Service Works built their name on one idea: take the uniforms that hospitality runs on (chef pants, waiter shirts, server jackets, aprons) and cut them in fabrics worth wearing outside the kitchen. The London brand has spent the last few seasons quietly becoming one of the most copied silhouettes in modern menswear, and the SS26 drop just landed at Wally is the strongest range they have shipped to date.
If you want the brand backstory and the deep guide to the original Chef Pant, we wrote the complete guide here. This post is the new arrivals tour: what is in store now, what each piece is built from, and which colourways we are most excited about for autumn into winter.
The Pants
The Chef Pant remains the engine room of the range. SS26 brings two cuts and a refreshed colour palette.
The Easy Chef Pants in Clay and Silver ($159.99) are the looser, lighter take. A wide leg with a drawstring waist, two diagonal hand pockets and a single back patch pocket. The Tencel-rich blend has a soft drape that moves well through the leg, which is what makes these the easiest entry point into the brand. Clay reads as a warm putty; Silver is a true cool grey.
The Classic Chef Pants in Bark ($159.99) are the structured original. A heavier cotton twill in a rich brown-grey, a deeper rise, more shape through the leg. If the Easy Chef is the loungewear cousin, the Classic is the dressed version.
For warmer days the Seersucker Waiter Pants in Navy Stripe ($179.99) are a wardrobe rotation upgrade. Lightweight crinkled seersucker, a tapered leg, side stripes that nod to old-school waiter trousers without being literal about it.
The Shorts
Three new shorts in the drop, each cut from a different fabric for a different mood.
The Classic Chef Shorts in Slate ($149.99) take the Classic Chef Pant cut and chop it just above the knee. Mid weight cotton twill, drawstring waist, holds shape through summer.
The Seersucker Part Timer Shorts in Dark Navy ($159.99) are the same crinkled seersucker as the Waiter Pants but cut shorter and looser. The Part Timer is the breezier silhouette in the range, designed for hot kitchen days that translate well to a New Zealand summer.
The Twill Part Timer Shorts in Mushroom ($159.99) are the more structured option. A heavier cotton twill in a warm taupe, the same relaxed Part Timer cut. This is the short that works with a polo or a vintage tee without effort.
The Shirts
Five shirts in the SS26 drop, covering everything from a clean weekday shirt to a heavyweight overshirt.
The Poplin Stripe Waiter Shirt is the most directly hospitality-coded piece in the range. Available in Forest and Royal ($169.99 each). Long sleeve, crisp poplin, the kind of regimental stripe you find on a proper restaurant uniform shirt, cut with a slightly relaxed body.
The Chambray Resort Shirt in Dark Blue ($169.99) leans easier. Soft cotton chambray, camp collar, short placket, the shirt to throw over a tee or wear open over swim shorts.
The Easy Chef Shirt in Navy ($209.99) is the heavier upgrade. A long-sleeve overshirt cut from a substantial cotton, deep chest pockets, the same easy fit as the Easy Chef Pant.
The standout shirt of the drop is the Canvas Chore Shirt in Bark ($209.99). Built from a heavy cotton canvas in the same warm brown-grey as the Classic Chef Pant, four front pockets, designed to be worn as a light jacket through autumn. This is the piece we expect to anchor a lot of customer wardrobes this season.
The Jackets
Three jackets in the SS26 range and all three are doing different jobs.
The Seersucker Server Suit Jacket comes in Dark Navy and Navy Stripe ($239.99 each). Cropped, double-breasted, cut from the same crinkled seersucker as the Waiter Pants and Part Timer Shorts so the pieces can be tailored together if you want a full set. Summer-weight, completely unstructured.
The Twill Work Jacket in Mushroom ($239.99) is the heavier autumn piece. A standard chore jacket silhouette in a heavy cotton twill, four front pockets, room for layering underneath.
The Paisley Front of House Jacket in Forest ($209.99) is the statement piece. An all-over paisley print on a deep forest base, cut as a relaxed unstructured jacket. This is the one that gets people in store asking what brand it is.
The Knit and Tees
Two sweats in the drop. The Radish Hoodie in Ash ($219.99) is a heavyweight pullover with a screen-printed graphic across the front. Brushed-back fleece interior, dropped shoulder, kangaroo pocket. The In Bloom Crewneck in Navy ($169.99) is the lighter mid-weight option, designed for layering under the Canvas Chore Shirt or the Twill Work Jacket.
Three tees ($99.99 each): the Motel Tee in Black and the Pigment Dyed Trademark Tee in Black and Olive. All three are heavyweight cotton with hand-feel softness from the wash treatment, the kind of tees that read better after ten wears than they do new.
Headwear
Three caps round the range out. The Carp Patch Cap in Pine and the Family Recipes Cap in Black ($99.99 each) carry the SS26 graphic language. The Ripstop Service Cap in Black is the technical option, ripstop nylon body for the rainier weeks.
Service Works SS26 FAQ
Where can I buy Service Works in NZ? Wally is the Service Works stockist in Takapuna, Auckland. Shop the full range online at Wally with free shipping on NZ orders over $80, or come and see the pieces in person at our store at 53 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna.
Is the SS26 range different from the original Service Works Chef Pants? The Chef Pant is still the core silhouette and has not changed. SS26 adds new colourways (Clay, Silver, Bark), new fabrics into the broader range (Seersucker, Chambray, Paisley, Canvas), and new categories (the Server Suit Jacket, the Resort Shirt, the In Bloom Crewneck). The classic Chef Pant in core colours remains available.
How do Service Works pants size? Service Works runs true to size in waist, with a relaxed leg cut as standard. The Easy Chef is the loosest; the Classic Chef is the most structured. If you sit between sizes, size down on the Easy Chef Pant and stay true to size on the Classic.
What is the difference between the Easy Chef Pant and the Classic Chef Pant? The Classic Chef Pant uses a heavier cotton twill, has a more structured cut and a deeper rise. The Easy Chef Pant uses a lighter Tencel-rich blend, has a softer drape and a slightly more relaxed silhouette. Both are wide-leg, both have the drawstring waist. The Classic is dressier; the Easy is the lounge-cousin.
Can I pair the Seersucker pieces together? Yes. The Seersucker Server Suit Jacket, the Seersucker Waiter Pants and the Seersucker Part Timer Shorts are cut from the same fabric in the same Navy Stripe colourway, so the jacket and pants can be worn together as a suit. The shorts work as a holiday alternative to the pants.