I had one of these a while ago, although he was a bit more vague and liked to ask "what are you wearing?" And, like your husband in earlier days, he specifically liked to wait until he knew I was working to ask. I was telecommuting back then so had plausible deniability in answering "a ballgown, tiara, and cowboy boots" or "acid-washed jeans, Birkenstocks, and a Take Back the Night T-shirt". Usually he laughed and changed the subject, but if not I went on to describe things in earnest, tedious, extremely digressive detail.
For example, to describe my current knickers: "They're 100% cotton high-rise briefs from one of the multipacks at Primark - that's the Primark on Argyle Street, not the one on Sauchiehall Street, which I find often has a better variety of stock but is a hassle to get to unless I happen to be nearby, especially since they put in that detour on the 805 bus last year. Anyway, the ones I have on today are a kind of dull light green colour - I'm not sure if you'd call it mildew green, or maybe wedgewood? It's not really mint, a little more greyish. These were reduced and I was happy to find a multipack in my size and style for £3 - that's the five-item multipack, you know, not the six, which would be cheaper but I'm never sure the quality is quite the same..."
You get the idea. He'll have interrupted and changed the subject, or walked away, long before this point.
The fact that he's (exclusively?) asking you this in situations where you are likely to be embarrased or feel awkward - at work previously, and now in front of young children - is probably a red flag, though.