Presenting a professional appearance

Personal Grooming

Presenting a professional appearance is very important in the hospitality industry. This section examines all aspects of professional grooming, from the uniform to hair and personal presentation and hygiene.

Uniforms

Restaurants often require you to wear the same or similar clothes so that you all present the same image of the restaurant. You can often wear your own clothes, with an added special apron provided by the establishment. Sometimes a special uniform will be provided for you. The uniform may be formal (e.g. black pants/skirt with white shirt) or informal (e.g. jeans and a black T-shirt).

Name Badges

Restaurants often give their waiting staff name badges. This makes it easy for guests to know your name and use it when they talk with you. These should be worn at all times on the

designated place on your clothing

Care of Your Uniform

Care of your uniform is every staff member’s individual responsibility. A good brushing after
wearing them will remove dusts and freshen up any garment. The two main problems

are stains and odours.

1. Stains – a superficial stain may be removed by light sponging or using a specialised
spot cleaner. Soda water or carbonated water may be effective.

2. Odours – airing may eliminate some unpleasant odours. Clothes do not have to look grubby to retain stale smells e.g. cigarette smoke can linger on outer garments even after just one wear. These should be left hanging in a place with free air circulation.

3. Hanging your uniform – no matter how tired you are you should always hang up your uniform. Trouser pockets should be emptied and trouser creases should properly align.

4. Spare buttons and a sewing kit – you should always have one readily available.

5. Shoes – should clean, well-polished and well maintained including being-soled and heeled, if necessary. If shoes get wet the, most efficient way to dry them is by stuffing them with newspaper and allowing them to dry at room temperature. Shoe Trees should be used to keep shoes in shape.

6. Shirts – creases should be always ironed in the same place or they can look unkempt. Never roll up the sleeves of long sleeved shirts. Shirts should be freshly laundered daily and ironed while slightly damp. Starch will keep the garment crisp and enhance its appearance.

7. Trousers – to maintain the shape of your trouser pockets, they should not be

overfilled. They should be worn belted, with your shirt tucked in.