Who invented the Uniform?

For many workers, uniform is a part of everyday life, and over the decades, we’ve seen them go from  one-size-fits-all garments that identify your staff to bespoke uniforms that communicate brand identity and prioritise employee comfort.

If you’re wondering who invented uniform, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll cover the history of uniform from its invention all the way through to the present day and modern workwear as we now know it. 

Looking for bespoke workwear that delivers a tangible return on investment? Book a consultation with the Murray Uniforms team today.

Who invented uniform?

There is no one particular person who can be credited as the one who invented uniform, but uniform of some sort has been around for thousands of years. In civilisations like Ancient Rome, the militaries had fairly standardised dress, including armour such as helmets, chainmail, scale armour, and tunics. Even outside of the west, civilisations such as Ancient China show the existence of military uniform such as in the Terracotta Army sculptures.

Who invented uniform as we know it?

Uniform as we know it dates back to the Middle Ages, the 14th century to the late 15th century. Those working for powerful families would wear liveries, which were badges worn to signify their allegiance to a particular lord. They would tell a lot about a worker such as their class, how much wealth their lord has, and what their role is within the lord’s household. 

Uniform was not just for servants though. Guilds, which are associations of merchants or workers in a trade, would also provide livery to their members to distinguish themselves from other guilds. Uniforms were also worn by monks and priests back then and still are worn by clergy today. 

The history of uniform: 17th-19th century

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, professional uniforms became more commonplace. While law enforcement had existed in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Babylonia, the first statutory police force in the world were the High Constables of Edinburgh, founded in 1611 and made up of merchants and craftsmen. Because of the Industrial Revolution, volunteer constables were not sufficient to ensure public safety, so the Metropolitan Police 1829 was passed.

Another profession with uniforms is the postal service, which was an evolution from nobles having dedicated messengers, making it more efficient to deliver messages across long distances. Postal workers needed to be easily identifiable, so Royal Mail issued its first uniform in 1784 and throughout the 19th century, postal uniforms became standard across the country with postal workers wearing frock coats, and later tunics. To this day, postal workers still have one of the most recognisable uniforms.

Firefighting is one of those jobs that needs a specialised uniform by nature. In 1667, after the 1666 Great Fire of London, The Fire Office was established, hiring Thames watermen as firefighters. Much like today’s firefighters, they wore uniforms and arm badges that identified their employer. In the 19th century, firefighters wore woolen tunics and in the 20th century, thanks to scientific advancements in textiles, they wore rubber leggings before transitioning to Nomex suits. Even today we’re using science to develop better uniforms.

Florence Nightingale popularised healthcare uniforms in the 1860s with her initiating the first nurse’s uniform. 

The Industrial Revolution and the building of railways meant that there was a boost in tourism, so more hotels, restaurants, and pubs opened up, meaning they needed hospitality uniforms for a professional, polished look. 

The history of uniform: 20th century

Many innovations in textiles and manufacturing were introduced in the 20th century, such as automation and machines to enable mass production and synthetic and blended textiles which resulted in clothes that were lower maintenance and easy to care for. These are properties that are still desired in uniforms today. 

Medical uniforms and scrubs started to become more recognisable. In the early part of the 20th century, nurses would wear long dresses or skirts and blouses with an apron on top. As the fashions changed rapidly over the decades, skirts got shorter and eventually nursing uniforms evolved into the scrubs uniforms we know today. 

The 20th century had a retail boom with shops becoming larger and big chains, department stores, and supermarkets becoming more established and more frequented. To create a cohesive brand identity, retail uniforms were adopted.

The mid-20th century was the golden age of aviation and some of the most iconic garments were flight attendant uniforms. Early 20th century uniforms for flight attendants took inspiration from military and nurse uniforms, but by the 60s, they became more chic, fashion-forward, and youthful. This was the era of the space race so uniforms often had a futuristic, space age look. Designers such as Marc Bohan (Dior), Balmain, Balenciaga, Pucci, and Valentino would design fashion-forward uniforms for airlines, fitting perfectly with that glamorous, aspirational image of jet-setting.

The history of uniform: 21st century

As clothing became more streamlined and casual over time, uniforms changed alongside that. Jobs that once had more formal style uniforms now have more smart casual or business casual style uniforms. 

Athleisure is the defining trend of the 21st century because of its comfort, flexibility, and association with health-consciousness. So it’s no surprise that it has influenced work uniforms with its soft, moisture-wicking fabrics, relaxed feel, and appeal to younger workers.

Because of the rise in body positivity, there is a lot more focus on fit and inclusivity, resulting in uniforms that are much more tailored to the wearer, but still giving a cohesive look that communicates brand identity and teamwork. Wearer engagement and satisfaction is a priority because when all factors are right with the uniform, employees are happier, more productive, and more likely to wear the uniform with pride.

Case study: Dunelm

Dunelm were looking for an image refresh, which is why they came to Murray to elevate their brand and improve customer experience. They wanted a modern, on-trend uniform that stood out to customers in store. We designed a bespoke uniform that colleagues have praised.

“It really makes a big difference to have the uniform that fits with you rather than you fit the uniform because it makes you feel a sense of pride in what you’re wearing. It has definitely given me more confidence and a spring in my step because I think I look great, I can serve great.”

Jodie, Store Colleague

“It feels great, it feels like I’m wearing my own clothes that I’d choose to wear outside of work. I work for a professional organisation, and we have a professional uniform to match that, which I’m very proud of.”

Pete, Store Colleague

Achieve your long-term business goals with a bespoke uniform from Murray Uniforms

Businesses evolve and change, and so do their uniforms. If you’re looking for a refreshed brand image, a new uniform can help achieve that goal. 

At Murray, we take the time to truly understand your business before designing a bespoke uniform that will help increase your profits and employee happiness and productivity. 

We use our Science of Uniform® to design uniforms that look and feel great and result in optimal performance. We believe in what we do so much that we back it with an industry-first Brand Promise Guarantee – we guarantee that we will deliver up to a 30% savings on your uniform spend and a 21% increase in staff happiness, or we’ll refund the difference.