Innkeeper Apparel

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I climbed over boxes of brochures yesterday to sort out my closet. I found all the clothes I wore last summer that I forgot I had - my innkeeper apparel. So now I have a larger wardrobe for work.
Do you wear an apron?
Do you wear anything different morning versus afternoon for check ins?
What is your innkeeper apparel?

 

[JeannineIrish]

I usually don't wear an apron unless I have something really nice on.
I don't have different morning and check-in clothes.
My innkeeper apparel is whatever I happen to grab that is comfortable. Usually skorts, capri's, or jeans and a short sleeved shirt, turtlenecks in the winter.

 

[The Tipsy Butler]

I think that's a REALLY good question. I consider myself pretty "foot-loose and fancy free" so I was shocked by my negative reaction to what an innkeeper wore to serve breakfast at the last B&B I stayed in BEFORE opening my own.
It was a high-end place and definitely off-season (mid March) and I don't remember what clothes she was wearing, but she had slipper socks on. I do know that it drove me nuts .... and as I said I was absolutely astounded by my reaction to it.
SO - I tend, if anything, to dress for breakfast. Even as far as a vaguely "I Love Lucyish" black dress with white polka dots, spaghetti straps and a puffed net skirt. HOWEVER, one of the absolute joys of being an innkeeper is that I can pretty much dress how I feel that morning (or the night before) so, in the winter, one morning may see me in a beautiful red tapestry jacket and full length skirt and the next may see me in jeans and a fisherman's sweater.
I aim to make people super comfortable and I definitely think that when they see me doing / wearing what makes me feel good they feel comfortable doing whatever makes them feel good. My favourite thing (which doesn't happen often) is to have the dining room full of people in their robes.

 

[Copperhead]

TTB wrote: I aim to make people super comfortable and I definitely think that when they see me doing / wearing what makes me feel good they feel comfortable doing whatever makes them feel good.
I agree TTB. I think that it helps set the tone of their stay. If your B&B is on the upper end of the scale, the host should dress up as well. If you have a B&B where you want people to feel they can lay back, kick off their shoe, etc, dress the part; well, I don't mean serving breakfast barefoot, but you catch my drift.

 

[muirford]

You've seen me in mine, so you know it's not different from what I wear all the time. Jeans, decent t-shirty kind of shirt (no spots, stains or holes - and no logos except on holidays) and my trusty New Balance sneakers. Which I depend upon for ankle support since breaking one several years ago. Short-sleeve shirt in the summer, 3/4 length in the winter. I have a great denim apron with an embroidered logo that I rarely remember to put on before I make something messy in the kitchen.

 

[Morticia]

Jeans, long-sleeved t's, 3/4 t's, velvet skirts, silk skirts, peddle pushers. It really depends on a number of things...how much cleaning do I have to do in the morning (no skirts if it's every room), what's clean, what's the weather? I'm more of a winter person. I have more sweaters than summery clothes.
I only change if I've been gardening between breakfast and check-in.
Always shoes at breakfast. Not always at check-in (like right now, I was eating dinner when the bell rang, no time to buckle up my Birks).

 

[gillumhouse]

I have burgundy Ts and polos with the logo and aprons with the logo that I wear with whatever slacks I grabbed that morning when I have guests. I rarely go to the store without the apron on - it is a bib apron with pockets and the logo takes up the entire bib. Checkbook tucked firmly in pocket and cell phone in the other and I am ready to roll. I am a walking billboard. That is what I wear to greet guests also
My house says be comfortable just walking in. At least that is what many guests have told me.
When I have no guests I wear usually whatever T I grab from the drawer.

 

[user 26]

I have burgundy Ts and polos with the logo and aprons with the logo that I wear with whatever slacks I grabbed that morning when I have guests. I rarely go to the store without the apron on - it is a bib apron with pockets and the logo takes up the entire bib. Checkbook tucked firmly in pocket and cell phone in the other and I am ready to roll. I am a walking billboard. That is what I wear to greet guests also
My house says be comfortable just walking in. At least that is what many guests have told me.
When I have no guests I wear usually whatever T I grab from the drawer..

my youngest son gave me these slippers. one morning, mother's day, i wore them serving breakfast. what laughs i got at breakfast and also hugs all around.
so sometimes i put on goofy slippers or things and the guests (seem to) enjoy it.
~m*

 

[user 26]

innkeeper apparel ...
no.
jeans or shorts and a tee shirt (3/4 or long sleeved), always a dark blue apron while i'm doing breakfast. crocs on my feet.
they are lucky they don't catch me in nightgown with hair on my head like pebbles flintstone.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have burgundy Ts and polos with the logo and aprons with the logo that I wear with whatever slacks I grabbed that morning when I have guests. I rarely go to the store without the apron on - it is a bib apron with pockets and the logo takes up the entire bib. Checkbook tucked firmly in pocket and cell phone in the other and I am ready to roll. I am a walking billboard. That is what I wear to greet guests also
My house says be comfortable just walking in. At least that is what many guests have told me.
When I have no guests I wear usually whatever T I grab from the drawer..

my youngest son gave me these slippers. one morning, mother's day, i wore them serving breakfast. what laughs i got at breakfast and also hugs all around.
so sometimes i put on goofy slippers or things and the guests (seem to) enjoy it.
~m*
.

Those are darling! No wonder they got a good reception - and from son to Mommy makes it even better!

 

[Samster]

These are great questions!
When I was visiting my innkeeper friend in TX, we went out shopping for "innkeeper" clothes.

I needed some nicer Summer tops. Right now, I try to wear nice capris, a nice top, and pretty shoes for breakfast service. I do wear an apron when I'm cooking & if dh isn't around to help with serving, I'm usually wearing it to serve. I also make sure that I have enough time to get some makeup on & a little bit of jewelry.
When I'm cleaning rooms (unless I'm just doing freshens), I'll change to jeans, a white tee shirt, and shoes that are easy to take off so I can climb into tubs.
Change back into nicer clothes for check-ins unless they get here early & catch me in my cleaning outfit.

 

[Sanctuary]

Seashanty...love those slippers!!! Years ago, I had some dinosaur slippers that when you hit your fee together, they put off a dinosaur roar!!! Those were fun, but were many years ago. I'd love to have them again!
Today/everyday, I'm barefoot because we, as is customary on yachts, don't wear shoes (same for guests); where we have carpet, it is white and where we don't, it is high gloss varnished teak - we don't want scratches from a pebble lodged in a tennis shoe tread - that's the norm/expectation in our environment.
I wear khaki shorts or skorts with a collared, sleeveless shirt. My attire is usually in sync with the captain's when we are doing a full-blown charter. I can do dockside B&B by myself.

 

[gillumhouse]

These are great questions!
When I was visiting my innkeeper friend in TX, we went out shopping for "innkeeper" clothes.

I needed some nicer Summer tops. Right now, I try to wear nice capris, a nice top, and pretty shoes for breakfast service. I do wear an apron when I'm cooking & if dh isn't around to help with serving, I'm usually wearing it to serve. I also make sure that I have enough time to get some makeup on & a little bit of jewelry.
When I'm cleaning rooms (unless I'm just doing freshens), I'll change to jeans, a white tee shirt, and shoes that are easy to take off so I can climb into tubs.
Change back into nicer clothes for check-ins unless they get here early & catch me in my cleaning outfit.

.

My apron is my "badge of office" and a branding tool as well as part of my "uniform". I put on a clean one every evening to greet and a clean one in the morning for breakfast.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I am wearing one of the summer dresses I dug out of the closet - it was hanging but I had to climb over boxes to reach it. Dh said "Oh is that new?"
I wore it all last summer.
I said, No this is my uniform. He just laughed.

 

[Copperhead]

SS - love the slippers and I am sure your guests do too. I am sure they even make those morning grumps smile.

 

[Samster]

I am wearing one of the summer dresses I dug out of the closet - it was hanging but I had to climb over boxes to reach it. Dh said "Oh is that new?"
I wore it all last summer.
I said, No this is my uniform. He just laughed..

On vacation, I saw some ladies wearing Summer dresses that would make nice innkeeper "uniforms". They looked comfortable & easy to launder...another consideration

 

[Willowpondgj]

Summer- T-shirt+ Capri's
Winter- Long sleeve T + Jeans
Babushka on the head, hate hair in my face!
Apron, a variety of floral, toile, quilted aprons and logo aprons coming soon. We sell a lot of them, people like 'em.
And the orthotic Tennis shoes, I would not be standing at the end of the day, if not for these shoes. Would love to wear pretty shoes, but my feet are a mess with plantar fasciitis, I could cry, daily.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Summer- T-shirt+ Capri's
Winter- Long sleeve T + Jeans
Babushka on the head, hate hair in my face!
Apron, a variety of floral, toile, quilted aprons and logo aprons coming soon. We sell a lot of them, people like 'em.
And the orthotic Tennis shoes, I would not be standing at the end of the day, if not for these shoes. Would love to wear pretty shoes, but my feet are a mess with plantar fasciitis, I could cry, daily.

.

Summer- T-shirt+ Capri's
Winter- Long sleeve T + Jeans
Babushka on the head, hate hair in my face!
Apron, a variety of floral, toile, quilted aprons and logo aprons coming soon. We sell a lot of them, people like 'em.
And the orthotic Tennis shoes, I would not be standing at the end of the day, if not for these shoes. Would love to wear pretty shoes, but my feet are a mess with plantar fasciitis, I could cry, daily.

Please share them with us. Any pics you can post of the aprons? I have not seen quilted before.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Our kitchen does not have good a/c thanks to morons who redid the hvac to that area.
I have a fan going and in am about the least amount and lightest apparel I can find during breakfast. Dress or skirt with blowse. Nothing that adds to perspiration. No apron. Altho I have them embroidered and would LIKE to wear them, I get too warn.
Winter I am in levi's and light weight shirt - I can throw a sweater on when I am not with the guests when I need to.
Logo'd polo shirts as well - all times of the year.
Printed B&B tshirts for all times of the year. This helps keep DH in line when he comes out in his boxer shorts. He knows what his uniform is, polo or tshirt with the B&B onit, there is no thinking about it.

 

[Samster]

Our kitchen does not have good a/c thanks to morons who redid the hvac to that area.
I have a fan going and in am about the least amount and lightest apparel I can find during breakfast. Dress or skirt with blowse. Nothing that adds to perspiration. No apron. Altho I have them embroidered and would LIKE to wear them, I get too warn.
Winter I am in levi's and light weight shirt - I can throw a sweater on when I am not with the guests when I need to.
Logo'd polo shirts as well - all times of the year.
Printed B&B tshirts for all times of the year. This helps keep DH in line when he comes out in his boxer shorts. He knows what his uniform is, polo or tshirt with the B&B onit, there is no thinking about it..

"Printed B&B tshirts for all times of the year. This helps keep DH in line when he comes out in his boxer shorts. He knows what his uniform is, polo or tshirt with the B&B onit, there is no thinking about it."
I hope he's wearing some pants of some sort with those shirts. tee hee...