Yacht crew must provide exceptional service while maintaining a professional appearance. What they wear hasn’t always done both.
Decades ago, crew uniforms frequently resembled military attire, right down to the epaulets. Over time, that morphed into uniforms that placed more value on functionality, shedding stuffy naval-style uniforms as the demand grew for practical, durable apparel.
Today’s clients expect much from crew uniforms. They need to be stylish but practical; elegant but durable. And increasingly, the people who buy them want to know about the ethical and sustainability considerations that went into making them. Above all, they need to be something crew don’t have to worry about once they put them on.
Saxon Cwalinski, the director of sales for Smallwood’s Yachtwear in Fort Lauderdale, says crew need reliability now more than ever.
“Captains and chief stews are often under significant pressure to meet owner expectations within strict timelines and budgets, so reliability is critical,” he says.
It’s the job of uniform suppliers to meet the many different obligations of their clients. Uniforms need to be highly functional and practical for regular wear on board. Clothes must be durable while still demonstrating professionalism. It’s a high standard for uniform suppliers, and that list continues to grow.
Julie Jørgensen and William Nicholson, the founders of Oceanform, are former crew themselves and saw that uniforms were designed without real crew input.
“They weren’t built for the realities of long days, constant movement, heat, frequent washing and the pressure to always appear immaculate,” Jorgensen says. “Comfort and performance were secondary to appearance.”
Crews need to look sharp while wearing moisture-wicking, breathable, protective material. Those details matter when creating quality products, as functionality plays a major role.
“Functionality isn’t separate from durability, they’re intertwined,” Nicholson says. “A uniform that performs well has to withstand the realities of life on board.”
It’s about understanding crew members’ needs and giving them the right tools so they can do their jobs to the best of their ability without worrying about how their uniforms will affect their work.
“There’s this perfect mix of style, comfort and function,” says Kingston White, CEO of Liquid Yacht Wear in Fort Lauderdale. “It has to hold up for 18-plus-hour days [and] function with the demands of moving all the time.”
So how are companies responding? By making the small details a big deal.
“It’s the little touches, like dresses that have a hole for the radio cord to go through, or adding pockets to skorts,” White says. “Or pockets big enough in skorts for a phone that won’t flop around.”
Sustainability Takes Center Stage
Six years ago, Lauren Wardley was raising money for ocean conservation by selling organic cotton T-shirts. At the time, Wardley was working on a yacht and knew first-hand where uniforms fell short. A major industry player reached out to ask if they could use her shirts for their uniforms because of the sustainability factor. No one else was doing it at the time, she says, but the message was loud and clear: people wanted sustainable options. Her company, Ethical Yacht Wear, was born.
“As soon as people started reaching out about sustainable T-shirts, I realized there wasn’t any sustainability yet,” she says. “So instantly, I saw that need.”
Sustainability is woven into the fabric of Wardley’s company. The industry has its standard for what it likes, she says. It’s already functional, so they didn’t change that too much.
She believes ethical business practices are also smart business practices. “We fair trade and make sure people are real people getting paid and working in safe conditions. What I find is that when you source sustainable materials, the quality is much higher because people put more care into it.”
Ethical Yacht Wear isn’t alone. Sustainability is also built into Oceanform’s operations.
“All of our production takes place in northern Portugal, from fabric sourcing to garment manufacturing and packaging,” Jørgensen says. “Keeping this process local reduces transport emissions, supports a skilled workforce and ensures EU working standards are upheld.”
Cwalinski at Smallwood’s says sustainability plays a role in product development and in how the company chooses its partners.
“Many of us at Smallwood’s grew up on the water, so protecting the environment is something we take seriously,” he says. “The mills and factories we work with utilize traceability systems [to ensure] that many of their performance fabrics are produced from 100 percent recycled polyester with reduced environmental impact.”
Wayne Sørensen, founder of Sørensen Yachtwear, based in Amsterdam, says sustainability is built into the uniform before production even starts. “Sustainability begins with longevity,” he says. “We design pieces to last for years, not seasons. [This] reduces the need for constant replacement.”
By prioritizing accredited materials and building efficient collections, they’re making fewer, better garments and avoiding waste. But what happens when there’s a new owner or a desire to refresh the look? That could leave pounds of old clothes without a home.
Liquid Yacht Wear’s uniform recycling program makes it easy for crew to recycle their old uniforms. The company takes the clothes, removes branding and pays to have them shredded and used for new uniforms or donated to those in need.
“Crew were looking for a way to responsibly get rid of uniforms,” White says. If they can’t shred the uniforms to use for new ones, the clothes are donated. “[We’re] giving items to charity and keeping items out of landfills.”
The program has been around almost five years, and while it’s mostly focused in Fort Lauderdale, White says they’re looking to offer the same set-up in Europe. They’re also exploring a pick-up service option.
A Stylish, Sustainable Future
Making quality attire that meets every criteria can be challenging, but Cwalinski says technological improvements help.
“Advancements in fabric technology have made blending functionality, practicality and durability more achievable than ever, though sourcing and developing the right materials still requires significant effort,” he says.
White at Liquid Yacht Wear says the company plans to continue incorporating technological advances and adapting to what crews are looking for. “Part of that includes recycled materials going into uniforms,” he says. “We continue to look for new styles, but improve in style, comfort and performance while also incorporating environmental responsibility.”
Increasingly, uniforms are asked to meet more and varied needs. “Uniforms aren’t something you tolerate — they actively support you in doing your job well,” Jørgensen says. “[They] are evolving from a basic operational requirement into a strategic asset. Expectations around performance, sustainability and brand alignment will continue to rise, with greater demand for technically engineered, modern uniform systems.”
The crew uniform experience of today may not look the same five years down the road. Sørensen expects uniform creation to be more considerate of who wears them. “Fit, comfort and well-being will matter as much as appearance,” he says. “Increasingly, quality must be felt rather than simply announced.”
Cwalinski predicts a simpler future, where long-term use is the goal. “I see crew uniforms continuing to move toward a more refined, minimalist aesthetic,” he says. “Many of the new-build projects I am working with are favoring clean logos, monochromatic color palettes and understated branding that emphasizes elegance and longevity rather than short-term trends.”
White foresees even more customizations and personalized details — and processes that allow for those garments to get to boats quickly.
“There’s a lot that can be done differently,” he says. “If things are made overseas, they get shipped over on a boat. Can we shorten shipping time? Can we keep pre-made fabric to shorten production time?”
It’s not just about the type of materials that companies are using in production. In some cases, the future is about modernizing the order experience.
“While uniform programs will always require consultation and customization, making the purchasing process more streamlined, transparent and convenient will be increasingly important,” Cwalinski says. White has similar expectations.
“In some instances, talking to a sales team is hindering the experience,” he says, noting that some crew may need smaller orders or to re-order the same items they’ve already designed. “It would benefit our crew if they could have a quicker checkout procedure. Look for a deeper online experience and easier ordering process.”
Wardley expects uniforms to continue to build on style and sustainability, with a more modern approach. An upcoming launch will be an entirely plastic- and polyester-free collection. Down the road, Wardley hopes to see that become the norm.
“In a perfect world, I’d love to see plastics removed from crew uniforms,” she says. “It’s possible and available, but innovative materials aren’t quite sustainable and available right now. So hopefully that continues to grow.”