Most business uniforms come down to four pieces: a work shirt or polo with an embroidered logo, a jacket for staff who work outside, an apron for kitchens, bars and salons, and a high-visibility vest for anyone working near traffic or moving equipment. Embroider anything worn and washed daily, and buy safety vests to the ANSI class the job requires before thinking about the logo.
A uniform program is also a reorder program. Staff change, sizes change, and the shirt you order next spring has to match the one bought today. Plan for that from the first order.
What should a staff uniform include?
Start with what the job does to the clothes, then add the logo. A line cook, a doorman and a site foreman need different garments even if they work for the same company.
| Role | Garments | Decoration | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen and bar | Bib aprons, work shirts | Embroidered or printed logo on the bib | Fabric that survives hot washes and grease |
| Front of house and hotel | Polos, waist aprons, jackets | Embroidered left chest | Colors that match the room, not just the logo |
| Building staff | Work shirts with name patches, jackets | Embroidery plus a name patch | Spare shirts for each person, for rotation |
| Trades and site crews | Work shirts, softshell jackets, safety vests | Embroidery on shirts, small logo on vests | The vest's ANSI class before anything else |
| Retail teams | Polos or tees | Embroidery or screen print | Sizes across the whole team, including new hires |
| Salons | Waist or bib aprons | Embroidered or printed logo | Pockets placed where the tools go |
Should work shirts be embroidered or printed?
Embroider them. Custom Work Shirts for trades, building staff and hospitality get washed far more often than a promotional tee, and a stitched logo holds its shape and color through that. Name patches identify each person without a separate badge.
Screen printing still has a place on uniforms: a large company name across the back of a crew shirt, or tees for a one-day event. Our comparison of screen printing, DTG and embroidery covers when each method wins.
Once your logo is digitized for embroidery, we keep the stitch file on record so every reorder matches the original exactly. That is the single biggest reason to keep a uniform program with one supplier.
Which jacket suits staff who work outside?
Choose by weather and by how much the jacket has to move. Custom Jackets come in three common styles, all of which take an embroidered logo.
- Softshell: a stretchy, wind-resistant layer for spring and fall, and for staff who reach, lift and climb.
- Bomber: a heavier, more formal shape that suits doormen, valets and building staff in winter.
- Windbreaker: a light shell for event crews and outdoor staff in mild, wet weather.
Tell us the jacket style before the artwork is final. Placement options differ between a softshell chest, a bomber sleeve and a full back, and the logo size should be set for the garment, not copied from the shirt.
Bib apron or waist apron?
A bib apron covers the chest and suits kitchens, baristas and anyone near splashes. A waist apron ties at the hips, leaves the shirt and its logo visible, and suits servers and salon staff who need pockets close at hand. Aprons for restaurants and salons take an embroidered or printed logo on the bib or the pocket.
Plan on more aprons than staff, since aprons go into the wash after every shift. Our restaurant printing guide covers the rest of what a dining room needs printed.
What does a safety vest need to meet?
A safety vest for road work has to meet ANSI/ISEA 107, the American national standard for high-visibility safety apparel, at Performance Class 2 or 3. The federal worker visibility rule, 23 CFR Part 634 as published in the Federal Register, requires all workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed to traffic or to construction equipment to wear high-visibility safety apparel, and defines that apparel as meeting Class 2 or 3. Agencies and employers may set stricter rules.
| Class | Garment | Typical use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Vest or shirt, Type O (off-road) | Parking lot attendants, warehouse staff around forklifts | Not acceptable for work near road traffic |
| Class 2 | Vest, Type R (roadway) or Type P (public safety) | The minimum for road crews, flaggers and utility workers | Needs a retroreflective band around the torso |
| Class 3 | Jacket or shirt with sleeves | Higher-speed traffic, night work, complex backgrounds | A sleeveless vest alone is never Class 3 |
| Class E | Pants, shorts or gaiters with reflective leg bands | Worn with a Class 2 or 3 top | Class 2 top plus Class E bottoms counts as a Class 3 ensemble |
Sources: the ATSSA and FHWA guide to roadway worker visibility (2022), which lists the background colors for roadway garments as fluorescent yellow-green or fluorescent orange-red, and the MEL Safety Institute's 2026 hi-vis bulletin, which quotes Section 6C.05 of the current federal traffic control manual (MUTCD). Both note that the person the employer designates as responsible for worker safety selects the class.
Can a logo go on a hi-vis vest?
Yes, within limits. The reflective tape must stay clear, and a logo that covers too much fluorescent background can take the vest below the standard's minimum areas, so a logo belongs on a pocket or a panel the garment maker designates for it. Safety Vests in our range are high-visibility ANSI vests for site crews. Tell us the class you need and where the logo should go, and we will match the decoration to the vest.
The mistake that matters most on a uniform order is buying hi-vis by color alone. A lime vest bought for an event is not the same thing as a labeled Class 2 vest. Before anyone wears a vest on a street job, check the label inside: it should name ANSI/ISEA 107 with the year, and show the type and performance class. On the rest of the uniform, the common problem is a reorder that does not match, so write down the garment style and color name with the first order and keep it with the logo file.
How should a business order uniforms so reorders match?
- Pick the garments by role, using the table above, and note each style and color name.
- Collect sizes from every person rather than estimating, and add a few spares for new hires.
- Send the logo as a vector file so it can be digitized once and kept on file.
- Approve a proof showing logo size and placement on each garment type.
- Reorder against the same style, color and stitch file each time.
We deliver free anywhere in Manhattan, so a uniform order can arrive boxed by person or by department at the restaurant, building or site office.
Work uniform questions
Do safety vests have to be ANSI Class 2?
For workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed to traffic or construction equipment, federal rules require ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or Class 3 apparel. Class 1 is meant only for off-road areas away from public traffic.
Can you put our company logo on a high-visibility vest?
Yes, as long as the logo stays off the reflective tape and within the area the standard and the garment maker allow. A pocket or a designated ID panel is the usual spot.
Is embroidery or screen printing better for staff uniforms?
Embroidery for shirts, polos, jackets and aprons worn every day, because it holds up to repeated washing. Screen printing for large back prints and event tees.
How do we make sure reordered uniforms match?
Keep the same garment style and color, and reorder against the digitized stitch file we keep on record. That way new hires get the same shirt as everyone else.
Do you deliver uniforms?
Yes. Delivery is free anywhere in Manhattan, and a same-day courier is available when a new hire starts tomorrow.
See custom uniforms, workwear and apparel for the full range, or send your logo and a list of roles and sizes for a quote. For branded items beyond clothing, read our guide to promotional products people keep.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.