Starting with its whimsical cover, the Uniforms to You catalog is a feast for the eyes. Cutting-edge fashion photography, crisp clothing worn by attractive models, and heavy, high-quality paper make this book an indispensable reference guide for businesses – and appealing to any audience. As one judge put it, “The merchandise is beautiful. It makes you want to wear a uniform.”
Attention to detail makes this Silver Award winner shine. “There’s not one wrinkle throughout. It’s such a high-fashion book,” said one judge. “It makes people in uniform look their best.”
But the visuals are just the icing on the cake. The main attraction is the depth of the uniform selection itself. Chefs, housekeepers, medical professionals, hospitality workers, casino croupiers, blue-collar laborers…there’s a uniform here for nearly everyone.
The bellman section, opening on a spread featuring an elegant hotel, boasts nearly 20 pages of uniforms and is one of the most dramatic presentations. Choices include color (red, blue, green, black, or gray), single- or double-breasted, and crested or plain. “This section is beautifully done,” said one judge. “It sums up the needs of the target market.”
The catalog also offers a comprehensive selection of suits, blouses, ties, pants, and shirts for a general business audience. The choices are exhaustive: more than eight pages are used to present the basic women’s white blouse, available in every cut, fit, fabrication and styling. If you can’t find it here…
At times, however, the catalog copy fails to back up the strong visuals. “The copy is decent, but the catalog lets design be the driving force, and some blocks get lost,” noted a judge. Small point size type, cluttered text, neutral-colored headlines that fade into the background, and heads that are at times confusing or misleading are problematic.
And although the catalog caters largely to service-related businesses, Uniforms to You doesn’t emphasize its own customer service. “There is a terrific guarantee, but it’s not played up enough,” observed one judge. Others noted that the order form is dense and tough to read.
Still, Uniforms to You’s good looks and strong selection give it an extended shelf life that could rival many a leisure publication. As one judge said, “The majority of people don’t toss it.”