For most pubs, cafes and bars, a practical uniform is two pieces: a shirt or polo with your logo, and an apron that suits the station. Bib aprons cover the chest, which helps behind a coffee machine or a busy bar. Waist aprons are lighter and quicker to take off, which suits floor staff who mostly need pockets for an order pad and pen. Here's how to choose both.
Bib or waist: what each apron gives you
Pocket layout and fabric vary more than you'd expect. Here's what each listing gives:
| Apron | Style | Fabric | Pockets and extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS Colour Carrie 1082 | Bib, cross-over strap | 320 GSM cotton canvas | 46 x 24cm patch pocket |
| Biz Bib Apron BA95 | Bib, halter strap | 190 GSM poly/cotton twill | Pen and bottle opener pocket, towel loop |
| Biz Barley BA35 | Bib, neck strap | 250GSM recycled poly/cotton canvas | Large split front pocket |
| AS Colour Denim Half 1085 | Waist | 350 GSM cotton denim | Patch pocket, removable strap |
| Biz Short Waisted BA94 | Waist, above knee | 190 GSM poly/cotton twill | Pen and bottle opener pocket, towel loop |
| JB's Waist Denim 5ADW | Waist | 11oz cotton denim | 33 x 18cm front pocket |
The two Biz pocket styles stand out for a bar: the central front pocket has a slide for a pen and a place for a bottle opener, and there's a towel loop at the back. The BA94 is black only. The BA95 comes in 11 colours, from navy and charcoal to lime and orange.
Canvas and denim, or poly/cotton twill?
The heavier cotton aprons, the AS Colour canvas and denim styles at 320 to 365 GSM and the JB's 11oz denim, suit a venue that wants a workshop or cafe look. Three of the four AS Colour aprons are listed as preshrunk "to minimise shrinkage", and the denim bib (1084) and half apron both have removable herringbone straps. The colours are mostly earthy: the Carrie comes in Army, Black, Coal, Navy and Walnut.
Poly/cotton aprons are lighter, and some come in many more colours: 11 for the BA95 and nine for the JB's 86 x 93cm bib apron. JB's 190gsm poly/cotton apron listings say "Easy care fabric", and the Biz Barley is listed as "Suitable for Commercial Laundering". If your aprons go out with the tea towels to a laundry service, that line is worth checking for each style you're considering.
Every apron in the table is one size, so check the listed dimensions against your tallest and shortest staff. The BA95 is listed at 97 x 86cm and the Carrie at 90cm long.
Planning the kit by role
Once you've matched aprons to stations, give a duty manager the same shirt without an apron, so they still read as part of the team. Buying a few spare aprons per role means there's a clean one on the hook while the others are in the wash.
Shirts and polos behind the bar
Under the apron, one shirt colour for the whole team keeps things simple, and black or white goes with any apron in the table.
- Aussie Pacific Kingswood: a 65% polyester, 35% cotton shirt in black or white, with men's sizes from XXS to 7XL and women's from 4 to 26. The women's version is described as "lightweight" with "a stylish feminine cut".
- AS Colour Womens Pique Polo 4411: 240 GSM, 100% cotton pique in a slim fit, in black, navy or white, sizes XS to XL.
- Biz Womens Crew Polo P400LS: a 210 GSM poly/cotton pique polo in 12 colours, if your venue colours are brighter.
For matching men's and women's polos across a team, our Be Seen team polos guide compares two fabrics. Kitchen staff need different gear again; our chef jackets guide covers them.
One logo across the floor, the bar and the kitchen
A consistent logo on every apron and shirt makes your staff easy to spot when the room is full. Our embroidery or printing guide gives a cafe that embroiders its aprons and prints its staff tees as an example of mixing methods. On an apron, tell us the style so we can place the logo clear of the pocket and straps. Our ordering guide covers shirt logo positions.
Browse our aprons and hospitality collections, or tell us how many staff you're dressing and send your logo through our custom workwear enquiry form.
