The question of how a bartender should dress is far from simple. Should they emulate the crisp white dinner jackets of London’s Savoy, or perhaps the relaxed aloha shirts seen at Latitude 29 in New Orleans? What about the bold, colored mechanic’s jumpsuits sported by bartenders at London’s A Bar with Shapes for a Name? Historically, the bartender’s uniform began with a practical white coat, akin to pharmacists or barbers, signifying service and professionalism. As cocktails gained popularity and the bartender’s role became more prestigious in hospitality, uniforms evolved. Fine establishments adopted dinner jackets and tuxedos, a tradition still honored in places like Musso & Frank in Hollywood and Bemelmans Bar in New York, where scarlet mess jackets remain a symbol of classic elegance.
However, in today’s dynamic cocktail culture, a single standard for bartender uniforms no longer exists. Surprisingly, many modern bars, even upscale ones, have moved away from strict uniform requirements. While meticulous attention is given to bar design, menus, and glassware, the sartorial aspect sometimes takes a backseat. Yet, amidst a sea of leather aprons, tight waistcoats, and branded t-shirts, a new wave of innovative bars is using fashion to enhance the cocktail experience and define their brand identity through unique Uniforms For Bartenders. This article explores how contemporary bars are redefining bartender attire, showcasing examples that blend style, functionality, and brand personality.
Overstory | New York City
Uniform: Dusty rose pink dinner jackets
Designer: Public School
Bartenders in pink dinner jackets at Overstory bar in NYC
Perched on the 64th floor of a Manhattan Art Deco skyscraper, Overstory offers stunning panoramic city views. Designed by Modellus Novus, it evokes the grandeur of classic skyscraper lounges like the Rainbow Room, blending timeless elegance with modern flair. This is evident in details ranging from the bar’s twist on classic Martini glasses to Art Deco-inspired wall sconces. Achieving a balance between classic and contemporary design is often approached through playful eclecticism or minimalist refinement. Overstory opted for the latter, with a dusty rose pink palette emerging as a central design theme. “The blush palette was inspired by the sunset, creating a room that glows during golden hour,” explains bar director Harrison Ginsberg. This warm pink hue is reflected in the plush bar stools and the rose-gold tones of copper and brass fixtures under soft, ambient lighting.
For bartender uniforms, Overstory collaborated with New York streetwear brand Public School. Known for its casual aesthetic, Public School embraced the challenge of creating a dusty rose tribute to the traditional double-breasted dinner jacket. The result is a shorter jacket, reminiscent of 1930s cruise ship mess jackets, featuring a double-breasted design with a lower two-button stance in brass. This streamlined front aligns with the bar’s refined yet approachable atmosphere. The shawl lapel is slimmer than traditional dinner jackets and lacks a satin facing. Practical bartending considerations informed the design, including a partially lined jacket for comfort in a fast-paced environment, water-resistant fabric to handle spills, and slightly shorter cuffs to keep them clear of cocktail ingredients. These thoughtful details make these pink dinner jackets not just stylish uniforms for bartenders, but also functional work attire.
A Bar with Shapes for a Name | London
Uniform: Colored jumpsuits
Designer: Remy Savage, co-founder, with Tanmay Saxena of Lane Fortyfive
Bartenders in colored jumpsuits at A Bar with Shapes For A Name in London
From its enigmatic name, inspired by a Wassily Kandinsky concept, to its minimalist décor and cocktails crafted with a curated selection of ingredients, A Bar with Shapes for a Name is a Bauhaus-inspired experience. This early 20th-century German art and design movement championed minimalist aesthetics, finding beauty in simple lines, colors, and textures. Its dedication to stripping away ornamentation influenced design movements from Art Deco to the International Style. Co-founder Remy Savage explains that the bartender uniforms are inspired by László Moholy-Nagy, a Bauhaus teacher who “used to teach at the Bauhaus in a mechanic’s jumpsuit.” Bauhaus principles emphasized the unity of art, craft, and industry, aiming to bridge the gap between artist and laborer, a sentiment reflected in the adoption of workwear by artists like Moholy-Nagy.
Inspired by an image of Moholy-Nagy in a jumpsuit worn over a shirt and tie, Savage collaborated with Tanmay Saxena of fashion label Lane Fortyfive to design the bar’s uniforms for bartenders. They refined the design to create a linen jumpsuit closely resembling Moholy-Nagy’s zippered version, with subtle modifications like a snap button-down collar and rolled-up sleeves revealing white cuffs. Like the original inspiration, these jumpsuits feature an elasticated waistband with an asymmetrical buttoned tab. However, diverging from typical drab mechanic uniforms, each employee’s jumpsuit is a different vibrant color. This creates a striking contrast with the bar’s neutral, minimalist setting. In a creative hierarchy, managers wear primary colors, early employees wear secondary colors, and newer staff members are dressed in pastel and jewel tones, making these colored jumpsuits a visually coded and unique choice for bartender uniforms.
Penicillin | Hong Kong
Uniform: Asymmetrical chef’s tunics with piping
Designer: Laura Prabowo, co-founder and co-owner
Bartenders wearing chef-style tunics at Penicillin bar in Hong Kong
Penicillin in Hong Kong is committed to a closed-loop production model, deeply rooted in its Hong Kong location. With a striking white-tiled laboratory aesthetic, featuring ingredients in dark bottles, ring stands, and flasks, the bar prioritizes upcycled and locally sourced ingredients, brewing and fermenting many components in-house. Sustainable practices extend to the furniture, curated by Betty Ng of Collective Studio, emphasizing proximity and waste reduction. This eco-conscious philosophy is also reflected in their bartender uniforms.
Over its three years, Penicillin has refined its uniforms to achieve a functional design that aligns with its aesthetic and sustainable mission. The initial uniform, designed by co-owner Laura Prabowo, was a unisex cheongsam-inspired tunic made from bamboo and recycled fiber. This first iteration was a short-sleeved, moss green tunic with a zip front, a small stand collar, and gold or black piping. Prabowo later redesigned the uniforms to better reflect the bar’s pared-back aesthetic. The current uniforms for bartenders are white or black tunics, rotated daily for laundry efficiency, featuring rolled sleeves, a small stand collar, and an asymmetrical front closure with white piping on black shirts and red and black piping on white shirts. Made from organic linen and recycled polyester and subtly branded with “Penicillin” logos, these tunics evoke a lab-coat feel. The cheongsam-inspired silhouette and collar also nod to the white coats worn by cooks in Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng cafés, blending local culinary and cultural references into their unique bartender uniforms.
Sips | Barcelona
Uniform: Gray asymmetrical zippered waistcoats
Designer: Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez, co-owners
Bartenders in grey waistcoats at Sips bar in Barcelona
Simone Caporale, a key figure in Barcelona’s nightlife, co-owns both Sips, ranked No. 1 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and Boadas, Barcelona’s oldest cocktail bar. At Boadas, Caporale focuses on preserving its heritage, including the classic black dinner jackets worn by bartenders since the 1930s. In contrast, Sips represents complete creative freedom, reflected in its modern and unconventional bartender uniforms. Designed by Caporale and his partner Marc Álvarez, the Sips uniform is a contemporary take on classic bartending attire. Bartenders and servers wear gunmetal gray waistcoats with asymmetrical zipper closures, reminiscent of motorcycle jackets. This zipper detail, along with wide black grosgrain trim, is intended to subvert the formality of traditional uniforms, making them chic yet less pretentious, with an “urban touch” that Caporale likens to high fashion brands.
The uniform is grounded with casual black jeans and a black T-shirt, allowing the futuristic-formal waistcoats to stand out. Made from a durable, recycled synthetic material with a silk-like sheen, the waistcoats are both stylish and practical. Functional design elements include reinforced trim structuring the garment and strengthening pockets for bar tools. An adjustable back strap ensures a tailored fit. The waistcoat’s most distinctive feature is its asymmetrical front, deliberately designed to partially conceal the bar towel worn at the waist, a necessity in a bar lacking a traditional service area. Caporale chose a local tailor for personal reasons, reminiscent of his childhood spent in his father’s tapestry workshop. He commissioned a small Ecuadorian-owned business, seeking a personal connection and supporting local craftsmanship in creating these distinctive uniforms for bartenders.
Conclusion
The evolution of uniforms for bartenders reflects a broader shift in bar culture, moving from rigid formality to expressions of individual bar identity. While classic styles still hold relevance, modern bars are increasingly using uniforms to communicate their brand, enhance customer experience, and blend fashion with functionality. From the elegant pink dinner jackets of Overstory to the bold jumpsuits of A Bar with Shapes for a Name, the sustainable tunics of Penicillin, and the urban waistcoats of Sips, these examples demonstrate a thoughtful and creative approach to bartender attire. For bar owners and managers, considering uniforms as a key element of branding and operational efficiency can significantly contribute to a bar’s overall success and atmosphere. As the bar industry continues to evolve, uniforms for bartenders will likely remain a dynamic and expressive element of the hospitality landscape.
