March 29–In the hospitality industry, dressing to impress isn’t just some old bromide. It’s a matter of business.
What a hotel’s front desk staff wears “should match the clientele,” says Mark Chambers, chef concierge at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, Downtown.
“We’re a luxury property so we want to reflect that in all aspects,” adds Julie Abramovic, the hotel’s public relations manager.
Fairmont Pittsburgh is just one example of local hotels striving to step up its staffers’ style with some help from Pittsburgh-based retailers and fashion designers, such as Larrimor’s and Kiya Tomlin, respectively.
As the Fairmont marks its fifth anniversary here, it was time to start thinking about refreshing the uniforms. Because Mr. Chambers is the head concierge and an inductee of the elite and selective Les Clefs d’Or (a national association of professional hotel concierges that’s part of the Union Internationale des Concierges d’Hotels), hotel management thought it would be smart for him to dress differently than the rest of his staff so guests could more easily identify him. Rather than selecting suits from a hospitality uniform provider as in the past — and as lots of hotel chains do — this time he teamed with the Fairmont’s neighbor Larrimor’s, a retailer of fine men and women’s clothes, to have custom suits made for him.
Larrimor’s has been in the business of men’s suiting for more than 70 years and has created custom pieces for a range of celebrities, athletes and professionals during its history. For Mr. Chambers, the store’s staff members helped him pick suits that worked for his build and reflected the Fairmont Pittsburgh’s conservative yet contemporary aesthetic. They also gave him some more versatility than what his former uniform allowed, thanks to suits in neutrals such as charcoal and navy and dress shirts and ties in accent colors that can be mixed and matched.
“Customers are more relaxed and more engaged if you’re showing them the same kind of look that they see all over the world and that they expect when they come to a luxury hotel,” says Larrimor’s president Tom Michael.
A uniform that fits well and flatters a person’s build — and also is comfortable to wear — is key to a clean, professional look, says Ms. Tomlin. She’d been noticing how often that’s not the impression she gets from hotel employees’ dress codes — so she also decided to offer her assistance. She collaborated with the Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh, a boutique hotel slated to open in East Liberty in late spring or early summer, to come up with chic uniforms that will complement many body types.
“One of the big things about Hotel Indigo is really embracing the local experience and bringing a local taste into the hotel,” says general manager Jordan Bartels, who adds that the hotel also will be working with local food businesses to support the community.
Women will be outfitted in a dress from Ms. Tomlin’s Uptown Sweats ready-to-wear collection, and she came up with a clothing concept for men, too. If hotel guests like what they see, they can visit the nearby Indigo Square shops and check out Ms. Tomlin’s studio, which is being adapted into a retail space that will sell pieces from her line, along with jewelry and handbags from the Pittsburgh-based luxury brand Sandra Cadavid.
For more from Post-Gazette style editor Sara Bauknecht, visit the PG’s fashion blog Stylebook at post-gazette.com/stylebook. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG or email [email protected].
