<VV> Work uniforms, was: Communiqué

[Rick Norris]

I have spent most of my working time in engineering drafting rooms. Back in 
the day all engineers and draftsman wore dress shirts and neck ties. Also 
most draftsman wore special sleeves over thier arms to keep pencil dust off 
the shirts and they usually wore green eye shades.
By the time I came along in the sixtiesq it was more casual depending on 
whom you worked for. Slacks and sport shirts were the norm.
Now days it doesn't seem to matter. I usually am at a clients facility and 
sometimes out in the plant its self.
 where the uniform of the day is usually full Nomex coveralls and other 
personal protective equipment.

Rick

When I started work at IBM (as an engineer) back in 1963, the "uniform" for 
professionals and customer engineers (service people) was white shirt and 
tie (conservative).  The story behind including the service people in this 
uniform requirement is that one day, T.J. Watson, Senior was visiting a 
customer account and riding up in the elevator with a customer executive. 
Two somewhat scruffy looking guys got on the elevator, and when they got 
off, Mr. Watson made a remark to the customer executive about their 
appearance.  To which the exec replied, "Those are your customer engineers, 
Mr. Watson."

So, a dress code ensued that was modeled on the image of a conservative 
banker.  There was, however, a side benefit to the white shirt -- when they 
got dirty from working on a piece of unit record equipment, you could bleach 
the heck of them.

On the professional side, a white shirt and tie had long been the uniform of 
all companies.  I suspect those in the pictures were managers, 
professionals, or technicians.

Dave Keillor

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org 
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of airvair at earthlink.net
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 1:11 PM
To: shortle; Rob Landers; Sethracer at aol.com; tony.underwood at cox.net; 
virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Work uniforms, was: <VV> Communiqué

I'd say that the tie was the uniform of ALL working men back then, not just
in the Corvair factories (required Corvair content). More a matter of a
generational thing. My dad used to NEVER take off his tie or shoes, even
around the house, which is how ingrained the "business suit as a uniform"
thing was to that generation. Did get him to ditch the tie, finally after
many years of retirement, but the only time he'd take off his shoes was
either to take a shower or go to bed. We buried him without shoes. (G)

-Mark


> [Original Message]
> Subject: Re: <VV> Communiqué
>
> Did all the GM employees wear ties when working on Corvairs? Was that the
GM uniform requirements of the day? Anyone?
Timothy Shortle in Durango Colorado
Getting ready to go to Jacksonville next week


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