# Workplace Uniforms?



## Clare_Bare (Apr 6, 2015)

In my career, I have worked in business' where there was no specific uniform to the opposite where a uniform was mandatory.
When I was younger, I was rebellious and didn't like uniforms as I felt like they took away my individuality!
But as I matured, I started to take more of an interest in the fashionable style of some corporate attire.

A benefit of corporate clothing is that you don't have to think about what outfit to wear that day (every woman's dilemma!). The guys have it easy - same pants and shoes, but different shirt/tie, repeated every week no less!
But I guess it depends whether the uniform itself is a nice design, the material is good quality or it even if it fits you well or not!
Also, you need to personally invest in many pieces over the long term which can be expensive.
Then of course, what you've purchased is only able to be worn for that particular organisation.

Buying and wearing traditional business clothing ie; a skirt suit, means you can wear it to any workplace if you change employers.
You can also vary the style of the clothing you wear depending on your mood or the season.
Colours, fabrics and co-ordinated pieces give you variety and a sense of confidence about your appearance.

So ...
If your employer had a professional uniform, but gave you the option to wear general 'business clothing', what would you choose?
(Aside from workplace clothing specific to a job role - ie; safety clothing)

EDIT.
Forgot to mention what i'd do!
If the corporate uniform was stylish and made from quality fabrics, i'd wear it.


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## Winter Queen (May 16, 2017)

There some occupations where uniforms help identify you or are issued for safety and I can understand those completely. I don't care for mandatory uniforms otherwise. I'm glad to be in an industry where I can dress casually. I feel like I'm an adult and I can dress myself.


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

I've now worked in workplaces where the attire was: 
- mandated uniform (polo and khakis/jeans, closed toe shoes)
- mandated uniform (smock and hat over street clothes, no-skid shoes)
- no standardized dress code (some positions involved healthcare so it was prudent to wear clothes that could get dirty and/or provided cover)
- simple dress code, business casual
- more formal dress code, business wear, nice shoes

Regarding uniforms... on one hand, I was a Catholic schoolgirl, and I actually enjoyed our school uniforms to an extent. They looked nice and there were lots of choices. We figured out plenty of ways to be individual, from rolling our skirts and sleeves to shoes, socks, hair decorations, jewelry, perfume, and makeup. On the other hand, I associate work uniforms with getting dirty, and I do hate keeping up with washing uniforms. Nothing worse than having to resurrect a dirty pair of pants... The other major issue is my adult body is about halfway between an hourglass and a pear shape and the usual unisex uniforms look awful on me. Polos are inevitably either really tight at my boobs or really loose at my waist, so I get to choose whether to look like a ho or flabby. Pants are typically really loose at my waist and really tight at my butt and thighs. Skirts are my go-to, but then I have to make sure I'm always on top of shaving, and they're chilly in the winter. Wearing a smock over street clothes was all right but we'd get really messy, and that wasn't my favorite. 

I've found that my preference is the simple dress code/business casual. Formal businesswear is ok - that's what I have to wear now - but it gets a little tiring to have to dress up every day. I liked it better when there was more variety - when I could dress up some days as I pleased and dress down others. I do still like there being some distinction between workwear and my relaxing clothes, because then putting on workwear helps me get into a work mindset and putting on relaxing clothes helps me relax, but I treasure having the freedom to wear loose shirts, sandals, flowing skirts, and so on, as long as they don't take away from my ability to do my job well. If and when I need to wear a certain type of clothing to adequately handle a particular project, I am very capable of doing so.


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## EndsOfTheEarth (Mar 14, 2015)

I'd choose the uniform every single time even if it was ugly. My last career I wore a uniform for a decade, loved it. Mostly because it was employer supplied and I never had to spend a cent on clothing for work, win/win. It's just so easy to wear the exact same thing day in, day out. I can express my individuality on my days off. Also really easy when everyone is wearing the same thing, what people have got on today becomes a non-issue in the work environment. The less hassles the better. 

I recently interviewed for corporate work and hated having to shop for mix and match pants in various shades of black and grey and then jacket and shirts to co-ordinate. I resented the enormous waste of money it was, those things aren't cheap to buy and none of it I would wear anywhere else. So whether your job has a uniform or not, it really is a uniform anyway because there are certain expectations on what's acceptable and what's not and it's not as if you will wear these items anywhere else except work. At least if it's a corporate uniform it's a tax deduction, office wear that's non-employer specific isn't.


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## pwowq (Aug 7, 2016)

I've always had a uniform. It means if I accidentally torch the shirt I won't end up with 3rd degree burns across whole upper body. Safety is an important part in blue collar jobs in industry, construction, maintenance.


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## Fumetsu (Oct 7, 2015)

It depends on the company.

For ex, if your company is incredibly cheap and makes you wear shitty-super-thin-see-through white shirts and then bitches at _you_ because they can see your a bra, you have a problem.

That's exactly what happened to me. Oh yes I LOVED that the fucking military recruits could see through my shirt. Then they demanded that I buy all new skin-toned bras. Not that they were going pay for a dime of it. In fact I made my opposition to the uniform very clear. TBH knowing the guys who worked there I think that visibility was the very reason they refused to changed them.

They eventually did buy new, black ones,and they were quite nice, after a customer complained that they could see one of the men's nipples, which yeah, gross especially in a restaurant.

Asside from issues like that, yeah, I think it's fine.


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## Not that guy (Feb 26, 2015)

A company I worked for corporate color is red. Manager wanted us to all get company shirts. Ehhh, NO!


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## ninjahitsawall (Feb 1, 2013)

I went to Catholic school for awhile so the idea of uniforms is off-putting to me, haha.

I'd rather wear whatever I want. Though I think there should still be some standard of professionalism. One thing that bugs me is trying to figure out what "business casual" means for any given workplace, because it varies so much. 

Formal business attire is exhausting though. It's typically higher maintenance than typical clothing, and form over function when it comes to weather conditions (i.e. wearing wool during rain/snow because other coat material is too "casual", short sleeves, exposed feet, and shorts being too "casual" in the summer so you're better off coming to work sweating and looking "respectable" -- how is being sweaty respectable?)

If the uniform means jeans and a company polo shirt though, that's good enough, keeps it simple.


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## Riven (Jan 17, 2015)

I prefer corporate uniform because they're more likely to be unisex. Basically, something like this:










They're also practical since they'd have a company logo on it signifying who you're working for. Other than that they may have some safety features.


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## Veggie (May 22, 2011)

I had to dress in complete black from head to toe when I worked at a spa for a couple years as a massage therapist. Walking around in the dark (even the halls were dimly lit), listening to super dreamy New Age music day in and out, dressed in black... I started feeling like I was disappearing. Though it was kind of nice at first, since I was coming from a corporate background where dressing among women was like... a competition or something. lol. Not having to care felt a little freeing. Before it got depressing.

I managed a (massage) business briefly afterwards, and I loved being able to wear whatever I wanted after that. I chose a lot of bright colors and patterns, the shop was much lighter in design - big windows, peach walls - and I got to choose my own music too, so I went with more upbeat classical stuff (though still relaxing). Choice, generally, was nice.

I guess it really depends on the uniform, profession, and other factors.


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## Veggie (May 22, 2011)

Remembering uniforms for part time jobs too...

I'd kind of mess with them a little bit. Like I worked as a waitress and the only requirement was a button down with a tie, so I'd wear these really loud ugly Hawaiian print shirts covered in parrots because I thought it was funny and it wasn't technically against the rules.

I worked at a movie theater for a while too, and for some reason I had this sticker that said Veronica that I'd stuck over my real name on my nametag. I worked there when the first Harry Potter came out, and one of my managers went nuts for it. He made house ties for everyone to pick from, and I chose Slytherin, because for some reason this legitimately bothered him (so then why did you include them in the selection dude? lol), like I was summoning Voldemort into our space by doing it, and, again, it was funny. I wore it long after the movie premiered as my tie requirement (with a vest). I enjoyed my time as Veronica, a student of Slytherin though.


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## Caveman Dreams (Nov 3, 2015)

My firm dosnt have a uniform. Im happy with that.
If I had to wear one I would, if I have to wear smart attire I do.

Not fussed really. Its nice being able to wear what I want (within reason), but on the other hand I probably need more clothes than I would otherwise.


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## Handsome Dyke (Oct 4, 2012)

Clare_Bare said:


> every woman's dilemma


:dry: stop


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## Clare_Bare (Apr 6, 2015)

Veggie said:


> "a corporate background where dressing among women was like... a competition or something."


Yes that happens so often.
With the younger women it is all about being trendy or super stylish.
With the career focussed women, it tends to be competitive based on an image or a "power" thing.

Sometimes even a corporate uniform doesn't even out the competitiveness!


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## Veggie (May 22, 2011)

Clare_Bare said:


> Yes that happens so often.
> With the younger women it is all about being trendy or super stylish.
> With the career focussed women, it tends to be competitive based on an image or a "power" thing.
> 
> Sometimes even a corporate uniform doesn't even out the competitiveness!


There's power in stylish too though.

The most competitive companies I worked for it was like a fusing. And uncouth to, like, wear the same shoes or hairstyle too often.

Gets expensive! lol.


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## SilverFalcon (Dec 18, 2014)

I have no employer, just clients even if that sometimes means working in corporate environment.

It would be silly for me to wear an uniform. This is my most usual kind of outfit:









Only time I take this kind of uniform, but that is not work related:


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## pilgrim_12 (Aug 18, 2012)




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## dulcinea (Aug 22, 2011)

I've always worked in a place that had a stitch by stitch dress code. I used to chafe at that, but now I'm seeing the benefits. I'm temporarily working at a cleaning job, and I pretty much just wear the same two sets of scrubs every day. I'm also working on building a portfolio, so I can do web development in the future. Whenever that happens, I'll probably still pick about 2 or 3 similar outfits and wear them repeatedly, even if I get to work at home. Wearing a sort of "uniform" even if it's not mandated by your job simplifies things so much when deciding what to wear, and helps you be in "work mode" when you're wearing those clothes.


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## chad86tsi (Dec 27, 2016)

I work in an industry where I'm exposed to extremely high voltage so we have to wear arc-flash rated clothing (explosive/hot electrical faults). It's heavy and hot in the summer, but it's nice to not have to pay for clothing anymore. It's comfortable enough, and close enough in appearance to what I normally wear that I don't feel like I'm in a "uniform". We are given a catalog we can choose from, so we can change the look to an extent, so long as the ratings are met. I haven't bought a pair of pants in 4 years, and I always used to have to buy 2 or 3 a year. Same with boots, I get a $120 per year allowance, which is more than I even need.

I've warn uniforms in college jobs, I had to supply most of the clothing and wear their shirt. It helped the customers know who to go to for help, so I never felt imposed on by having to wear it. It doesn't bother me, but I'm also a guy with no fashion sense.


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## OrangeAppled (Jun 26, 2009)

My job makes us wear a company shirt, which I did NOT realize when I accepted the position or I actually may have turned it down. I loathe uniforms unless it makes a lot of sense (i.e. a job where you need to be recognized as an employee for some reason), and for my work, it makes no sense.

My ENTP boss uses the same reasoning: "You don't have to think about what to wear everyday!" - as if that is good. For me, that is NOT a plus. For most of the women I work with, it is not a plus. Maybe because he is a man, thinking about what to wear is just a bother, but for many women it's something they enjoy. It's about feeling beautiful, self-expression, individual identity, etc. 

I have all these great clothes, and now I can't wear any of them except on the weekends. Everywhere I worked prior didn't have even so much as a dress code and it was never a problem. If you can't trust someone to dress themselves, then why hire them?

I feel frumpy and ugly everyday now and it definitely takes away from my joy. It makes me dread going to work when otherwise I like my job. One thing that used to motivate me to get out of bed was crafting my look with clothes & makeup, and now that's partially stolen from me and nothing looks good with that ugly company shirt. It can actually make getting dressed HARDER and more time-consuming for me, and I have to make sure one of my shirts is washed...

I don't mind a reasonable dress code (i.e. no jeans, business professional wear, etc), but I see no point in a _uniform_ at my job. We NEVER have clients come to the office.... and _I_ especially have no contact with them.

We _can_ wear whatever bottoms & shoes we like, given they are office appropriate (i.e. no jeans or tennis shoes). So I sometimes bring an extra shirt or wear one underneath so I can take the stupid company shirt off ASAP after work or if I run errands on my lunch. I want to feel like MYSELF not a company rep everywhere I go (especially since that is not my job). But it's a pain to always pack another shirt & then change in the car.

So I would choose general business clothing (of my own), since that still gives me way more freedom than a uniform.


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