Fashion at Work 28 today!!

We at the corporate clothing blog would like to wish Fashion at Work a very happy 28 years at the forefront of corporate clothing and leisurewear. From it's humble beginnings in a tiny workshop in Sheffield servicing the local brewery trade with bespoke uniform solutions Fashion at Work has grown into an international manufacturer of high quality garments and has built a reputation for it's professional service and commitment to quality.

To celebrate this anniversary we have teamed up with Fashion at Work to give our readers an exclusive money off offer of 5% on the first 100 orders Fashion at Work receive using the promotion code FAW201128 this offer is valid until the end of November 2011 

So get shopping now to claim your discount and join in the celebrations.

With one of the countries largest events and venue expedition happening this week focus is firmly set on the hospitality sector and service industries!

Square Meals venues and events exhibition is currently showcasing the best the industry has to offer from big players such as the Hilton hotel group to smaller companies offering a more personable service to consumers.

One aspect that is being firmly showcased is the importance of corporate identity and most importantly how professionally designed uniforms focussing on brand recognition.  Corporate colour schemes and styles are being utilised by major companies to convey a style in keeping with the product designs ranging from classically styled silver service examples promoting decadence and comfort to modern chique designs denoting efficiency, professionalism and style.

Many top and new restaurants are exhibiting this year showcasing dining as more of an experience than simply 'eating out' here more than ever the use of bespoke uniforms for all staff is being used to enhance the brand and provide the customer with a memorable experience of dining and decadence.  In these frugal times more and more emphasis is being made to off the shelf solutions as a base for restaurant uniforms while personalisation is coming from either embroidery of brand or custom designed accessories which when properly employed can make an eye catching, elegant and unforgettable style that in itself can become a focal point for advertising and brand identity.

We have also seen an increase in promotional clothing being not only handed out at exhibitions but actively becoming a marketable brand for the business for example our keen eyes are starting to see t-shirts being sold at the ever popular Wagamammas restaurants!

Which ever way you choose to promote your business, a strategic corporate uniform strategy can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal and one that shouldn't be overlooked.

To early to think of your winter wardrobe?

With such a nice summer as we have experienced should now really be the time to start thinking of winter?  Well the corporate fashion industry is certainly beginning to turn its attention to a more winter orientated range.  We are starting to see the forerunners of winter collections across our desks and must admit that 2011 is gearing up see a very stylish winter .  With a leaning back to the more retro styles with a hint of modern lines we cant wait to see how the ever competitive corporate clothing sector reacts to an even more demanding market this year.

This year the consumer is demanding not only groundbreaking styles but durability and an harder wearing garment that is more resilient to todays hectic work hard play hard lifestyles.  manufacturers are already responding to this with innovative fabrics such as teflon treated cotton giving the wearer a durable performance from their outfit while remaining breathable when needed.  the classic wool mixes are still as popular as ever and the new bespoke style suiting methods are providing a welcome mid range customisable suiting solution without costing as much as a full blown fitted suit.

In summery the options for corporate suiting and accessories this year have expanded beyond any of our expectations here at the Corporate Clothing Blog and we are looking forward to bringing you more information on this exiting market sector as the winter months draw in.

Summers here time to get body beautiful!

Everyone wants to look good for summer and this year has been no exception!  With more and more coverage in the media about fitness and emphasis on a healthy lfe style people are now more than ever hitting the gyms and streets to get fit.

We have seen many different fashions running past our offices here at corporate clothing blog HQ from the casual to the outright futuristic!  this has inspired us to focus on sports clothing and leasurewear.

So why bother with sportswear?  well todays modern sports and teamwear combine both style with cutting edge fabric technology to enable the serious and not so serious fitness enthusiast to not only get more out of there exercise regime but to actively reduce the impact of ill fitting and inadequate clothing on the body under pressure.  Many new fabrics in this market support the body while keeping body temperatures at a constant rate to protect muscles as well as providing a breathable barrier against the elements.  Al this technology combines to provide clothing that works with the fitness enthusiast and not against him.

Another benefit of specialised sportswear is the ability to fight off the bacteria that accumulate after a serious workout thus prolonging the active life of your sports garment well beyond the life expectancy of older fabric types.  Garments can now be impregnated with antibacterial  properties so that smelly cloakroom smell is banished forever!

With this surge in fitness comes growth in team sports from football to running clubs it seems everyone is enjoying the fitness and social benefits of a healthy life style.  So what better way to show your membership of a team or club than embroidered teamwear,  with the option to print or embroider any garment off the shelf club names are cropping up on high streets as teams of runners take there daily exercise,in fact some clubs are almost becoming designer names themselves!!

All this has got the offices here at CCB HQ sparking with excitement and we cant wait to get in the fitness spirit with some embroidered sportswear of our own.

Make it personal this fathers day!

At a loss for what to get dad for father’s day? Well we have been exploring high and low for some unique ideas that will make your farther feel special and look amazing too!



We know that every dad is special and every dad is unique so that's why this year we are going to be looking at the world of personalised clothing to provide a quirky and totally customised gift for the hard working dads of the world.


Workwear:



What dad doesn’t like to dabble in DIY or work on a project in there spare time? Long gone are the days of wearing old jeans and a tatty t-shirt. Today's dad deserves the latest in high tech work clothing. Today's modern work apparel provides comfort, protection and style, a must for today's discerning dad!




Leisurewear:

With more and more men getting into ‘sports for life’ regimes, the demand for high quality leisurewear is increasing. Because of this we think that an ideal present for todays active farther must be quality sportswear clothing, and with many ranges to select from golf clothing to general high fashion leisurewear the options are endless.







Making it special


Father’s day is all about showing dad that he is the best in the world, so we think he needs something that is just for him. All of these items can be personalised through embroidery or printing to really make them something totally unique and special for your farther from something simple such as a baseball cap with‘Worlds Best Dad!’ to a fully embroidered biker style jacket, the only limit to the design is your imagination!




Whatever we decide to get our dads this year we would like to wish all fathers a truly amazing father’s day.

Fashion in Focus: Catering

In today’s competitive restaurant and food service industry more and more business owners are extending their branding and corporate identity to areas that until recently has been out of bounds to customers.

With more people being turned on to food by celebrity chefs and a general back to basics cooking culture in the UK. People are now becoming more interested not just in what they are eating when they go out, but how their food is being prepared. Shows such as hells kitchen have invited the consumer right into the heart of the kitchen and sparked national interest in all things foodie.

This has led to more restaurants opening up kitchens to the discerning view of their customers and provides another perfect opportunity for the business smart restaurant owner to promote their brand in a way never before known.

Even basic measures such as coordinated chef’s uniforms promote an impression of a professional well oiled kitchen and in turn instill confidence in the consumer. One can also use custom embroidery or printing to attach your corporate logo or branding to your kitchen workforce extending the coverage area of your branding.

Many businesses are now employing the services of professional work clothing designers and are already seeing the return in revenue that a coordinated approach between front of house staff presentation and an open kitchen with coordinated uniform can bring. Applying a design professional to your in house branding will ensure coordination through out your business while defining and promoting the roles within your service for the customer.

Many restaurants have taken this approach further and are trading on the name of there head chiefs effectively branding there staff and marketing them via such initiatives as kitchen days and cookery lessons. This approach is becoming more sought after by the consumer who now wants to be a part of there dining experience and what better way to remember this experience than for them to purchase ready branded chiefs apparel from their favorite restaurant. The opportunities appear to be endless in this new and exciting corporate workwear environment!

2011 a year for new business and a chance to rebrand

Finally the UK is starting to see the light at the end of the recession tunnel! While Christmas sales weren’t as good as five years ago they are starting to climb as consumer confidence starts to become more stable. Even humble garment retailers and manufactures are starting to notice an increase in new companies requiring their services and once again the mantra of the new business set is branding branding branding!

Even companies that traditionally had no interest in corporate image are starting to understand that the discerning customer is now looking for a relationship with their suppliers that they can identify with. No more prevalent is this trend, than on the shop floor with companies from small building firms to large national retail chains investing in embroidered workwear bearing anything form a small embroidered company logo to full corporate branding.

So what are we to expect when organising our corporate identity with a professional garment reseller. Normally company’s would submit there corporate design as a picture (either by email or on a disk via the post) this will then go through the process of digitization. This is where the picture/logo is converted into a stitch configuration that can be read by an automated embroidery machine.

Normally a setup fee is charged for this but depending of the supplier you choose this could be either a one off fee or may be added as a smaller fee every time a garment is customised (personally we would recommend a suppler that is up front and charges you a one off fee, after all how many times are you going to alter your company logo!) once this process is complete you are ready to customize any garment you wish with this setup (beware of unscrupulous retailers who try to make you pay a separate setup fee for different garments!)

What garments can be customized? Well the simple rule is if you can wear it you can customise it, from baseball caps to socks handkerchiefs to umbrellas the world of customisable corporate clothing is endless!