e’ve come a long way since the days of starched white shirts and long aprons. These days, most waiters and bar staff around town are seen sporting some variation of jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. But for some venues, a uniform is a key element. Whether this means a simple apron or t-shirt, or something more elaborate, we appreciate a good uniform and thought it was high time we celebrated it. Our photographers Nick Blair and Peter Tarasiuk happily obliged.

At Bar Americano in the city, bartenders wear classic American bar jackets. As owner Matt Bax explains, these white lab coat-like jackets were “designed in Germany and…are the traditional bartending jackets of classic cocktail bars, called American bars, from the late 1930s in Europe.” For Bax, the decision to dress his staff in the jackets was simple. “Basically, this is the classic bartending attire.”

From the highly appropriate frilly pink aprons at Burch & Purchese, to the cheekily ironic tennis-wear at Madame Brussels, there can be a bit of wink and a nudge to a uniform. Staff at Gorski and Jones look casually put together with their denim aprons, made especially for them by Nobody Denim. At fast-paced Mama Baba, the staff zoom around in black jeans and t-shirts, their red and white polka dotted handkerchiefs adding a touch of whimsy. At Cookie and The Everleigh, it’s an altogether more buttoned up affair, with tie and apron clad staff at the former and ties, suspenders and waistcoats at the latter.

They're bring a good serve of neat dress to the table.