If anyone had said 10 years ago that flares would come back into fashion they'd have been laughed at. But take a look around any high street - flares abound. Workwear in the hospitality industry has experienced a similar revival of a trend. Not flares of course - heaven forbid your foie gras terrine should be served by a waiter sporting a pair of bell-bottoms - but certainly a style from the past.
"It has come full circle," says Ian Mitchell, managing director of Manchester-based workwear manufacturer Tibard, "from traditional through trends and back to traditional." The trends he refers to largely relates to a phase chefs' wear went through several years ago, when catalogues, and kitchens, were full of chefs in lairy trousers with jazzy prints from chilli peppers to fish. "There were fashion trousers made popular by Gary Rhodes but it was a fad and could last only for a certain amount of time," he adds.
Paul Goodfellow of Continental Chef Supplies, sole importers of De Berkel chefs' wear, remembers those chilli-print trousers. "We introduced printed fabrics to add a bit of fun and there was a demand for them in certain areas," he says. "But it wasn't going to last and the trend now is to go back to traditional designs because they're more functional."
So black and white is in vogue again, if indeed it ever went out. "It has always been an underlying trend really but has come more to the forefront lately with a lot of people opting for it," says Mitchell. "Black trousers, black shirts and black aprons are now very popular for front of house and for chefs it's a crisp white jacket, black trousers and a black apron for clean, crisp presentation."
And with chefs on view more than ever before, what with open kitchens and theatre-style cooking, they need to be presentable. "If you see a scruffy chef you won't think you're likely to get a good meal, whereas a pristine, smart guy obviously has pride in his job," Goodfellow says. Indeed, how your staff look speaks volumes about your establishment. "If they take presentation of themselves seriously, then you would expect a good level of service," Mitchell says.
And uniforms can be motivational for your staff. "Look good, feel good", is the motto at Tibard. "People want to look good out of work and it's no different in work," Mitchell says. Goodfellow agrees: "If you put someone in a cheap, horrible uniform, what do you expect them to perform like?" he says.
But it's not just about looking good. Comfort is a driver of trends, too. The most notable - particularly given the recent hot summer - has been for short-sleeved chef's jackets, and it's one that Goodfellow reckons is here to stay. It's a trend that hasn't gone unnoticed by Denny's, which manufactures the Denny's and Le Chef ranges of chef's wear. "After this summer, more people are looking for comfort," says managing director Nick Jubert. Of the 50 jackets offered by the company, 10 are short-sleeved designs although any jacket can be made short-sleeved on request.
Fabric technology also has a part to play in keeping chefs cool. Many chef's jackets are now made from a polyester and cotton mix fabric rather than 100% cotton, giving them extra strength and less weight. Reducing the weight of jackets is something Denny's has concentrated on by using a polyester and cotton mix fabric weighing 200g per square metre rather than the traditional 270-300g weight. Another advance uses Coolmax fabric by DuPont, better known for its use in sports shirts, to add a mesh back to jackets. Rather than absorb moisture in the way cotton does, Coolmax disperses it across the outer surface so it evaporates quicker.
Reacting to customer feedback is something workwear companies are keen to do. Tibard trials its garments with chefs of different ages and weights and is constantly adapting and creating new ranges based on feedback. "We do get them asking for things such as a wider fit to the thigh, or for a jacket to be three inches longer because it comes out of the apron strings when they bend over," says Mitchell. And he is happy to oblige. "After all, chefs are the true test of a garment."
In brief
- Bleach-resistant clothing is the latest addition to Denny's catalogue, to prevent accidental bleaching during washing and to stop loss of colour, particularly with black garments. Also new are wider aprons - 33in wide instead of the usual 28in wide - for better coverage.
- Suits with Lycra for front-desk staff are a planned addition to the Continental Chef Supplies range for next year.
- Tibard also offers a rental and laundry service, which typically provides 11 jackets, seven pairs of trousers and 11 aprons per chef, based on the chef changing jacket and apron every day.
Traditional and modern
International design company Fashionizer calculates that traditional styles account for almost two-thirds of uniform sales. "That's not to say we're designing and producing garments identical to those produced in the past 50 years," says director Debbie Leon. "We are able to use modern materials and manufacturing techniques to provide improved traditionally-styled garments with an updated and fresh appearance and improved longevity and comfort."
A modern interpretation of styles reflecting the traditional values of the Edwardian era, but with the comfort, washability and resilience appropriate to staff working in the 21st century, was the brief handed to Fashionizer by Cliveden country house hotel in Berkshire, when the hotel wanted new uniforms for its back-of-house staff.
Consequently, the housekeepers are now dressed in dusty pink soft Italian wool suits while the housemaids' outfits feature a lace trim and a white pique apron. For the porters, white cotton lycra shirts with an attached stand-up collar replaced collarless dress shirts.
"Modern and fashionable design is a vital ingredient for those wishing to drive the industry forward, but there is still room for innovation within more traditional establishments," Leon says. "It's simply a matter of striking the right balance without losing sight of their traditional values."
Contacts
Continental Chef Supplies 0808 1001777 www.chefs.net
Denny's 01372 377904 www.dennys.co.uk
Fashionizer 0208 878 8212 www.fashionizer.com
Simon Jersey 0870 111 8800 www.simonjersey.com
Tibard 0161-342 1000 www.tibard.co.uk