To keep a spa uniform looking fresh and new, the first step is to begin with quality fabrications, says Noel Asmar, Vancouver, B.C.-based CEO and founder of her eponymous family of spa-related brands, including Spa Uniforms, Inc., the industry’s foremost supplier of apparel for the spa professional.
“There is a great deal of diversity in the quality of textiles,” says Asmar. “Some of the differences are immediately obvious. For instance, a lower-quality fabrication will feel stiff and scratchy to the touch, and will often look coarse and overly shiny. And while many of the key differences are much more subtle, they all make a huge difference in the fit and wear of the garment.”
Asmar cautions against the “green” bias for cotton, for several reasons. In addition to the fact that the growing of cotton requires intensive irrigation and use of pesticides and herbicides, as well as bleaching in the milling process, cotton is not the ideal choice for a spa uniform since it will wrinkle and stain easily. “Synthetics have come a very long way in a very short time, and modern microfibers now are entering the marketplace which are in fact very earth-friendly,” she comments. “In terms of fabric performance, there is no doubt that synthetics are more resistant to staining, wrinkling, fading and stretching out of shape. The modern synthetics breathe like a natural fiber, and feel nice on the skin, but wear far better than cotton.”
Asmar explains that the differences between synthetic fibers begin on the computer screen, where the actual machine-extruded polyester strand is designed, as well as on the huge industrial looms of the professional garment industry.
“Not all fibers are created equal,” she says. “The raw materials figure greatly into the equation, as does the configuration of the strand itself. How the fiber is extruded and spun determine how smoothly it will weave and tailor, whether it will break down and attract lint particles to itself, and much more.”
One of the most revealing tests of fiber quality is how a plain black or white fabric endures wear and washings. While colors and patterns may distract the eye, pure black and white fabrications reveal a great deal about the textile itself during routine laundering.
“The fabrication we utilize for our uniforms is a supple, airy weave with a lot of body,” says Asmar. “It’s stain-resistant, which is so important in the spa setting where muds, oils, cosmetics and other products are constantly brought into contact with the fabrication. And ours is woven with a bit of stretch, so that the spa professional never feels constrained while moving and working.”
Another key consideration is how the garment will be cleaned, and who will do the cleaning. Whether laundry is done by staff or management, she cites manufacturer’s temperature recommendations as key to getting the most life out of a quality fabric.
Asmar recommends that uniforms be laundered without fabric softeners. “Fabric softeners coat the fiber with a sticky residue which attracts bits of lint, making a white garment look dingy-gray, and making a black garment look faded,” she explains. “The best way to produce a garment which moves with the wearer and feels comfortable against the skin is not by using a fabric softener on a stiff, harsh fabric, but by starting off with a high-quality woven fabrication which already looks and feels great.” Dry-cleaning, in addition to being expensive, also tends to fade blacks and yellow-tinge whites, she adds.
For more information about how to choose a high-quality uniform as part of an overall spa branding program, please visit www.spauniforms.com , or call:
Toll-free within USA & Canada: 1-800-772-1408
Direct: 604-601-2028
Fax: 604-542-1069
Website:
Email: Noel@spauniforms.com
