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Do your clothes give any hints as to what your job is?

86 replies

MrsBosh · 04/07/2019 13:48

I've been trying to work out what my new next door neighbour does as a job as she always looks so smart leaving for work. She wears a black skirt suit, white blouse and a kind of small patterned scarf tied round her neck. I thought it looked a bit like airport check in staff, but we are nowhere near an airport and she is only out office hours in the week. I'm sure I'll get to know her eventually but for now I'm just enjoying guessing...

It got me thinking (I feel all Carrie Bradshaw writing that!) does what you wear to work make it obvious what you do?

Obviously many people wear uniforms. I wore one in an old job but it was just a polo shirt (no logo) so wouldn't have really been obvious anyway. In my current finance role the office is very casual so I don't dress any differently to when I'm at home with DS, so noone would guess what I did.

DH is a medic and in his current role, has to travel to and from work in normal clothes (usually jeans for him) before getting changed into scrubs at work. Again, how he's dressed as he leaves home wouldn't indicate what he does. He did once pull up on the drive with his stethescope still round his neck after a long shift, but he's never done that since!

OP posts:
crazycatbaby · 04/07/2019 22:52

Today I wore black skinny jeans, a black cami and sandals. I'm a hairdresser and it's boiling in work Grin

MitziK · 04/07/2019 22:55

I'm wondering whether the bloke in green was following an escapee cat?

Off duty/plainclothes/CID police scream their day job. The men all seem to have the same shoes, blue jeans, shirt and leather blouson jacket, the women wear whatever, but they all have a particular posture/stance, they're constantly scanning entry points and all move their eyes in the same direction if somebody moves slightly differently or looks even slightly out of place. .

Used to get them in the local McCyD's of a morning before the courts opened up for the day. And before that, as a brat from a shithole deprived area, you'd walk past them to or from school as they were sat in their cars and wonder whose house was being raided today.

You might laugh at this, but a new friend had his dad visiting and the first thing I asked when I saw him heading towards us was 'your dad's a copper, isn't he? He's checked out every person in the pub and he's not even halfway through the door'.

Retired inspector, leather bomber jacket division, apparently.

It's obvious for me, depending upon what part of the paid stuff I'm doing

Black cargos, steelies, black t-shirt, black hoodie, sunglasses, torch and ear filters case attached to the belt loops - engineer/soundman/crew, for example. All black with soft shoes - backstage not lifting. Spotlessly clean, discreet makeup, hair up, big cloth shoulder bag containing a big leather folio, couple of books in funny sizes, large bundle of clothing, pencil with eraser top probably already above ear or poked into hair - performing.

MojitoMojitoo · 04/07/2019 22:56

I wear a black skirt suit and white blouse and I'm a receptionist

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WarmthAndDepth · 04/07/2019 23:00

I was once stood at the till in John Lewis buying a White Stuff dress. The cashier smiled and said "Teacher or social worker?" I blinked. "They're crazy about White Stuff, you know," she said. I am a primary teacher.

VenusClapTrap · 04/07/2019 23:02

Wellies in winter, steel toe capped boots in summer, old t shirts and trousers liberally smeared with mud, twigs in my hair.

I’m a gardener, although you could be forgiven for guessing tramp.

A long long time ago I was airline cabin crew; I don’t miss the high heels and hairspray I might sometimes miss lounging around on Caribbean beaches and the Krug nicked from first class and decanted into a Highland Spring bottle

TheRLodger · 04/07/2019 23:03

Today I wore denim shorts plimsoles and a T-shirt.
I work in a school but in a physical role. It’s currently really warm where I live and dresses and really suitable either. Although I wore a dress the other day and i liked it.
Tbh I tend to dress smarter at the weekend than I do at work. But that’s just what my role involves

BikeRunSki · 04/07/2019 23:14

@MrsGaryLightbody - lol! Our rural postmistress is in full hippy gear.

I think the hard hard and hi vis might give away the nature of my work a bit. I’m smart casual underneath.

TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 04/07/2019 23:18

I wear a uniform at work but almost always get changed there, so I leave the house in some sort of casual outfit that's comfortable to drive in.

I often work alongside the police and some of the plain-clothes officers are utterly rubbish at disguising their radios and stab vests. The hair is often a bit of a giveaway as well - not many drug dealers have the tidy, ex-squaddie, Julius Caesar crop favoured by the men on our force.

I've not seen any leather bomber jackets though.

Talking of ex-squaddies, all the former military guys I work with (they are all men) have a particular way of standing and moving that's hard to describe, but really distinctive once you've noticed it. If they were officers, they have this especially efficient way of talking as well.

drspouse · 04/07/2019 23:19

I'm also in a smart casual office job. Occasionally colleagues take it a bit far in the casual direction (thankfully nothing ripped) and one seems to have an office tie that he keeps for the odd day he's public-facing but he looks so Inc I don't know why he bothers!

drspouse · 04/07/2019 23:19

*uncomfortable not inc!

Freshlysteamedvajayjay · 05/07/2019 13:20

I work in middle management in financial services, most people would expect I would be suited, but dress code is casual for the office (jeans but no trainers) and I work from home a lot, when I usually wear leggings or gym gear. DH works in tech which is more casual. I know people wonder what we do, given our dress and work from home tendencies, or presume one or both are SAHP.

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