7 STEPS TO A CUSTOM DESIGN UNIFORM

Have you thought about what your uniform says about your business?

Does your uniform showcase what your brand is about? Are the staff raving about how comfortable their uniforms are to wear?

Do your customers compliment your team on their uniforms?

If you answer “NO” to any of these questions, where do you go to resolve this issue?

You might be thinking that the custom design uniform process is expensive, it takes too long and perhaps even a little risky?

We love the custom design process, and if you’re eligible, we know that you will love it too.

We created these 7 simple steps so that you can find out if the custom design process is going to be right for your business. 

1) Staff numbers.

If your team is made up of 80 – 100 staff, then you reach the minimum required to proceed with custom design.

Staff numbers of 200 – 300 + will benefit from a wider range of options when it comes to colours, fabrics and pricing.

If you’re numbers are in the 20 – 80 range, and you’re open to a forward strategy beyond 6 – 12 months, then that could be something to explore with us.  With custom design, its always recommended to order surplus stock, to avoid being low on sizes when you order what you think ‘will do’. It  might be impossible to fill those gaps, or will cost a lot more to do so if you don’t order enough.

2) Price.

Yes, custom design is more expensive than an “off the shelf”, mass produced product. You will expect to pay more for having something unique made to order. In some cases,  you might have to pay set up fees (paid once – the style will then be exclusive to you). However, long term packages turn out to be a lot more cost effective. You might even be able to half your uniform budget over a 2 year time frame.  We will need to know an approximate budget so that we can prepare the designs to fit.  We’ll share a quote with you before we move too far forward and a few scenarios for your choice.

3) Inspiration.

We consider the process to be a collaboration.

We’ll start with a brief survey so that we can prompt answers that will help us understand your business.  For example factors like climate, dress codes and how the uniforms are normally laundered are important for us to know.

If you have a style guide, colour palette and a particular theme you love – send it our way so that we can dive in.

In some cases, we’ll share our internal research into global trends (including lifestyle, fashion and interiors) to inspire you as well.

4) First Steps

In many cases, we’ll prepare mood boards, collate fabrics and present sketches for you. We often have samples similar on hand, or images that will help you decide. Its a good idea to have one person, or small team, who will be part of the decision making process  – your own ‘design team’. That way everyone is on the same page.

5) Samples

We’ll create a sample in size 10, or a mens M, then our team will test it to ensure it meets Australian standard sizing. We have very strict quality policies.  There is a fair bit of testing to be done at this point.  Its all about finessing and ensuring that your product is optimised for long term uniform use.

It’s all very transparent and we will keep you updated for each step. We try to ensure the process is as seamless as possible.   You get to try on and approve as we go along so that there are no surprises at the end.

We will always see a final sample before production begins and do a checklist to ensure your nominated ‘design team’ are happy.

6) Timelines

The whole process can take anywhere from 2 – 4 months….or a year depending on how many people or managers need to make the uniform decision!  Production timelines can vary, but once everything is approved, it’s normally 4 -6 weeks from a sign off. Then there are plenty of options for delivery and dispatch to your door. 

7) Follow up.

We’ll follow up after delivery, 3 – 6 months later to get feedback from you and your team. When you choose us to design your uniforms we feel honoured! With uniforms being such a key element in the brand image, you need to partner on custom design uniform with someone you can trust,   That only works if the uniforms are as durable, comfortable and stylish as you had dreamed they would be.

We promise you they will be!

If you’re not sure about the process, or if it’s right for you – perhaps take our short quiz and find out more!