, high- quality, comfort.
By Mary Scoviak, Design Editor -- Hotels, 4/30/2005 11:00:00 PM
The doormen and bellmen of the Gaylord Texan, Dallas, wear trousers that look like melted down chaps. Their female counterparts at the front desk sashay out in fringed wrap skirts paired with yoked, three-button blazers and draped blouses. At the Toronto Park Hyatt, the look is seamlessly Armani—from the front door to the front desk to the front office. As the uniforms shown here demonstrate, the only mandate for hotel fashion is to follow the lead of the interior design. What’s in and what’s out applies only in general terms. What’s important is whether the staff looks right and works right within the image of the hotel.
The new rules for uniform programs focus on: More formality in urban hotels. Taking a cue from fashion runways, it is a time to be ladies and gentlemen, not the guest’s best mate. “We have male and female uniforms. It looks more elegant to see a female employee at the restaurant or banqueting service wearing a skirt instead of trousers,” says Herman von Treskow, general manager, Adlon Kempinski, Berlin. “Uniforms should not follow trends; they should be like the hotel itself—in our case, traditional but functional and up-to-date.”
Image. “We were moving to a more residential experience. A bellman in a pillbox hat with a red jacket and trousers with a red stripe on the leg does not say ‘residential.’ ” Now, our bellmen wear a chic suit. We kept the white gloves as a subtle signal for guests who want that,” says Paul Verciglio, the Toronto Park Hyatt’s general manager. Also shelved: name tags. Employees now carry business cards.
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| Approachable formality sums up the mood of staff apparel in traditional 5-star hotels such as The Adlon Kempinski, Berlin (above). What you’ll be seeing more of: women in skirts; bespoke-look tailoring; easy, drapable fabrics. | “We are seeing new silhouettes, nontraditional fabrics, design with a more ‘retail’ look. Apparel like this claret-colored dress (above, left) designed for The Sanctuary’s fine-dining outlet speaks to the property’s mandate that the entire restaurant experience be unique,” says Kass Graham, designer, Sally Fourmy & Associates, a division of Cintas. | Inspired by an abstract painting, the shimmering colors of the uniforms in the lobby lounge of Shangri-La Dingshan (above) echo the dare-to-be-different attitude of the design. |
Sense of place. “Everything about our uniforms is ‘Texas chic.’ They are a direct reflection of the hotel design—fresh, exciting,” says Chuck Pomerantz, vice president and hotel manager of the Gaylord Texan. Because of the sheer size of the hotel—1,511 rooms, the Gaylord needed uniforms that would heighten employees’ visibility.
Different uniforms underscore the “sense of place” as to department and specific environment—khaki pants and flowered, green-and-white camp shirts for the horticultural staff, cobalt blue, citron ultra-suede, one-shoulder tank tops with hip hugging pants or mini skirts in the Train Station Bar. “The Gaylord Texan is a unique concept, from the replica Alamo to a star visible from a plane. If the uniforms did not speak to this ambience, the entire experience would be jeopardized,” says Jeff Marino, Cintas’ senior designer on the program.
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| Working from a theme based on Texas chic (above, top), the uniform program for the Gaylord Texan focuses on apparel that is right for the department and right for the work environment—be it the cowgirl-slick look of the front desk staff or the rugged good looks of the bell staff’s apparel. | One suit concept fits all at the Park Hyatt Toronto (above). All front-of-the-house personnel, except the general manager, share the same sleek Armani-inspired apparel. Think hotel “fashion,” not hotel “uniform.” | Taking their cue from the runways, jackets for the Mission Inn’s female concierge uniform (above) are shorter and more fitted at the waist. Important details include the three-quarter length sleeves and elegant detailing on the pocket and collar. |
Sense of place can also be subtle, as in the choice of muted seersucker suits or locally inspired “Gullah” style shirts for the Sanctuary, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, or the Aztec blue and gold feel of the slightly retro suits at the Mission Inn, Riverside, California. “Uniforms play a key role in establishing a sense of place. They should reflect location rather than a brand,” says Vikram Sood, the Sanctuary’s general manager. “A navy blue blazer that works in New York City is not necessarily a good fit on a barrier island in South Carolina.”
Creative freedom in restaurants. Restaurant and bar uniforms have to stand out. Use color, line and fabrics to make a one-of-a-kind statement. East Asia Cosmetic Ltd.’s uniform design for the lobby lounge at the Shangri-La Dingshan in Nanjing, China, reflects the space’s architectural style and takes its color inspiration from an abstract painting. Silver Bell Uniforms reworked traditional Chinese costume into a modern classic for Fook Lam Moon at the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai. “Restaurant uniforms have to be as unique as the concept,” says Philippe Carretti, general manager of the Pudong Shangri-La and group vice president.
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| Uniforms at the Pudong Shangri-La’s Fook Lam Moon (above) echo the East-meets-West fusion of the design with modern architectural lines that update traditional Chinese costume. | Traditional does not mean dull. Properly cut and correct in every detail, uniforms for doormen and bell staff of the Adlon Kempinski (above) convey the sense of timeless elegance required of a landmark 5-star hotel. |
Study In Design
What works today in uniform design?
Performance determines the choice of fabric. “It’s imperative that uniforms be correctly pressed and hung,” says the Sanctuary’s Vikram Sood. He likes the performance of synthetics for many purposes, but says lightweight wool pants “perform better and breathe.”
GMs want executive staff in private clothes. “Meeting with clients inside and outside the hotel would make uniforms impossible,” says the Adlon’s General Manager Herman von Treskow.
Attention to detail. The Park Hyatt Toronto’s fashion program provides three fashion changes, but wanted the look to be seamless. “We did not want personal interpretation,” says Paul Verciglio, general manager, who also demanded comfort—including shoes specially designed for spa attendants.
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