Operations, Uniforms
How to Size a Restaurant Uniform Order Without Getting It Wrong
Almost every uniform complaint we hear traces back to sizing rather than fabric. It is also the easiest problem to solve, because it costs nothing but an hour of somebody's time before the order goes in.
The three mistakes
- Ordering by letter size. One person's L is another's XL, and Indian and international size charts differ. Letter sizes are a summary, not a measurement.
- Skipping the size set. Going straight to bulk means discovering the sleeve is two centimetres short across sixty shirts instead of one.
- Ordering exactly the headcount. Someone joins in week three and there is nothing for them to wear.
Take these measurements once
- Tops: chest (around the fullest part), shoulder (seam to seam across the back), sleeve length, and garment length from the high point of the shoulder.
- Trousers: waist, hip, inseam.
- Shirts: collar, if the shirt is formal.
- Aprons: height of the wearer is enough; we work length from that.
Do it once, record it in a shared sheet with names, and you will use it for every reorder for years. It takes about a minute per person.
Always run a size set
We produce a size set, one garment in each size, before bulk production for any significant order. Two or three staff in different builds try each piece and confirm the fit works in motion: reaching for a top shelf, carrying a tray, bending to serve. Almost every size set produces one small adjustment, and every one of those adjustments would have been sixty garments' worth of regret.
An hour with a measuring tape is the cheapest insurance in the entire uniform budget.
Ladies and gents blocks
Do not shorten a men's shirt and call it a ladies fit. It is the second most common source of complaint after length. We cut separate blocks: different armhole, different shoulder slope, different side shaping and different hem. It costs no more at production and the difference in how the uniform is received is substantial.
Spares and the reorder
Order ten to fifteen percent spares, weighted to the two commonest sizes, in the same batch and the same dye lot. When a new hire starts, they get a uniform that matches the team rather than a slightly different shade from a later run.
We keep patterns, fabric codes, dye lot references, thread shades and embroidery files on record for every client, so a top-up order a year later is a two-line message rather than a fresh project.
Ordering
Send us your measurement sheet, or ask us for our template, on WhatsApp at +91 98213 34906. See the full uniform range.
