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When Blade Haddock, a Texas restaurant consultant, opened the Fort Worth tapas bar called giant this year, he dressed staffers in pearl-snap button-downs covered with bleach-white white aprons.
Not so long ago, such a get-up would have seemed old-fashioned. White wraparound aprons, the traditional garb not only for waiters, but also for fishmongers, butchers, and dentists, were viewed as unhip by restaurants catering to young people with disposable incomes. In the ‘90s and until recently, many restaurants took a nightclub approach to atmosphere: dim lighting, a high-tempo rave soundtrack, and waitstaff clad in all black. “Dark tones are just another way to take the waiter out of the dining experience,” says Haddock. Restaurant owners now approach design with an eye toward transparency and casualness.
The Alain Ducasse restaurant miX in Las Vegas, at the Hotel at Mandalay Bay, dresses its servers in hefty canvas aprons.
“It’s meant to be fun and by all means not intimidating,” said miX assistant general manager Steve Mobley. Likewise, Union, a contemporary American restaurant in Seattle, added a large white apron to the staff’s uniforms in September “to give the staff a cleaner look,” according to one floor manager. That is, if the restaurant itself is clean. Every smidgen of schmutz in the room will land on a white apron.
Atlanta’s Ecco features light-gray aprons, and D.C.’s Acadiana outfits servers in chef coats. The get-up sends an earthy “Can I help you?” message to patrons, as opposed to the cooler-than-thou minimalist fashion runway vibe of hipster street clothes.
“You don’t have to provide world-class cuisine and be stuffy about it,” says miX’s Mobley.
The all-black became a cliché. I stopped wearing black shirts because that was the "waiter" shirt. See a guy in a black shirt and pants at the bus stop? Gotta be a waiter. I remember a buddy of mine had an all-black outfit - black button-up shirt with sleeves rolled-up, black slacks - one night in a group of friends, and someone cracked to him, "Dude, are you taking our order?"
I think long white aprons make the servers look taller too. It's a good look.
Man, I'm really clean, but sometimes stuff spills!
Okay, chef, I'll wear a white apron and try to move more deliberately!
If you aren't wearing a white apron, how am I supposed to know how clean you are? This coming from a chef in Italy...
I think that a servers attire should be reflective of the environment. If it is a hip place, then hip duds are cool. For a bistro....is there anything better than a white apron?
Hm, I'm a waiter and I prefer the all-black thing, more for staying clean though.
And I've never spent that much money on my all-black stuff.
Although now I wear a white shirt and blue jeans with a large apron.
Long white aprons never went out of style, I think a waiter in a long white apron looks great. The trendy all black look always made me feel underdressed, or out classed by the waiter. A waiter wearing Prada and Ferragamo doesn't need my 20% when I wear no name duds....
Probably works out best for everyone in the end. The customer doesn't feel outclassed by someone who is supposed to be waiting on them and the waiter takes home more money because if you are doing well enough to dress better than your customers, you don't really need the tip.