Another good old moan about work related stuff I'm afraid and this time it's about uniform, but it's more about the current uniform we have to wear. I understand fully why we need to wear it, especially in a large work place dealing with the public, so that we can be identified as members of staff, but our current uniform (it changes every few years or so, and this one's in dire need of a change) is really "high maintenance". When I first started working there we had an acrylic patterned shirt and for females a choice between skirt or trousers, skirt lengths were available in short medium or longer. I'd always opt for short (just above the knee) as it was more flattering and took less ironing, the top whilst acrylic and patterned sounds horrendous, believe me it wasn't that bad - it was loose fitting, comfortable, not at all sweaty and didn't even need ironing. What we have now, especially on the open food, is awful and only looks good if it's brand new or cared for extremely well! before we just had a white jacket that did up with press studs and a stripey pinny, and a boater style hat. Now we have a crisp white shirt with sleeves that can be turned up using a special piece of fabric that dangles down and attaches with a button, and boy does it get in the way when you're trying to iron it. We have it done up to the neck and have to wear a men's style tie and a long apron over the top, and a silly pill box hat that doesn't sit right and feels most uncomfortable especially if your hair is long and has to be worn "up", skirts are only available now in below the knee, they're cut stupidly small and feel like a "hobble skirt". Trousers are not quite so bad...but still bad as they're an unflattering cut!
Dunno why, but I always feel dirty and scruffy when I'm wearing it , despite washing and ironing it to within an inch of its life! The top button on the shirt is so stiff it's a nightmare to do up....And being white....well very hard to keep looking pristine, unless you've got time to faff around with glow white! For an older person as well, the pale colour and masculine cut of the outfit makes us look and feel awful, the youngsters don't look too bad in it!
Yes it's great to not have the worry of finding something different to wear every day, but I'd so much prefer a simple overall to slip over my everyday clothes and a hat that doesn't either feel as though it's going to fall off from being too loose or just too small that it's perched precariously on my head (I've tried all sizes, none sit right).Many of us have complained about this impractical and ugly "get up" and a change is long overdue, but in the nature of retail at the moment, ie most high street businesses feeling the pinch and having to tighten their belts, I'm sure it's way way down on any list of priorities. Have just got to get this off my chest.
Thoughts on uniforms folks!
Dunno why, but I always feel dirty and scruffy when I'm wearing it , despite washing and ironing it to within an inch of its life! The top button on the shirt is so stiff it's a nightmare to do up....And being white....well very hard to keep looking pristine, unless you've got time to faff around with glow white! For an older person as well, the pale colour and masculine cut of the outfit makes us look and feel awful, the youngsters don't look too bad in it!
Yes it's great to not have the worry of finding something different to wear every day, but I'd so much prefer a simple overall to slip over my everyday clothes and a hat that doesn't either feel as though it's going to fall off from being too loose or just too small that it's perched precariously on my head (I've tried all sizes, none sit right).Many of us have complained about this impractical and ugly "get up" and a change is long overdue, but in the nature of retail at the moment, ie most high street businesses feeling the pinch and having to tighten their belts, I'm sure it's way way down on any list of priorities. Have just got to get this off my chest.
Thoughts on uniforms folks!