Mala McAlpin Selecting the perfect staff uniform can be tough for any business. There are countless components to take on board, including cost, comfort, breathability, and of course, style. These factors increase tenfold for the beauty industry, with additional considerations like whether your therapists will have their full range of movement, and how clearly oils and body products will show up on (and be removed from) fabric.
There are some obvious perks to implementing staff uniforms – neatness, consistency, creating a professional look amongst your staff, and making them feel they belong to a cohesive team, just to name a few. According to Leanne Spring from Spring Spa Wear, a uniform is one of the keys to a successful business. “A uniform for every therapist is essential to the success of a salon. It is an opportunity to further your salon’s branding within the clinic and ensures you and your team come across as the professionals that you are.”
What you may not have considered is just how large an impact a uniform can have on your overall brand identity, and the first impressions they leave on clients. A unique uniform could very well be the point of difference a perspective client is looking for to convince them to give your business a go.
Your uniform, much like your spa or clinic décor or how you choose to dress your treatment rooms, is a crucial component of your brand, and a huge contributor to your overall aesthetic. You have an incredible opportunity to not only stand out, but physically reflect the heart of your business and actually personify your core values through each and every staff member. For example, if your business prides itself on environmentally friendly, organic choices and products, you should consider a uniform that reflects those core values, such as those made from bamboo, hemp or recycled cotton fabrics.
Or perhaps your clinic offers a more professional, high end luxe destination, in which case your female staff may be better suited to an elegant dress option as opposed to the conventional therapist tunic.
You could even produce your very own customised creation to deliver your brand message. Salons can deliver their unique aesthetic through the fabric itself, whether it’s modern leather or provincial-style lace, or through custom prints that tell the story of certain services, such as sleepy eyelashes printed on t-shirts for lash stylists to wear.
So before you go ahead and order those standard black tunic-and-pant combos, consider the opportunity you might miss to make a statement, really stand out, and create some excitement and buzz amongst visitors.
Here are some of our favourites to get you inspired:
