Do It Up Brown: Essay for Made to Measure Magazine

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Chances are that when the teacher asked you what your favorite color was, brown wasn’t the first choice.  It’s one of those things.  Ubiquitous like air and water, brown is an all-pervasive hue that just is; as a result, most folks take it for granted rather than think of it as being really special or unique.  Let’s face it: brown lacks pizzazz.

On the other hand, brown in the uniform industry—despite objections to the contrary by navy’s, blacks, and grey’s—has been a staple that has not only been around forever, but commands identity and respect because of its no-nonsense down to earth connotation.

You have to figure that clothing was originally brown—animal skins.  Plants and natural dyes were often in the browns, so as fabrics evolved, brown was still the staple.  When man discovered weaving and color processing technologies, brown stepped back for the emergence of red’s, blue’s, green’s, yellow’s, and so forth.  But in all native societies, brown still held the prominent spot as a shade.  It became the color of the common people. 

Brown reminds us of wood, nature, and earth.  It’s a warm mix of other muddied primary colors, and often borders on yellow, orange, green, or burgundy.  It’s all about comfort, reality, and the inevitable.  Brown just is.

UPS knows about brown—“Pullman Brown” to be precise.  The largest delivery service in the world has chosen plain ‘ole dark chocolate as its uniform masthead.  It’s not fancy like Fed Ex with purple this and navy that; not a food product like DHL—red and yellow as ketchup and mustard on a hotdog; not catchy like all the other freight companies.  Nope.  UPS is basic brown, and the genius who decided on this particular color as the single identifier of the company, knew it was a winner.  The entire world knows “Brown,” as UPS has come to call itself.  Practically speaking, with the traveling, the dust stirred up by the delivery trucks, all the boxes—mostly in coordinated brown cardboard containers—these delivery folks don’t have to worry about too much dirt and laundering; everything matches brown.

Ever bought Girl Scout Cookies?  Do you know how many millions of girls and women are in the Girl Scouts?  From the earliest years of elementary school, kids join this mammoth service organization; guess who the entry level participants are, and what they wear: Brownies.  Any American child either knows or is a Brownie.  (Remember the beanies that look like Hershey’s Kisses?)   Speaking of which, if you’ve been to Hershey, Pennsylvania, you know all about chocolate, and more brown. 

One of the ugliest chapters in history was the German Nazi elite during the Second World War—Hitler’s “Brown Shirts,” as they were called.  But Hitler’s murderers aside (if one may dare to be so cavalier with such heinous memories), the land-based military in more recent times has made enormous use of brown.  Part of this is because of the camouflage with the ground—soldiers are more difficult to see when they match the terrain (lighter tans for the sandier soil, and darker browns for richer farm lands); part of the reasoning is to remind the people what these soldiers are fighting for: terra firma, the motherland.   

During the ‘70’s, brown was “in;” if you can believe it, brown was actually a fashion color.  Between the military look of soldiers and the psychological connotations of “warm,” “friendly,” and “no-nonsense,” several police forces expounded on tan and darker brown tones.  County, state, and city police all went to brown, with the hopes of commanding user-friendly respect from citizens as they politely handed out summonses and tickets: A cross no doubt between the Park Forest Rangers and the Boy Scouts.   (In downtown Manhattan, however, the response to the traffic police dressed in brown was so negative that the Commissioner had to spend $24,000 to change all the uniforms back to blue in order to physically protect his men.  The “cops” became known as “the Brownies,” and were literally either pummeled, teased, or treated as doormen for the finer hotels.)

In athletic apparel, brown goes in and out with style and public fervor.  The Cleveland Browns (owned by Paul Brown); the once St. Louis Browns aka now the Baltimore Orioles; the San Diego Padres: Brown.   

In the corporate world, brown has pretty much followed fashion.  Browns were big when polyester first came into vogue.  President Reagan used to wear brown suits instead of Washingtonian black or dark navy—he wanted to present as a man of the people.  But then it was gone.  Now, with the re-emergence of coffee (yes, Starbucks and cyber cafes are our new national pastime), brown has seen a renaissance.  Poly wools and polyesters are back on the scene.  Poly cottons:  Khaki, a lighter shade of brown, has become so prevalent that certain pants have taken on the same name—not as a color, but as an entire style: “Khakis.”  Of course, all the popular organic fabrics come in varying degrees of brown, too.

One can open any catalogue or check a group of swatch cards and find contemporary browns in delicious abundance: Hazelnut, mocha, toffee, taupe, dark chocolate, cocoa, latte, or milk chocolate.  For the purists, the mundane:  Tan, brown, medium brown, dark brown, rust, or puce.  Don’t forget nature:  Mahogany, heather, hickory, bark, sand, sable, and mink.  A plethora of tones.

So the next time you think about a customer’s need for something unique and stylish, be creative in a down home way: Think friendly and welcoming, low-key and with an image that says “Hey, we’re one of you, and we mean business.”  Brown isn’t used that often but yet when it is, it’s a terrific success.      

Blazer of Glory: Article for Uniform Market News

Just in case you’ve been lying awake nights wondering, there is no difference between a sports coat and a blazer.  Some people will say, “Why, yes, of course this is correct,” while others will insist, “No, this cannot be.”  But the consensus is that there is really no difference between the two. 

The umbrella term “sports coat” is used to define any upper body outerwear that is worn for casual affairs.  Confusing but technically correct, even a mackinaw or a parka could be considered a sports coat.

However, for most people’s and our purposes as well, a sports coat is a lightweight jacket worn with slacks (and/or a skirt in a woman’s case), and while hopefully it has a sense of style and coordination with its bottom counterpart, it need not be made from the same fabric or color, as a suit coat would be.

Simply put, the sports coat evolved from folks who wanted something more casual to wear for sporting events, but still wanted a sense of style and presence; hence, the name.  Before golf, lacrosse, polo shirts and Ralph Lauren, or cardigan sweaters and Nike on the back nine, men were wearing sports coats with ties and plus-fours (knickers for those of you who weren’t around in the first half of the twentieth century). 

For their Saturday jaunts into the woods with a picnic basket, a ride in an automobile to see the circus, or a stroll down the broad way to the tennis match, the sports coat was the “in” symbol of fashion and good taste.   It also became perfect for school attendance and teaching, or any job that required propriety but not necessarily a full dress business suit.  It was perfect for every occasion that wasn’t about a business suit or a tuxedo, but needed a tie for social acceptability. 

Within a milieu of various sports coat styles—some with notch, peak, or rounded lapels; with pockets that were inset or patch, with flaps or without; with various thicknesses of shoulder pads to emphasize a particular fashion focus or time, came a specialized garment that evolved from England (as usual)—the blazer. 

Some will tell you that the blazer was a more relaxed version of a naval coat that could be worn to sea—that it was derived from the HMS Blazer, a frigate from the Victorian era whose captain wanted a coat that was more casual than the standard formal uniform, but had the style and sense of dignity that an officer would wear.  It was originally made in navy blue with metal buttons, was double breasted and had patch pockets. 

Others will adamantly insist that the blazer came about from Lady Margaret’s Boat Club, the rowing team from St. John’s College, Cambridge.  The uniformly matching sports jackets were all in brightest of red; thus, the “blazing” color defined the name.  Who knows? 

Whichever is correct, the blazer, aka the sports coat, has become a staple of our western society.  Especially with colleges and special fraternal orders, they come in solids, stripes, or plaids in order to identify the groups they represent.  They come in all colors, often symbolic, sometimes revealing the hierarchy within a group.  The Masons, for example, display multiple colors as each level of philanthropy elevates an individual up the ladder:  purple, red, grey, royal blue, navy blue, French blue, etc. The Florida Elks and Florida Kiwanis, on the other hand, have blazers that are naval orange to remind us of their flourishing fruit crop.

As for the professional sector, blazers usually come in navy, various shades of grey, and black.  Less frequently, there will be burgundy, red, or khaki.  There are the single breasted or the double breasted, with lapel (notch or peak) or without (cardigan).  Sometimes, they are longer in length, and sometimes, shorter.  One, two, three, or even four-button blazers are possibilities these days. 

Usually, the more conservative corporate look sticks with standard styling and colors in 100% cotton, poly cotton, polyesters, poly-wools, or 100% wools, depending on formality, image, affordability, and the weather.   However, as our world is ever-shrinking, we not only learn about other designs and fabrics from various cultures and workplaces, but we grow accustomed to them and borrow them for ourselves.   These days, it’s not so unusual to see a silk blazer as a uniform, and in a vibrant pink, at that.  Or, something in eggplant, chocolate brown, or rust—especially if it’s an organic, custom dyed fabric.     

Sportswear—the sports coat—has become a permanent part of our society, even though what we think of as more formal or dressy in today’s world was once considered to be very casual.  One would have never thought of going rowing, for example, without a sharp looking jacket and ascot or tie.  And, as a part of this tradition, blazers have become key in our wardrobes.  We use them for everything:  dining out, cocktail parties, work, group identity, image and presentation.  We use them wherever we go and for whatever we do, and as uniform entrepreneurs, we wear them and we sell them all the time.  So, if you do lie awake nights thinking about this ubiquitous item—the sports coat or blazer—hopefully, you can now rest easily, as most if not all of your questions about it have been answered.      

His and Hers/The Gender Gap: UniformMarketNews.Com

There are more women in the world than men, and women live longer than men.  In some parts of the country, there are more female business owners than male.  There are more women in college than men, and there are more women in professional graduate schools, such as law and medicine, than men.  Simply put, there is every reason to believe that our workforce, where both men and women are working, would have at least as many uniform choices for women as men.  But it doesn’t. 

I talked with one uniform company representative today who said that their sales are 90% male-oriented.  We’re not talking deep-sea diving-suits, here.  This is about high class corporate apparel.  Another one volunteered that it was at least a 2 to 1 shot, men over women in terms of sales in today’s workplace.  The sheer volume of garments, styles, fabrics, and items available to men compared to those accessible to women is amazing.  In general, uniform manufacturers gear themselves to a predominantly male population in spite of the preponderance of female workers.  

The why of it, in addition to the reality that our working class society has evolved more rapidly than the offerings of the uniform manufacturers, is largely that women simply don’t want to look like other women—particularly when a uniform is merely utilitarian and without a sense of style.  As one R.O.T.C. officer said when she tried on her new military togs, “This isn’t just about being in the Army; I want something that shows off my figure!”

 

The good news is that things are changing.  Women are being heard not only on the shop floor but also in the boardroom, and there are signs that “unisex” [politically correct for “it’s really a guy’s, but a woman can get into it, too"] is becoming passé.   The supervisor is finally coming to the reality that the “girls” no longer have to fit into men’s pants.

Uniform companies are adding whole new lines directed at female employees coming into male territory.  VF Industries, for example, has come out with an entire focus on women in their updated Bulwark protective apparel line:  A woman fire fighter or welder?  Edwards Garment Corporation has re-styled all of its pants and skirts not only because of changing styles and times, but because there is a new recognition that women are in the corporate marketplace to stay and want to look attractive as well as appropriate.

Microfibre has been a huge player for both men and women in the uniform world.  Easy to care for, elegant, and soft, it’s a fabric that lends high class to a man, but also a sleek, chic image to a woman: Suits, slacks, skirts, blazers, even blouses, have never looked better.

The styles are more jazzed.  In 2007, the Hardwick Company came out with a drop-dead gorgeous blazer that is long-lined, slimming, and made from a hazelnut Micro-suede.  It couldn’t be more professional and feminine at the same time.

These days, there are baseball hats, jackets, golf shirts, fleece wear and casual apparel for gals.  The cap-sleeved fitted v-neck polo with a Johnny collar is a favorite.  Several companies are manufacturing in ice-cream colors exclusively for women:  Hanes, Bella, Anvil, Alternative, Great Republic, and more.   There are even women’s boxer shorts and leggings. 

Smocks:   It used to be that the only smocks in town were for the barber, the dentist, or the pharmacist.   They all had 3 pockets and a zip front.  Light blue or white.  Period.   Now, there are estheticians—primarily women—who are in the business of bodies and beauty.  Suddenly, the uniforms of the clinicians are more svelte than the street-wear of the clients—every color imaginable and in every style.  Not to stop there, lengthen these smocks to labcoats:  Sleeve variations, belts, gathers, and hemlines.  Science will never be the same.

Hospitality and hotel wear are also narrowing the gap between his and hers.  In addition to matching waiter and waitress, host and hostess, front desk and concierge uniforms, there are back of the house ensembles as well.   Housekeeping is no longer only about the drab prison-inmate styled garb, but is adorned with cool, customized, colorized, and spiffy-looking outfits.  Chef wear has added a touch of the feminine for women; aprons are coming out in new colors and styles that take into account that women have busts, and are entitled to look pretty while working.   It’s an atmosphere where skirts and slacks match pants.  Blazers match coats, and blouses match shirts.  Vests are cut with double sets of patterns—for women and men.

A lot of these styling accommodations have been in existence for quite some time, you say.  That’s true.  But what was a luxury before has become a necessity now; women are insisting on having the same number of choices, colors, patterns, and fabrics, as men.  Instead of the flat, utilitarian will-do humdrum schoolmarm appearance of so many of the uniforms in the past, today’s corporations are focusing on looks that captivate and enhance a woman’s beauty in accordance with her professionalism.

End-users know that appearance can make or break a deal; manufacturers are aware of this and have begun to gear up their feel for fashion and practicality in the workplace.  As the years go forward, let’s see what unfolds.  Will these ventures into gender-pleasing aspects of apparel bring more customers to our industry or will they merely be wasted on a group that still wants to do its own thing—where every girl counts on looking unique and different from her peers?

Vested Interests: UniformMarketNews.Com

This month’s edition of Uniform Market takes a look at the timeless vest as it continues to re-invent itself and have greater presence in the uniform industry.  It is without question one of the most economical, yet outstanding ways for any organization to make a definitive statement about itself.

If you go back far enough, it can be argued that the first vest-like garment was worn by a caveman, made from animal skins and worn for protection against the environment.  Simply put, the vest (Latin for clothing) is that which covers the upper part of the body but omits the sleeves. [Add sleeves and it can be called a “jacket—” the two are interchangeable; a coat is too large and bulky to do this—take out its sleeves and it could never be a vest.] 

In addition to its existence as an open bolero style in warmer climates, or as a quilted more padded affair in northern Europe and Asia, the vest has been a familiar and mandatory part of dress for centuries.  When made from metal, it even served as armor during the Middle Ages.  Various sleeve openings, lapel preferences, lengths, and closures have evolved with cultures and time.  Usually worn as a complement to an already existing outfit, the fabric, colors, and/or cut of a vest can reveal a person’s job description and social standing; the garment has been so specifically designed.  

Although decreed a fashion imperative in 17^th century Britain, the traditional vest has gradually begun to disappear as a staple in men’s wear for a few reasons: After World War I when the pocket watch became replaced by the wrist watch, there was no more need for the vest pocket; during World War II when fabric became a premium, money was better spent on the War effort; our society has become more and more casual and formal vests have been replaced with 2 piece suits, or sweaters and slacks.     

The vest as a uniform has increasingly grown in popularity as our low budget economy looks for high visibility in the marketplace. The vest is an excellent way to draw attention to identity.  Because it has no sleeves, the vest is simply cooler and easier to navigate.  No bulkiness, nothing to dirty or roll up, as with long sleeves.  

Further just as telltale vests marked a person’s status and job description many years before, vests of today do the very same thing.  Restaurant and food-service wear will have vests of one color for the

maitre d’ and hostesses, another for the waiters, and a third for the bus-staff.  Or, there is the idea of the front part of the house having waiters’ jackets (sleeved vests), but removing the sleeves (vests), while maintaining the same unique fabric and style for the bartenders.  The continuity is very smooth. 

Vests in the hotel industry go with the most formal Victorian styling by adding braid, embroidery, tassels, lace, gold or silver brocade, shoulder straps, and even epaulets.  Being cut away at the waist, they were once called “waistcoats,” as they were worn under much longer and fuller frock coats.  For a more corporate appearance, the conservative business vest still maintains that fabulous look when everyone was bandbox:  Single or double breasted with notch, peak, or sans lapels and a sophisticated presentation that says, “Yes, Sir!” 

There are loose vests for sports, such as soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and other lower contact activities where heat, cleaning ease, and cost all make a difference.  Screen printing is a definite plus here.  Or, let the colors alone carry the ball.

There are elongated tunic vests that reach the thigh.  This style, having originated in the colonial American South, has the advantage of offering a slimmer look when not everyone has a perfect figure. 

There are even multi-colored sleeveless knit T’s, undershirts, and women’s lingerie.  There is the alternative “vestee,” which is a faux set of front panels set into either side of a coat.  This provides the look of the vest without the expense or the added warmth of extra fabric in the back.  And speaking of a backless vest, there is the timeless tuxedo style.  Best of all, everything can be made adjustable. 

For protection, whether it’s DuPont’s magic fiber, Kevlar, or some other wonder substance, being bullet proof in today’s world hits the mark.  The impenetrable vest is one of many ways law enforcement officers, political officials, security guards, and even teachers find physical protection.  Add reflective tape, remove the Kevlar, and it’s a street scene for construction and/or safety.  Quilt them and you’re outside with terrific warmth.

Whether it’s Wal-Mart, 7-11, Target, Kroger or Safeway, Circle K or Quick Mart, McDonald’s, a Mexican restaurant, Walgreen’s, a gas station, car dealer, or the local school band, vests are everywhere.  Fancy or plain, expensive Italian tapestry or imported poly cotton, Microfibre, cable knit sweaters or fur; they are one of the most prevalent means of visual identity that we experience as consumers.  Check them out in your major uniform supplier catalogues.  From baby Ottoman knit weaves, to fancy brocade with lame, waist length to tunic, wool to Oxford Nylon, buttons, zippers, Velcro, or snaps: There’s a vest concept that’s just right for your customers. 

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A Bum Wrap: The Eton Jacket and Its Origin--UniformMarketNews.Com

Ever wonder how different styling options became industry norms?  Take, for example, one of the more commonly desired apparel offerings, the eton jacket. 

In the mid 15^th century, Henry VI (the “scholar king”) firmly established the English educational system.  One of its most notable schools was Eton College, (pronounced “eton” as in cretin, not “eton” as in futon).  Located on the Thames River in southeast London and across from Windsor Castle, some of the most accomplished Britons in history have been educated there, including the Duke of Wellington, author Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole.   Despite the presence of several fine English academic institutions, Eton stands above the rest in many categories, particularly in terms of its uniform.

Believe it or not, the precursor to the eton jacket was the medieval monk’s robe.  Originally, children in “public schools” (which were actually fee paying private schools) wore their own clothing, paid for by their families.  The charity schools—whose students were comprised of children from hospitals, orphanages, and the streets—were filled with ragamuffins who had nothing to wear; hence, the clergy provided them with cassocks from the monasteries that not only kept the children warm but visually eliminated their economic differences.  Remember, women were not a part of this equation because they were not given formal schooling until more recent times.

Ironically, as England became more prosperous and powerful, the upper classes found themselves with elitist schoolboys who had become arrogant and unruly bullies.  By the 19^th century, in the interest of greater discipline, decorum, and financial equanimity, the notion of also putting the public schools in uniform was instituted.  At Eton, the waistcoat, shirt and now-famous collar, short jacket, and accessories were introduced. 

“College” in England refers to secondary school education.  Initially at Eton College, the junior class members (also presumed to be those boys who were less than 5’4”) were made to wear the all-around short jacket, while the older classmates wore the longer morning coat: waist length in front with tails behind. 

However, there were two problems with the double-style coat system: first, there were many upper classmen who were too short and as a result were not allowed to wear the more adult waistcoat even though they were seniors; second, the longer waistcoat with its tails that covered one’s rear end was a lot warmer than the skimpy junior level jacket that had become known as “the bum freezer.” 

Ultimately, the early 20^th century solution was to eliminate the short Eton jacket so that all the boys wore a single outfit: the morning coat or waistcoat with the now-famous look of the collar, vest, top hat and tie.  More recently, Princes William and Harry wore the required Eton outfit. 

Interestingly, outside the College, the Eton suit with the shorter jacket became the standard for boys of all ages in English society, and the fashion spread to the United States, as well.  It should be noted that several of the English colleges had similar uniforms; but it was Eton’s (rather than Harrow’s, for example) that caught on. 

There is no one designer for the specific Eton College uniform; the question of the short jacket’s evolution is bound up with the history of the garment, the styling of a short formal jacket, and the name of the College.  Similar garments were worn throughout Europe once pants became the preferred mode of men’s dress.

As a particular garment, the modern eton jacket (now with a lower case “e”) became a part of the regimented repertoire for military dress, cruise ships, hotels, for special groups and clubs, and even for assistants such as waiters, butlers, and doormen in private homes or restaurants. 

With ever-increasing affluence, particularly in Western culture, the eton jacket found its place in more formal society and became a sign of class distinction.  Interestingly, worn by both the working classes that served the upper classes, and by the upper classes themselves, the degree of hierarchy was identified only by a particular jacket’s trim: the basic style remained unaltered.  During the latter part of the 20^th century, couturier designers even presented the eton jacket with a skirt as a smartly tailored suit for well-to-do women. 

Today’s Eton Jacket: A Must-Have for Customers

Today, we in the uniform industry find our customers wanting etons, many of them not knowing what they are or how an eton is defined, other than as a short jacket that is at once formal but utilitarian.  

Etons are now 1-button, or a chain-link 2-button: they are double breasted or single, with 2 buttons or 3.  Some have built-in false vestees, some have false cummerbunds attached.  They come lined or unlined, with various types of collars, contrasting or self lapels, with pockets or none.  There are braid, epaulets, shoulder straps, chevrons, and even scalloped yokes for western wear. There is the West Point jacket which is a military stand collar version of the eton.  Some etons have pointed bottoms, some have rounded edges, some are squared off.  They come in all sorts of designs and fabrics—polyester, poly wool or wool, even poly cotton or brocades.

But the basic style is still the same.  It is the short jacket—a waistcoat without the tails—used for the original purposes of identity, deportment, and uniformity, that was named by the headmasters at Eton College all those years ago. 

Debra Hindlemann Webster is owner of Custom Uniform Company, a manufacturer of high-quality, American-made custom uniforms.  The company has been serving individuals, groups, theme parks, corporations, offices, military, hospitality, entertainment centers, and many other businesses with unique custom apparel for more than 70 years.  Visit WWW.CUSTOMUNIFORMCOMPANY.COM  or email them at DEB@CUSTOMUNIFORMCOMPANY.NET  to learn more.