Dress for success

How uniforms do more for retail brands than meets the eye

The original purpose of uniforms was very far removed from brand building and customer experience, and a lot more urgent – don’t get killed by your own side.

The first recorded uniforms are believed to date back to 500BC, worn by the Roman legion. On a chaotic battlefield, you needed to know who was on your side in a split second, and flags, banners and ultimately uniforms became the answer, signalling belonging and ‘I’m one of us’ before a word was spoken.

Today, the intent remains the same, although in a shop or at a departure gate, the stakes are much lower. The fundamental job hasn’t changed, though, with uniforms telling the world who you represent and what you are part of. It’s a massive asset within your brand story (far more than a tote bag), and those who do it well can really reap the rewards.

A Trojan horse for culture change

After a tough few years seeing trust damaged with both the public and their employees, Qantas is firmly in rebuild mode. A new CEO, a new strategy and a new uniform to go with it.

Australian designer Rebecca Vallance has been appointed to create the new look, but what stands out most is how Qantas are approaching it. The brand surveyed 17,500 employees across all parts of the organisation on fit, comfort, functionality and durability. For a workforce that felt overlooked and undervalued, that matters enormously. As one crew member of 30 years said: “She [CEO Vanessa Hudson] is trying to involve and engage all the staff and is getting more feedback from us. She’s trying to listen and is making an effort. The crew are excited, and they’re ready for a fresh start. There’s a genuine belief the company can turn the reputation around.”

Engagement, collaboration and transparency – the uniform redesign isn’t only a signal of change in how they look, but more importantly in how they do things.

When the uniform becomes a distinctive brand asset

Uniforms aren’t just a way to identify your people, the best can also communicate your brand’s personality, values and difference. They not only create instant recognition but build customer trust and give employees something they’re genuinely proud to wear.

Trader Joe’s Hawaiian shirts are a perfect reflection of the brand, the personality and their difference. Brainchild of the founder to deliver a very unique brand experience through their people, the Trader Joe’s website says: “Vibrant, bold shirts are the ‘uniform’ worn by our Crew of adventurous traders on the culinary seas. We think grocery shopping should be fun, not another chore, so we wear ourselves and our shirts lightly.”

Intentional and considered, the uniform is a key part of the brand story and has become almost cult-like in its reputation. For customers, it’s instant recognition: warm, approachable and unmistakably Trader Joe’s. For employees, it’s a genuine badge of belonging.

The CEO reportedly owns more Hawaiian shirts than he can count, and one crew member admitted to owning close to 40. While they aren’t available to the general public, employees successfully sell them on eBay. The shirt has become shorthand for something people genuinely want to be associated with.

When uniforms put people first

The best uniform stories often start with a very human question: why does this have to be so bad?

US brand FIGS asked that about the medical scrub in 2013 and built a cult lifestyle brand out of the answer. Australian fashion label Gorman followed, bringing its signature bold prints and artist collaborations into the healthcare wardrobe and giving nurses and doctors something they actually wanted to wear. Comfortable, individual and a little bit joyful. Good for the workers, good for the patients.

When you design for the comfort, the dignity, the pride and the self-expression of the person wearing the uniform, the brand value follows. You don’t have to choose between
a uniform that works and a uniform that builds your brand – the best ones do both.

Fashion faux pas

There is always a cautionary tale, as all of us have reflecting on some of our own wardrobe choices.

Getting a uniform wrong isn’t always about failing to consult your people; sometimes it’s about not really listening. British Airways found this out when it rolled out a new uniform in 2023. Female cabin crew described the designs as ‘hideous’, and the blouse was so sheer, the airline had to issue guidance on which bras staff should wear underneath. The union said it “beggared belief.” BA acknowledged it wasn’t hitting the mark but took over a year to act, having already ordered 850,000 pieces of clothing.

Women’s sport has had multiple issues with uniforms. The Norwegian beach handball team were fined for wearing shorts instead of the mandated bikini bottoms at the 2021 European Championships. The governing body eventually changed the regulation after outrage around inequality, impacting the reputation of the governing body.

A uniform that ignores different body types, cultures or identities sends a message whether it intends to or not. Ill-fitting, uncomfortable or non-inclusive workwear doesn’t just look bad; it actively disengages the people wearing it. It is very hard to be a convincing brand ambassador when the brand clearly hasn’t thought about you.

Dress it well

Only 23% of employees globally are engaged at work, according to Gallup and in retail, that number is even lower. The uniform won’t fix that on its own, of course, but it’s one of the most visible, tangible signals a brand can send to its people. We see you, we’ve thought about you, and we think you’re worth dressing well.

Too many brands treat the uniform as a logo on a shirt or a colour on a cap. At its very best it can be an expression of your values, your culture and your people, what you stand for and who you want representing you.

Qantas has done the hard work early by asking, listening and investing time and effort. In 2027, we’ll see the result. The real measure won’t be how it looks on a runway, though; it’ll be how it makes 17,500 people feel on a Monday morning.

 

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This article first appeared on Inside Retail.

Ashling Withers is Associate Strategy Director and Employer Brand specialist at Principals.

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