This could also be a Blog on how to avoid 'Black. Navy. White. Repeat' - the old cornerstones of yesteryears team 'fashion'. The ghosts of corporate past.
Before we upset everyone still wearing these mainstay colours - there's a reason they've dominated professional clothing for years: They're smart, versatile, easy to coordinate and impossible to get wrong. Boring? No, we didn't say that…
However, we are strong advocates for designing a professional wear wardrobe that's not so predictable. In a sea of black and white what stands out? Answer: Not black, white, or navy.
A new colour, a carefully chosen print or even one single solitary and completely different piece can suddenly and spectacularly change the way a team looks - without throwing the ghost out with the Christmas pudding. That's the thinking behind our latest colour story. A collection of lovely new colours and prints designed to work together, whilst still working with pieces from our existing range and, most importantly, work for a demanding team in the real world rather than just looking super snazzy in our work wear catalogue.
You probably don't need to change everything
One of the easiest mistakes to make when refreshing uniforms is assuming the whole wardrobe must change. It really really doesn't! All you need to do is start with what already works… like a good pair of trousers, skirt or jacket (these 3 bedrocks don't suddenly become redundant because you want to introduce a new colour). Pretend your wardrobe is a canvas or a palette. Keep the foundations in place and introduce new colours and prints that give people more flair, more attitude, more vibrancy, more confidence… and a little more zip in their step.
That's exactly what we've done with our new collection. Our new prints can be paired with an existing colour palette or used as the starting point for an entirely new combination!
Meet the new colours
Blueberry is a rich, muted navy - timeless, versatile and incredibly easy to wear. Like a warm, hand-crafted muffin that's somehow sweet, buttery and completely calorie-free. Impossible, obviously. But so is looking this good… in navy!
Casablanca is a fresh geometric print that adds a little more confidence and personality. Think sand-dunning into Morocco's most romantic city at sunset, a thundering tsunami of black stallions in your wake. Subtle? Absolutely not. Paired with Pearl White - simply magnificent.
Then there's Blue Opal, soft, luminous blue with a cool, almost otherworldly calm. Like diving into a hidden lagoon at midnight and discovering the water warm and incandescent beneath a harvest moon. Serene, mesmerising and just a little bit magical, and Peony, one of our favourites, soft, romantic and gloriously feminine without being remotely shy. Again, both can be paired beautifully with Pearl White.
For something warmer, there's Salted Caramel - a gorgeous golden-brown with real depth, it's rich and opulent and designed to work with Pearl Black. Dior, meanwhile, is an intricate chain-inspired print with that quiet, expensive confidence that never needs to announce itself. Like you've wandered into a Parisian auction, raised your hand once and left a minute later with a Picasso!
And finally, Ivory brings a soft, warm and timeless neutral to the collection, understated but never boring, while Versace goes in the opposite direction: a bold red-and-navy chain-inspired print for teams that want to make more of a statement. You’ll be roaring into Monaco in a vintage Ferrari with this one!
How do you choose the right colours for your team?
Start with your brand - but don't stop there. Think about where your people actually work. Are they customer-facing? Do different departments have different roles? What colours do you already have? What pieces could stay? And, perhaps most importantly, what will your team actually enjoy wearing? Because there's little point choosing a colour because it looks perfect in the 'brand guideline manual' but nobody feels comfortable wearing it. And the days of forcing colour on your team are so pre-Covid!
That's why we think in terms of wardrobes rather than individual garments. Choose a core neutral, introduce complementary colours and, if it suits your brand, add a print. You’ll suddenly have far more combinations doing it this way without making the wardrobe complicated.
Does everyone in a team have to wear exactly the same thing?
Not anymore… it’s not 2019. It's now about comfort and consistency, not so much 'uniformity'.
A receptionist, salesperson, manager or someone working 'behind the scenes' (out of customer view) can have completely different needs and requirements. With well-designed corporate clothes you can give people enough choice to dress for their role, their body shape or personal style while still looking unmistakably like part of the same brand or organisation.
It can be as simple as adding a new blouse. Introducing a print. Bringing in a seasonal colour. This gives your entire team another combination to choose from while allowing existing pieces to feel useful, and the overall aesthetic to feel fresh and different. And it’s a much more practical and affordable way to manage a change across a large team - rather than everybody needing an entirely new wardrobe by Monday morning, new pieces can become part of an existing system!
That's the difference between simply choosing clothes and creating a wardrobe. Focus on the latter.
So, what's your company's colour story?
Maybe it's cool and confident with Blueberry, Blue Opal and Pearl White. Perhaps it's warmer with Salted Caramel, Ivory and Pearl Black.
Or maybe you're ready to introduce more personality with Casablanca, Peony, Dior or Versace.
There isn't one right answer - because there isn't one type of company, one type of employee or one definition of what professional should look like. The best company wardrobe should feel like your brand, work for the people wearing it and still look good when everyone walks into the room together or joins hands for a team photograph.
Sometimes, giving your team a completely new look doesn't mean starting again.
It simply starts with a new colour.
CTA: Ready to find your company’s new colour story? Chat to an Imagemakers consultant about creating a coordinated professional wardrobe for your team.
