The modern restaurant uniform

The standard restaurant uniform—from crisp cotton shirts to polyester polos, toques to visors, and black or baggy pants—has undergone a makeover, as more concepts bake fashion into their brand identities. Whether to make the job more appealing or extend personality to the guest, one common thread is allowing workers’ individuality to show through in what they wear. 

Staff T-shirts (like this one from Pie Five) express a brand’s voice, not just its logo, and often sport different slogans—some even crowdsourced. Instead of a standard cut, many restaurants spec gender-specific fits.

Bye, toques; hello caps, bandannas and more. For its new uniforms, Donatos designed a line of beanies, military caps and slouchy hats from which staff can choose. Starbucks caps baristas at its express units in New York City with pageboy caps instead of visors.

It’s now common to outfit kitchen staff in pants made from stretchy, breathable material that are moisture wicking. Yoga-style pants are starting to pop up for female chefs, while cargo pockets seem to be a big add-on for men. 

Pizza Hut employees can wear “their favorite sneakers” as part of its new uniform policy. Other brands, too, are chucking clogs and clunky slip-ons, embracing the more casual and personal vibe employees can bring.  

Aprons have transcended fine dining, finding a home in the most casual and trendy of concepts (like Dickey’s Barbecue Pit). Bright colors and denim are popular. And as more places add tech, there’s a greater need for tablet- and reader-friendly pockets.