You only get one chance to make a first impression and for many organisations, uniforms play a huge role in how you present yourself to a customer or potential customer. At Tailored Image, we believe a professional appearance begins with comfort, confidence and attention to detail. When representing your brand in an office, hospitality or retail environment, having a well-fitting, well cared for uniform and a high standard of personal grooming will all contribute to a polished, professional presence. In this blog, we’ll give our advice on how best to approach garment care and fit as well as some grooming tips to help you look and feel your best.
Uniform Fit
At Tailored Image, we are passionate about a personal approach to uniform provision. Having a well-fitting uniform is key to ensuring you both look and feel good in your workplace. We will work with you to ensure a uniform which fits you well and is comfortable, ensuring you can approach your daily workload without any concerns about your garments not fitting or not being fit for purpose.
When choosing leg lengths for trousers, ensure you consider what footwear you will wear to accompany them. Trousers worn too long can become frayed and unsightly and can also be dangerous when walking on wet floors. Choose top layers that will provide comfort and a professional look throughout the day and across the seasons. Shirts and blouses that are too loose or too tight will not reflect your company’s brand in its best light.
Washing Care
Keeping your uniform well maintained is an important factor in looking your best at work each day. Ensure you wash your clothes in advance and have them ironed and ready before putting them on. Ensure you iron creases into the same location for trousers and iron other garments inside out to avoid staining.
Make-Up:
Make-up can provide a great confidence boost – helping to brighten the skin and add a depth to even the most tired of skin tones. In our often inclement climate in the UK and Ireland, make-up can help create a sun-kissed looked in a healthy way. If you choose to wear make-up to work, here are some tips to help ensure you maintain a professional appearance.
Skincare:
Implementing a regular skin-care routine can help delay the aging process and/or improve spots and blemishes on the skin. Find out what skin type you are from a professional and purchase a combination of products that are suitable for that type – preferably a cleanser, toner and moisturiser at the minimum. There are products on the market to work with every budget!
Personal Hygiene
Taking care of your personal hygiene is a very important consideration in the workplace. Make sure to shower every day – both for your own sake and that of your colleagues! Use a deodorant suitable for your skin type and make sure you give enough time for it to dry before getting dressed into your uniform. This will help prevent staining in the underarm region. This is particularly important when your role involves close contact with customers – for example with cabin crew and in restaurant settings where reaching arms in front of customers is commonplace.
If you choose the wear perfume or after shave, ensure you choose a fragrance which isn’t overpowering – something natural will achieve a better impression especially in confined spaces like aeroplane, trains or small offices.
Haircare
Clean, tidy and well-styled hair can help complete a uniform look, giving the most professional impression for customers.
Keep short hair styles tidy and well styled with gel or hairspray. A clean shaven face is ideal, but for those with beards and facial hair, make sure this is well groomed.
For longer hairstyles, ensure these are tied back neatly – experiment with different up styles to add your own personality to your appearance – plaits, ponytails, buns etc will all show you make an effort with your style.
Footwear
If shoes don’t form part of your uniform provision, ensure to choose shoes that complement your uniform style and that are comfortable, especially when on your feet for long periods of your working day. Keep your shoes clean and polished and keep heels well maintained and replace where necessary. Wear socks that complement your uniform colour.
Accessories
Accessories can help you add a personal touch to your uniform, but make sure you don’t overdo them. Small ear-rings, necklaces and bracelets are a beautiful addition, but avoid huge numbers of bangles or overly large ear-rings which will detract from the professionalism of your uniform.
Whilst this list is far from exhaustive, we hope this will help you get the best from your uniform and achieve a professional look that helps you look and feel your best when approaching your daily role. As always, our account management and customer services teams are on standby to answer any queries you may have, so feel free to reach out to us to find out more: https://www.tailoredimage.com/contact-us/
