Did you work in a uniform?

This was the thing about uniform wasn't it.....no need to plan an outfit, just get dressed and set off for work.
Interesting that in the early days so many uniforms were made of cheap, hot and sticky nylon. And staff had no say in the matter.
Also a sign of the times (sixties, seventies and early eighties) that men did not have to wear uniform. Why not?

Male nurses in those days had suits made in the hospital, they wore white coats where necessary.

Worked in admin /reception for NHS liked the uniform navy stripe jacket trousers.skirt and blouse , nice not to have to think about an outfit each day.
Worked in Woolworths as Saturday girl and inherited someone’s green nylon checked overall I swear they must have been the jolly green giant, it would have fitted me and somebody else ( those were the days?) and came down to my ankles I am 5’4” not the best of looks as a fashion conscious teenager

Yes I wore the WRAF uniform from 1970-77. Still have my "Best Blue" in the wardrobe, if I really want to depress myself I get it out, but I would not be able to get my arms in the sleeves let alone get into the skirt or jacket. I'm not massive now, so I must have been really slim then!

grannysue05 You may have flown my family out to Hong Kong, en rout to New Zealand in 1973. I remember my son being given a child's pack of entertainment items and a model BOAC plane. I think we may still have them packed away.
We transferred to Air NZ in Hong Kong.

Prior to my marriage, I was a nanny and wore either a navy or grey dress (two families, different ideas) with a white collar. I didn't mind the uniform, it was quite smart and made by Harrods but what I didn't like was the disdainful way I and the children in my care, were treated.

I feel deeply sorry for children of parents like that who clearly had absolutely no love or care for their offspring at all. They were allowed to be 'viewed' for 10 minutes before bed and that was all the contact the poor wee things had with "Mummy and Daddy".

Packed off at 5 to kinder-boarding and then to schools. No doubt these are the people running the country now.

Not work, but school uniform.

I still cannot wear and refuse to buy navy blue V neck pullovers.

Another nurse. Our student uniforms were laundered by the hospital and they used the worlds strongest starch on cuffs and collars. We all had rashes on our necks and arms until graduation. My cap was folded according to strict guidelines and I always loved wearing it. A small gold pin was attached on one corner. Later, working in ICU and the emergency room we wore scrub suits. They we're practical, but I always missed my "real" uniforms.

MawB,I trained at the Westminster before my Army days and worked on the burns unit at Roehampton.That was in the late 1960’s.Your description of the uniforms sounds about right.

Matron used to bring out a ruler sometimes to measure how far from bottom of hem to shoes!Then we would hitch our dresses up with our belts,we wore black stockings in my day with suspenders belts.Tres risqué.

Uniforms seem a thing of the past now, don't they? It seems only air stewards have set uniforms. Even our nurses here just buy their own scrubs. Grocery clerks usually have a t-shirt with the store logo.

Very briefly in my 20's I was a shop assistant in the paint department of a hardware store and had a very ugly mustard coloured smock.

I am still working, but not in uniform.

Oh what lovely stories you can all tell. The uniforms have evolved over time of course. All that starch and Matron measuring. Wonderful.
BradfordLass I was married before 1973 and had left my flying days behind but was never on the Hong Kong route. Were you a Norland Nanny?
Lyndylou your WRAF uniform would have been a stunner. I was hoping that Mick would have come back on here to tell us about his RAF uniform. Was it the folded cap or a beret?

Does a lab coat and safety goggles count as a uniform?

Txquiltz oh how I remember those starched collars, aprons and cuffs, especially in the heatwave summers in the mid 70s. I loved my uniforms back then, good quality fabric and well made.

I worked as a Supported Living Manager for a Housing Association.

No 'formal uniform' as such, but we were asked to wear dark/navy blue skirts (or trousers) with a plain white blouse/top. However, there was a rather nice 'necktie/scarf' in the Housing Association's corporate colours of navy background, with 'dark red and white squiggles' on it. Looked very smart and efficient without being too formal.

Also expected to wear Name Badges at all times when on-duty.

I still wear a uniform (well, I would if I weren’t furloughed!) I’m very concerned it won’t still fit me on my return so I’m trying to lose the lockdown weight! ??

...nurse here! Grey and white striped mattress ticking type fabric which started off at well below knee level and by the end of three years of being boiled it shrank to just on the knee - very trendy for the 60’s. I wore a fabulous starched hat, complicated to make and if I made a ‘good one’ I’d keep it for weeks. Beautiful pure wool cape, navy blue on the outside, bright red lining, very cosy on cold nights and I’d almost forgotten the crisply starched white apron, changed three times a day - no plastic aprons then. Once qualified the dress remained the same but the colour of the belt changed and the hat was smaller and frilly. On becoming a ward sister the dress was navy blue, hat even frillier. As a district nurse I wore a grey dress with a white coverall. Thanks for this post it’s brought back lovely memories. The issue I had was when I moved from practice into teaching and I had difficulty knowing what to wear each day. I’ve never really developed a style of dressing as I had so many years not having to think about clothes except for going out!

I sometimes think the designers of uniforms go for style rather than practicality, as a holiday rep I wore a variety of uniforms but very few were designed for working in temperatures of 30-40 degrees plus!!! One company had a wool based pencil skirt, blouse of thick cotton with sleeves to elbows and a stiff collar worn with a polyester scarf tied tightly around the neck and high heeled black court shoes. Looked smart before you left your air conditioned apartment and then it all went downhill from there.

After five years working in an office, children looked after by doting grandparents, I decided to add a little more interest to my life which meant standing behind a counter selling cosmetics wearing the company uniform. I was later offered a manager position within the company which meant travel so off with the uniform smart suits becoming the order of the day for which I was given an allowance.

Uniform in Woolworths years ago, uniform in the WRAF and finally uniform as a local government officer. Didn’t mind any of it, saved me wondering what to wear each day.

I worked for Thomas Cook at the beginning of the Noughties & the uniform was really smart although the blouse was polyester but was easy to wash quickly at the end of the day. We had a navy fitted blazer style jacket & matching pencil skirt and the blouse was classic blouse style with short sleeves in white with a navy & red swirly design. High heeled navy shoes were obligatory & I always felt very smart when I set off in the morning. Fortunately I left soon after the change to something far more relaxed.
I did a couple of stints at Boots over Christmas in the 70s - pale pink cotton dresses with a navy panel down the front. Quite liked those as well!

20 years with a bank and uniform supplied meant not having to decide what to wear each day and I could keep my clothes for best. I used to take the name badge off if I went shopping after work as often people would stop me and ask 'could you show me where#### is please. Just assuming that a lady in a suit with a badge on must work here!

I love uniforms, being brought in School uniform then being a Nurse all my life.Iloved my Nursing uniform with white apron, lovely belt and of course the frilly cap,I was always proud of my uniform, especially when I became a Sister, in our Hospital Sisters had smart royal blue dresses, white arons and even prettier frilly caps,these days nobody looks smart with those terrible" scrubs" Those were the days!

You are right missdeke, uniform designers did go for style and gave little thought to the climate/atmosphere that you would be working in.
I was based on the middle eastern routes for my airline and the temperatures on arrival at destination were off the scale.
In those days we worked for five days down the line in the countries on your roster. We did not travel home.
After the strict check-in proceedures, the girls would rush into the tiny toilet cubicles to strip off underwear and Playtex girdles.
Knowing that after the flight we would be on the beach or by the hotel pool, we didn't want strap marks!

Still wear a uniform - now just tunic top and trousers when I started training (nurse) starched aprons, linen hats we had to fold ourselves etc.

WRNS for me. Various uniforms. No 1s - quality navy serge jacket & skirt with gold badges, white shirt with starched (!!) collar, black tie, stockings and court shoes and white hat scrubbed to within an inch of it's life. This was worn for parade or formal duty stints. No 2s - hairy itchy navy serge with blue badges, soft blue shirt, black tie. Depending on job this could be same top but be accompanied with bell bottoms, socks and flat black lace-ups. Same hat. In the Mediterranean we wore lovely short sleeved v neck white linen dresses with blue badges. Same hat. Flesh tights and flat white lace-ups. Work was short sleeve blue cotton shirts with navy denim trousers and brown leather open toe sandals. Need I say, same hat. Loved every minute of that part of my life. Quite wonderful in every way.

My first job after leaving school was a shorthand typist for the Halifax Building Society. Mum was proud of me and bought me a couple of suits to wear. I was so disappointed to learn that I had to wear a blue, nylon overall. I don't know why, as I was working in an upstairs room and wasn't seen by the public at all.