Going to work in vintage apparal

[Retro_GI_Jane]

At my last employer, I wore lots of vintage style; hats, shoes, suits, etc. The director of HR once called me a jerk for "upstaging" everyone. I told him I did it for myself and not for everyone else. He sneered. At the same employer, my manager once sent an email to the entire department asking us to pay less attention to our "suits and hats" and more attention to our work. I confronted him, he told me I was distracting people. [huh]

I just died a little inside reading this. I am the director of HR where I work, so because of my military background and my position, I feel that I must provide a polished look to an extent regardless of the office environment. I know some of the ladies I work with think I am a snob for "overdoing" it sometimes with my vintage-inspired look compared to some of them wearing foam flip flops and jeans to work.

To answer the OP's question, I usually go for a vintage-inspired look with my clothes and accent it with period hair and vintage accessories.

 

[1961MJS]

I just died a little inside reading this. I am the director of HR where I work, so because of my military background and my position, I feel that I must provide a polished look to an extent regardless of the office environment. I know some of the ladies I work with think I am a snob for "overdoing" it sometimes with my vintage-inspired look compared to some of them wearing foam flip flops and jeans to work.

To answer the OP's question, I usually go for a vintage-inspired look with my clothes and accent it with period hair and vintage accessories.

Hi

This amazes me in that we (aerospace) have always been lax at best in our dress, but we're also never been intimated by anybody in a suit. The 1960's aerospace worker wore a white short sleeved shirt, dark pants, dress shoes, a skinny tie, and a pocket protector with one pen of each color given out by the supply cabinet. It has devolved into shorts and flip flops, but if you wear a tie, no one cares that I've ever seen.

Later

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Hi

This amazes me in that we (aerospace) have always been lax at best in our dress, but we're also never been intimated by anybody in a suit. The 1960's aerospace worker wore a white short sleeved shirt, dark pants, dress shoes, a skinny tie, and a pocket protector with one pen of each color given out by the supply cabinet. It has devolved into shorts and flip flops, but if you wear a tie, no one cares that I've ever seen.

Later

That was my Dad's work "uniform" when he worked for Hughes Aircraft in the '60s through the '80s. I think I still have the 15 and 20 year diamond pins he wore on his pocket protector.

 

[ButteMT61]

That was my Dad's work "uniform" when he worked for Hughes Aircraft in the '60s through the '80s. I think I still have the 15 and 20 year diamond pins he wore on his pocket protector.

My Dad as well - but he was a university professor. I wore a jacket and tie at Hughes in the 90's. Now, it's whatever I want. Much of it vintage or vintage inspired.

 

[penates]

I wear a uniform at work so the opportunities for vintage wear are limited. I do wear vintage gear the most while hiking or hunting.

 

[kiwilrdg]

I wear a uniform at work so the opportunities for vintage wear are limited. I do wear vintage gear the most while hiking or hunting.

If the accessories that are allowed with your uniform are done right you still will make an impression. Proper shoes, watch, and belt can do more than most people realize today. Even though most people do not know what looks better, the classic accessories add so much to appearance.

 

[penates]

To be honest, the current nylon duty gear is much lighter and more practical than leather.

 

[kiwilrdg]

To be honest, the current nylon duty gear is much lighter and more practical than leather.

I still use a 69 series S&W for my service weapon because I have not found a decent triple-retention holster in leather for the M&P models.
The Sheriff lets me stay with it because he was a wheel-gun holdout when he had my current job.


Shoes and a watch is pretty much what you can do vintage at work, If you wear a tie and it is allowed, a tie chain is a nice vintage accessory. I did some experements and they are better at breaking away than a buttonhole backed tie. Less binding than the clip-on portion of the tie.

 

[Giftmacher]

My physical size and limited wallet tend to keep me away from actual vintage. But if you mean vintage and vintage style, then yes, I have the option.

I DO NOT work in a job where I A.) enjoy my surroundings/duties and B.) enjoy the daily questions about why I would dare wear a suit and tie.

I wear a pair of cotton twill slacks, a cotton button-up shirt and a tweed cap. It's business casual and it's the best they're going to get from me. Besides, I ride my bike to work now and I don't want to trash a nice suit.

At my last employer, I wore lots of vintage style; hats, shoes, suits, etc. The director of HR once called me a jerk for "upstaging" everyone. I told him I did it for myself and not for everyone else. He sneered. At the same employer, my manager once sent an email to the entire department asking us to pay less attention to our "suits and hats" and more attention to our work. I confronted him, he told me I was distracting people. [huh]

Is it any wonder fart jokes are so popular?

That's really horrible :eusa_doh:

 

[penates]

I still use a 69 series S&W for my service weapon because I have not found a decent triple-retention holster in leather for the M&P models.

Have you looked at Safariland's website? My agency issued SLS holsters for our HK's and they have a leather appearance.

 

[Doc Smith]

I'm a lecturer in aerospace engineering. Most of my colleagues tend to wear slacks and a dress shirt, sometimes with a tie or a sports jacket (rarely both). Doing the full vintage thing would be disruptive (and difficult with my current wardrobe), but I try to approximate the style of 1940s and 1950s engineering professors:
- If I'm lecturing, I wear a tie and sport jacket at the very least, and sometimes a suit. In fact, I promise students that I'll never give a pop quiz on a day that I'm not wearing a tie. Of course, they quickly find out that I don't lecture without a tie, and give pop quizzes pretty frequently.
- If I'm outdoors, I wear a fedora, panama, or a flat cap.
- I'm slowly switching from injection-molded-sole Eccos to proper leather-soled shoes.
- I always carry a small notebook (Moleskine) and a circular slide rule in the inner jacket pockets, and a pocketknife tucked into my waistband. They all come in very useful when teaching a lab class.

My colleagues don't seem to mind, and the students seem to approve. One even said (in an anonymous student evaluation) that the effect was "badass" and "supervillian-esque." I passed the comment on to my promotion committee, of course....

 

[kiwilrdg]

My agency issued SLS holsters for our HK's and they have a leather appearance.

The synthetic would be OK for when I work the streets but for some special assignments I need to stay with leather with a fresh polish. I guess my assignments make me keep a vintage look when I work for the Sheriff just as your assignments keep you wearing current styles.

 

[blade runner]

As an attorney, I have to be taken seriously by colleagues and jurors, so wearing vintage at work is not really feasible. Plus I'm too fat to fit in or look good in actual vintage clothes. Nevertheless, I wear a fedora or panama every day (not in the courthouse), and I try to find ties that look to me like they have an art deco style. I actually get lots of compliments on my ties. I would like to be able to wear vintage ties, but they all seem to be too short. It's a shame, because I see a lot of great looking vintage ties on eBay, but at 50 to 52 inches they would only come halfway down my shirt -- not good.

 

[Asienizen]

As I am a teacher in the far east at a fairly upscale institution, we are not allowed to wear casual clothing like jeans or polo shirts. Consequently, any time I wear "vintage inspired" business attire, it fits in quite well. Many of us wear ties, and during the winter I wear suit jackets - it's just too hot to wear a full suit in the summer.

But as far as reactions? I am known as one of the best dressers in the school by my colleagues. Students love a well dressed teacher - Asians respect a person who takes their clothes seriously. I guess I'm just lucky.
It is unfortunate that people who dress well in the west are looked down on - that hasn't permeated this part of the world yet, luckily. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[Anthony Jordan]

These days I tend to to wear modern suits in classic blocks (T.M. Lewin do a nice, very English block which I like, and I have had a few suits made in a fairly classic style also) but with the combination of the right fedora it probably looks vintage to the untutored observer. Were I to lose some weight I would probably get my vintage items out of the wardrobe more, as I have done in the past; certainly there is no barrier to my wearing them to work (except that I would not wear anything too outre where I was meeting major stakeholders, representing my department at an important meeting, or meeting my Minister.)