worst dressed professions

[ggirl]

weather girls
clergy women

[PoshPaula]

My DP took me to Butlin's for a surprise 'mini-break'. As if that wasn't bad enough, it turned out to be the European Clown Convention there that weekend. A discussion followed... I've put it behind me now. Your comment just brought it all flooding back.

[ArbitraryUsername]

The baggy trousers are a health and safety requirement in fast food restaurants. I used to (in my teenage years) work in McD's and one of my duties was performing particular health and safety checks, one of which was ensuring the everyone's trousers were baggy enough. One of my colleagues was quite overweight and her trousers were skin tight. I was supposed to inform her and a manager of the issue. However, she was going out with the manager. I just kept quiet because it really wasn't worth making a fuss about (especially when they paid me less than £3 an hour).

[Murraylover]

Engineers. Especially Construction teams

[wewereherefirst]

I always wore fitting trousers when I worked in a large fast food emporium as a youth, no one picked up on it. Tshirts were vile but we did manage 100% cotton.

I wouldn't dream of having a manager pull me up on trousers too tight especially as I had to provide them myself!

[ArbitraryUsername]

Ah. They provided us with the ill fitting trousers. They actually had very tight waistbands and then were hideous and baggy.

They even had two styles of hat. A baseball cap (for men) and some hideous thing for women. Everyone tried to get a baseball cap when they were giving out uniforms.

I was supposed to go around checking the treds on everyone's shoes too. That was fun.

[higgle]

Another vote for social workers - is a crumpled flowery skirt and a man's haircut uniform?

[poshfrock]

Arbitrary why should academia be excused "polished and professional? If, as a student, I am paying £9k a year to attend your institution then I expect the employees of that institution to dress in a professional manner. When I was at uni I did a joint honours degree in English and Modern Languages. The ML staff were mainly male having learned the languages in question in the army during National Service. As a consequence they were mainly in their 50's and 60's and all wore a shirt and tie everyday. The only female member of staff was a native speaker who was always immaculately turned out and beautifully made up. I never even saw her wear trousers once in 4 years. By contrast the English staff all dressed as the students they once were 20/30 years previously. Scruffy jeans, t-shirts, battered old leather jackets. I was better turned out than they were. I has very little respect for the English staff.

In addition there is absolutely no reason why, on a hot day, people should not wear suits providing they are of the correct weight and cut of fabric. We are very bad at dressing professionally in warm weather in this country. People seem either to wear the same winter suits but with bare legs and sleeveless tops( I really don't want to see anyone's armpits at work) or they just dress as though they are on holiday (flip flops in the office ffs). Summer weight suits or a short-sleeved dress and jacket are surely preferable alternatives? Worn with sheer tights/stockings. No need for bare legs if the correct denier of leg covering is worn. And no open-toed sandals. How do you think professionals dress in countries where it is warm all year round?

[knackeredmother]

I'm a Gp and I am very well dressed thankyou!

[FreakoidOrganisoid]

Pre-school workers.

WHY do we have to wear hideous baggy polo shirts and hoodies?? What's wrong with a normal tshirt and a cardy?

I would never wear a polo shirt or a hoody in real life so always feel a right scruffy mess at work. Despise my uniform.

[ninjasquirrel]

poshfrock if you only give respect to academics if they dress like lawyers, I think that might be your problem rather than theirs. I think the vast majority of students will be judging them on their teaching ability!

[GrumpyOldHorsewoman]

DD's teacher is very well-dressed, as are most of the staff there - with the notable exception of the headmistress.
There are a number of parents, however, bedecked in polyester and poorly put together. They all seem to wear black boot cut trousers, swinging at the ankles and accessorised with black high heels and possibly a fleece jacket (cold weather) or floaty polyester blouse/sleeveless top (warm). They wear lanyards with photo ID, so I am guessing at a variety of local authority jobs as the district council offices are only a mile or two away.
Note to British office workers - you don't have to wear black trousers to look smart, fleece is only acceptable as outdoor workwear and PLEASE match your shoes to your outfit.
Sermon over.

[hatgirl]

poshfrock uh oh.... i'm one of your professionals you think shouldn't wear jeans and i do because I would look really silly turning up to do my job wearing something smart!

[LadyLetch]

Academics and IT people.

Art teachers are usually a law to themselves, but stylish in their own quirky way ime.

[IAmSheWhoMustBeObeyed]

I live next to a nursery and all of the staff wear fleeces, polyester trews and have their hair scraped into a ponytail (Essex facelift)

[kerstina]

Agree with child care workers. I am very reluctant to go back to a job where I have to wear a sweatshirt with bold lettering across it! Find it very depressing also realise I have become more shallow! I love picking clothes, makeup and wearing what I like and what suits me.
Disagree with social workers. I know one who is always immaculate. She loves clothes has a wonderful sense of style. Also love my cousins style who is an art teacher.

[poshfrock]

Well I'm a lawyer ninja so by that rationale you'd hope my clients would only judge me on the legal advice I give and that if I turned up in jeans with holes in they wouldn't bat an eyelid and quite happily pay my bill, but I live in the real world and know that if I want my clients' respect ( and their money) then I have to dress appropriately. I don't see why that should be any different for academics.
And hatgirl of course there may be times for a professional to wear jeans. I would think that vets or surveyors would be examples. I did a site visit in the snow on Wednesday and I wore waterproof trousers and Wellington because that suited the occasion. I would expect a PE teacher to wear a track suit to work, but not an English teacher.

[LouiseFisher]

IT Tech people!