Unique Uniforms - The Right Level of Customization for your Property

Cintas -- HOTELS Magazine, 1/1/2008

Unique Uniforms—The Right Level of Customization for your Property

After months, maybe even more than a year, remodeling your hotel property it’s finally complete.  You’ve thought through all of the details and your vision has become a reality.  It’s time to open your doors for business and get your staff trained.  You’ve hired the best, but what will they wear?  Flipping through several uniform catalogs, you feel that your investment should stand out from the rest.  You need a unique look and you need help.  Feeling overwhelmed?  Don’t be.  More and more hoteliers like yourself are requiring a distinguished look for their staff and with the right uniform company, customizing a look is simple.

Before deciding on a new look for your staff, you need to understand the different levels of uniform customization:

Signature Express             
Getting a custom look, doesn’t always mean starting from scratch.  Find a uniform company who can modify their in-stock garments to give you distinct look but not the longer lead times.  Many uniforms can become unique by adding trims to collars, changing buttons to coordinate with your décor, or even adding cuff overlays that mimic tapestries from your lobby.

Simply Custom   
Ask your uniform company about a quick custom option.  Many times, a pattern you want has already been created and can be married with fabric the company has in their inventory.  Because the fabric won’t need to be sourced and the pattern created, this shortens the custom lead time by weeks and still gives you a custom look that the local hotel won’t already own.

Exclusive Design
If you truly require a unique design, work with a uniform company who has experienced fashion designers on staff.  The designer will meet with you and your interior design company to come up with the best design for your property.  Most four and five star properties have exclusive designed garments.  When guests arrive and are greeted by a staff member in a luxurious wool suit, the tone of the experience is set.  By working with an expert uniform designer, they will not only design a beautiful garment, but will also make it functional for the various job functions within the property.

Retail Designers
In order to strengthen your brand, you may decide to partner with a well-known fashion designer.  Kenneth Cole, Cynthia Rowley, Lafayette 148, and Joseph Abboud are just some of the famous names who have partnered with large hotel brands to help define their image.  This new trend is catching on, and more hoteliers are seeing the benefits of this unique branding opportunity.  When working with a retail designer, it is important to include a uniform company in the development of the project.  Design function and durability, management and logistics, and maintaining an adequate inventory of the program are not a retail designers’ forte, but are necessary when maintaining a uniform program. 

As you evaluate the level of customization you desire, keep in mind that the most successful custom uniform rollouts have occurred when you partner with a successful uniform company.  By outlining your goals, the uniform consultant can assist you in achieving a beautiful uniform program that reflects your property’s style and brand.