Last year we were lucky enough to provide uniform for a company call the Bubble Bros. Ben and Joe started their venture in 2015 when they converted a 3 wheeled Piaggio into a Prosecco van which you can hire for events.
From there on they have expanded by adding more vintage vehicles to the fleet. The Impact Trading team just loved the style of the logo and branding of this company, not to mention the thought of Prosecco!
The jackets the Bubble Bros chose are traditional utilitarian style welding jackets. This style of jacket was around the 1920’s -1950’s in engineering industries such as the railway and steel industries. These jackets are a perfect fit for the Bubble Bros vintage style and we all agree they look absolutely brilliant in them.
The Bubble Bros showing off their new jackets!
To buy a bubble brother’s jacket from their website just click here
For a long time hospitality wear has remained very stagnant, traditional black trousers and skirts, white shirts and blouses were the simple, go to outfit.
I remember as a student I worked as a waitress casually for a catering company and also in a cafe and restaurant, for each job it was a staple items in my wardrobe. For employers it was an easy uniform option, something that staff would already have or could easily get.
In the last few years at Impact Trading and Cotton Roots we have a noticed a big change, both in office wear and hospitality uniform. Office wear has started to move away from suits and ties to smart trouser and open collar shirts. Dress down Friday is becoming common place in many offices and branding and web agencies actively encourage relaxed and individual clothing in order to create an inspirational environment.
Hoteliers and restaurateurs have also started to realise that uniform plays a significant part in the overall branding and is an important part of the experience for customers.
Bespoke Denim Apron with Faux Suede Cross Back Straps
At the moment we are noticing a huge trend towards an
industrial feel in restaurants and hotels. Lots of hard surfaces in different textures
such at concrete, wood and metal. The uniforms
reflect the industrial revolution era with braces, flat caps, waistcoats which then
have a modern twist of jeans and chinos to go with them.
Hard wearing fabrics such as canvas, denim and leather feature
heavily within this look.
This break away from the conservative traditions of black and white means that staff uniforms and venues can really stand out from the crowd and provide customers with a completely immersive experience.
For more information on branded uniform and bespoke aprons please call Impact Trading on 01908 511395 or email [email protected]
Today we have been working on organic aprons for the Body Shop. We won the order through their agent (Karen Higgins Projects), organic aprons printed with some beautiful designs. There is an almond on some, passion fruit on another and hemp in another. We think the result is beautiful. Our organic fabric (twill) is made in India and is also certified by Oeko-Tex. The actual organic aprons are made here in the UK especially for us. It took us quite a while to find a supplier, research, trial and error (some shrunk) until we found the perfect fabric for the organic apron range we now have.
Organic aprons showing the printed Body Shop design
We have just introduced organic children’s aprons. It will be interesting to see how much interest they generate. With so many of our competitors deciding to reduce the range of Fairtrade and organic they supply we are doing the opposite. I could think of this as adventurous, foolish, wise swimming against the tide. However I still believe that there are people who want these products. Products that look toward our future, trying not to damage the land and giving a fair wage to the cotton farmers.
We are in a recession and it it hitting us hard. But when I remember the villagers I met in India who grow our cotton…………I think we are so lucky and it makes me determined to keep going. They had so very little but gave us such a warm, excited welcome. proud of their organic cotton. I hope the Body Shop are as excited with their delivery of organic aprons from us.
I recently looked at the Dorset cereals website. We supplied them with aprons which they need for prizes for a competition a while ago. The aprons were a lovely chocolate brown and were both organic and Fairtrade certified aprons.
Well Dorset Cereals have a lovely website and a great competition to win a camper van which is fun and a little/very addictive 🙂 Have a go at http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/
The university of Portsmouth are a Fairtrade University and we were pleased to supply them with aprons and polo shirts made with Fairtrade certified cotton all embroidered with their logo.
The university is supported by Cafe Direct so we also needed to add their logo which in bright orange was very effective.
Our range expands and interest grows exciting times at Cotton Roots!
Another new customer to be proud of. We have been working with Christian Aid and supplied them with Fairtrade cotton hoodies and Fairtrade and organic T shirts.
All in bright red.
If you click on their logo above and look at their web site you will see all the wonderful work that they do.
The great thing about the organisations we work with, they may have different faiths, or live with slightly different approaches, but they all strive to care for others and our planet. I have also found another reason to love building this business……..the customers are a pleasure to deal with. They are interested, patient and warm. Oh happy days.
Wearing our Fairtrade & organic polo shirt
Here we have a Christian Aid worker wearing one of the polo shirts which we have embroidered with their logo.
More great news. It just seems to keep coming at the moment! Lisa has been working away with the Salvation Army on a project they have and they placed their order yesterday. We are supplying them with Fairtrade cotton t shirts and I am really pleased, of course, that they decided to use Cotton Roots.
Offering Fairtrade garments is a niche business but one I find really fascinating and fulfilling. The Salvation Army are a growing band of new customers from the charity sector that are keen to use ethically sourced clothing. On a personal note my grandmother Maud Smith who ran the public houses “The Lion” and “The Royal Oak” in Abertillery from around 1925 – 1965 would have been pleased. The Salvation Army often came to the pubs and she made them very welcome. It was tough times for the miners and their families in the valleys of South Wales and the Salvation Army did lots of supportive work. So my Grandmother, although a publican, really respected them and especially asked for them at her own funeral, a fitting tribute of mutual respect. She was a business woman, family woman, strong woman and I think she would have been proud of us supplying the Salvation Army – so it gives me an added thrill. Fairtrade T shirts, my Gran, and the Sally Army, a good combination.
We have a new customer and that excites me. Their clothing could not be Fairtrade due to their very specific requirements which is a shame – but it’s just not possible yet.
The English National Opera are performing “Idomeneo” at London Coliseum and we are supplying the costumes. A new one for us – costumes. It is a very contemporary opera so the performers will be wearing suits, shirts, and blouses which we have supplied. I have had very little involvement in this order Jenny has worked hard sending samples, and exchanging goods until the opera company was happy with everything.
I am excited about this. I have never been to the opera and I feel a trip to the Coliseum coming on for all of us at Cotton Roots. I am hoping to get some photographs from the trip and will post them on our blog! We are of course still using manufacturers who ethically make our garments.
So if you go along to “Idomeneo” in the summer look out for our uniforms. We will be there!
This link will let you listen to osme of the music and an interview with the conductor. Take a look.
The wonderful band Solstice performed at The Pitz in Milton Keynes on Saturday. They have reformed after many years of branching out individually as musicians. I had seen a DVD of them performing at the Cropredy Festival many years ago and thought they were superb. Last weekend something made me dig it out and play it to a friend – and then of course rave about it. Hey presto two days later a get an e-mail from Andy telling me all about the re launch and their new CD Spirit. Synchronicity or what!
A chance to link a wonderful band full of talented people with Fairtrade t shirts to help promote the band. Next the design they wanted – a Indian mandala based design – how fitting. So there we were Fairtrade t shirts in hand, printed, and watching a great band. The crowd loved them. Download some tracks on www.solsticewebsite.com and go and listen to them………
We were proud to sponsor Global Poverty Project for the launch at St Paul’s Cathedral to churches across the UK. They had an audience of 800 which we think is a wonderful achievement. Well done!
They were joined by the Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander, the Archbishop of York John Setanmu and TV presenter Denise Robertson.
Here they are wearing their Fairtrade T shirts and taking part in the Global Poverty Project “Tug of War”.
Look at their web site to find out more about the work they do http://globalpovertyproject.com/blog/
