Work Clothes/Play Clothes

[Canadian]

Okay,

I am certain we all enjoy wearing suits, skirt sets (for the girls) and casual attire of the vintage era, but do any of you change from modern "work clothes" into "play clothes".

For example, I am encouraged to wear jeans and a polo shirt to work. I usually wear slacks, a dress shirt, sweater and bow tie. My boss likes to get me to do inventories of the factory stock or move heavy items. Obviously, most of my work clothes are replaceable. I wear a bow tie because I want to, and it has the added benefit of not getting caught in machinery. My family owns a printing factory and we have numerous machines which are both dangerous and very messy. The thought of getting ink on a nice pinstripe suit, or losing a vintage tie clip while moving boxes.

As a young man, I do enjoy getting out with ladies who share my sartorial influences. While I haven't been dancing in years, I enjoy putting on some classic clothes and my boss/father has indicated to me that if I show up to work in a suit, I am to be sent home to change. He thinks I am wearing more formal clothing than the job calls for to avoid certain workplace duties.

In an era where secretaries wear track suits, sales managers wear sweaters and cheap slacks, and I, wearing whatever I want (with the understading that I might find myself underneath equipment and therefore should wear inexpensive and replacable clothing), do any of you change into "play clothes" when you get home.

Thomas

 

[Undertow]

Define "play clothes"?

On the weekends, I may don a button-down plaid shirt with some heavy-denim, cuffed jeans and boots. Or perhaps a cotton button down with button collar and slacks. sans tie.

I have cheat days, too; e.g. laundry days when I'll wear something atrocious and modern, like low waist jeans (aka normal modern jeans) and an untucked plaid shirt. Shudder...

 

[Canadian]

Play clothes to me are something too expensive, fragile or impractical to wear while working in a factory or other labour intensive job.

I own suits which will never show up at work. Likewise, I own some cheaper suits that are designed for work.

I find many vintage-themed items are not appropriate for work, therefore they are "play clothes".

 

[Edward]

Little to no distinction for me, increasingly. I have a desk job, and I Am Not Interested In Sport in my spare time, so neither has an especial demand over the other. I do wear jeans on occasion if I'm not going out, or going to a gig or venue where it's the more sensible option. I would end up wearing them i the office maybe once a year. I've never worn black or white tie to the office, of course - that would be absurd. My working day begins long before 6pm.

 

[Undertow]

Oh I see!

Sure, I have some great play clothes. I suppose I should get some pictures of these things. Bother...who knows when that will happen.

I have evening wear (notch and peak) for various parties. I have a brown windowpane check 3pc with covered buttons that I like to wear on good nights out. I have a blue and white seersucker for summer occasions. The list goes on.

I do have ties, hats and shoes separated into work and home. I wear cheap Dockers cap-toes to work, with some lame ties and a couple work-horse Stetsons. Same goes for coats, I guess. I also have some patterend cotton button down shirts I wear to work only because I don't care what happens to them. The nice stuff stays in the closet until night.

 

[m0nk]

The line is a little blurry for me. I wear dress clothes to work as I have a desk job, and at times I'll sport a suit. I'll also do the same at home and out and about, though when I'm not wearing nice slacks and dress shirt or a suit, I'll wear jeans and a button down shirt or a fleece (currently the latter due to weather). I also fish quite a bit, between fly fishing and deep sea fishing, so I'll wear whatever it takes to make it through the trip without destroying something of value to me. Typically when I fly fish I still wear a button down shirt and jeans.

 

[AntonAAK]

Work and play clothes are pretty much the same for me. I have a desk job so my clothes are in no danger from anything more perilous than coffee and mustard. When I go out in the evening I look pretty similar to how I look at the office (suits or sports jackets with separate trousers. Always a tie or cravat). I try to dress well all of the time.

Being a city dweller and not one for outdoor pursuits I don't really have outdoor/adventure type wear. I do wear modern sports clothes in the gym and martial arts classes.

 

[Two Types]

Work/play: when I get home from work I take off my tie and replace it with a cravat. From formal to casual in about ten seconds.

 

[Hal]

When I go out in the evening I look pretty similar to how I look at the office (suits or sports jackets with separate trousers. Always a tie or cravat).

(My underlining) Good for you! (and for TwoTypes who exchanges his tie for a cravat).

 

[Will015]

My family owns a printing factory and we have numerous machines which are both dangerous and very messy. The thought of getting ink on a nice pinstripe suit, or losing a vintage tie clip while moving boxes.

He thinks I am wearing more formal clothing than the job calls for to avoid certain workplace duties.

The obvious solution to this would be coveralls. Think the Maytag man.

,Will

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Well, we have uniforms at the plant, so I change into some regular clothes right away. After work, usually a dress shirt or a plaid shirt, slacks, and a cardigan this time of year. If I'm going to be working on my cars or something as I do on the weekends, I'll wear some beat up jeans and an old flannel shirt. If I'm going out to the bars, a nice shirt and jeans or slacks, and of course my fedora are the attire.

 

[Mr Badger]

I'm a desk jockey too so there's not really much of a distinction between work and play clothes for me... the really nice vintage stuff, like 1940s gab shirts, tend to stay in the wardrobe more but that's because they're generally more precious and irreplaceable.

I walk to work and back along a busy commuter route (3 miles round trip) so if it's rainy (which is often) I make sure that I don't wear my nice Cramerton cloth K1s or suede footwear, as they could easily be ruined by a kerb-hugging van and a small puddle...

Some days I wear engineer boots, a sweatshirt or sweater, a leather and a 'Big Apple' cap, while other times I go to work in nice drop loop pants, a rayon/Hawaiian shirt, sports jacket, 1940s overcoat and straw fedora... heck, occasionally I'll wear a tie, waistcoat and the works, just 'cause I feel like it!

Dressing well makes me feel better on a 'day to day' basis and that's a good thing... today was really stressful at work but I felt a bit happier when I was in the lift and saw the reflection of myself in the 'square dancers' pattern Cowichan I had on!

 

[samtemporary]

Weekends are my "dress-up" days. I'm encouraged to wear dungarees and polos to work (I'm a lawyer, to boot!), and, since I live in South Florida, I tend to change into shorts and a shirt after work (I know...I'm also ashamed of my bare legs, too). On weekends, now...that's different. I mostly wear my seersucker or poplin suit/suit pieces with a Panama, or occasionally a light wool suit. With several dog and horse tracks, as well as casinos, there are quite a few opportunities to bandy about in play clothes! Now if I could only get my wife to dress up for play time!

 

[DeaconKC]

I wish i could wear nicer clothes at work, but my duties don't really allow me that luxury. So I do enjoy dressing a bit nicer on the weekends. As far as your family's business Canadian, I think you need to reconsider your own standards. As you are part of the family, you are going to be held to a higher standard by both your family and the other employees. If you even "appear" to be trying to avoid work, it is a poor image that you could be presenting. Maybe keep the bow tie, but use a work type shirt and tradesman pants, IE: Dickies, etc.
http://www.dickies.com/home/index.jsp?gclid=CO3qmpr-8q0CFQe8Kgodjy5Ktg

 

[Canadian]

To be fair, it's not as if I'm avoiding work. I do like to look nice for customers as my desk is in the front office. If I'm called to do dirty work, I remove my jacket and I rarely wear dress pants like I did at another job. For pants, it's usually Wranglers or Dickies (both make a fairly durable selection of cotton pants.

I find wearing a bow tie, cotton slacks, a dress shirt and an inexpensive sweater with a jacket in the cloakroom for when I make a bank run or have a meeting is a good compromise. I rarely wear a proper, full, suit and I try not to wear anything I can't see myself tossing if I got ink on it.

That said, any of my vintage styled stuff tends to come out after hours. If I'm going somewhere like a party or lodge meeting, I might wear an inexpensive DB suit.

Thomas