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8 Awesome Restaurant Uniforms of Yore

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These days it's uncommon to see a restaurant worker wearing much of a uniform. Black aprons, pants and sneakers are fairly standard, and depending on the place, a polo or t-shirt might be in the mix, but modern dining establishments don't tend to make clothes a big part of their brand. That wasn't always the case, however. These photos from L.A. over the years show restaurant workers sporting some serious finery -- the headgear tends to be particularly amazing. And who knew theme restaurants dated all the way back to 1920?

jailcafe
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

At the Jail Café on Sunset in 1920, customers gave their orders to waiters dressed as prisoners.

vandekampuniform
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

Van de Kamp's waitresses dressed in keeping with the chain's Dutch heritage in 1921.

talkofthetown
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

Westwood's Talk of the Town Restaurant, shown here in 1924, had its servers don gingham-lined aprons and headwraps for extra flair.

flapperuniform
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

The uniform of this 1920s waitress shows a bit of flapper influence.

buffingtonsuniform
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

This Buffington's waitress sported the restaurant's trademark military-striped sleeves in 1942.

bananasplit
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

A soda fountain waitress rocking a fresh headband serves a customer a banana split in 1949.

hodys
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

A waitress from Hody's Restaurant models her 1962 uniform for the camera, crisp white tennies and all.

janspicket
Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

Waitresses in their polka-dotted uniforms picket outside Jan's on Beverly in 1984.

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