UNIFORM DRESSING

So, I work in a well-known department store. In said store, we - as with many other companies - have to wear a uniform. Despite being an avid fashion lover/collector/worshipper, I spend most of my life in this uniform. I am a reasonable person; I understand the benefits and in some cases the necessities of wearing a uniform. It creates a standardized aesthetic for the store and its staff, and although sometimes – usually when I’m running late – I greatly appreciate the monotony of my plain black uniform, I do see it mainly as a means to mask any semblance of individuality. We become an army of sales assistants, made recognizable only by the blindingly yellow name badges which invite perfect strangers to address me like an old friend.

In many ways working in retail is an act, and in my opinion the costumes we have to wear do not live up to the role we are expected to play. An all black outfit can be sexy, seductive, darkly alluring, slimming, chic, smart… the list goes on, but I doubt any of these things came into the minds of the company gods when they were brain storming ideas for uniforms. So whilst wrestling trousers into submission and battling tables of unruly t-shirts today, I tried to dream up what my ‘ideal’ uniform would be.

My first obstacle? Colour - how could I pick one that would compliment staff members, male and female, without being too gaudy or downright tacky looking? I sifted through the work garb of other stores and there seems to be no template out there to aspire to. The staff over at McDonalds are currently donning a rather dowdy swamp coloured polo, whilst Zara have traded in their European-style all black get ups for a rather gothic/punk, candy cane vibe with black and white stripes. Carrying on this striped trend Matalan too is following suit with horizontal black and red (umm... is Dennis the Menace on the directors board?)

I thought I’d skip the colour dilemma and think about style. Long sleeves? Too warm for the under air-conditioned store. Short sleeves? Right, yes, we’ll go with short sleeves. Round neck? Possibly - anything too low will result in wandering eyes. Fabric? Something that doesn’t fade or go quite so pug as the current style. The list went on and as you can imagine my answers became more and more vague. Trying to create something for everyone, I discovered is hard and frankly exhausting.

My mind then wandered back to my dissertation in which I explored the wider cultural implications of uniform dressing, particularly how bodies of power enforced uniforms to eradicate individuality (something I have already touched upon) and re-mold society into an aesthetic pleasing to them. I found this idea very interesting and whilst I am by no means trying to compare my department store uniform to that of some cult or dictatorship (I swear!), I was intrigued as to what the company bosses were trying to communicate through our uniforms. Yes, we do wear the company name across our chests but it’s easily overlooked. Maybe, in giving us these rather blasé uniforms, perhaps rather than cloaking it they are offering us a blank canvas on which to project our individuality. Against all odds we must still appear friendly and approachable so what better way to do that, than to be friendly and approachable rather than relying on a sunny uniform to do it for us.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be parading around in my uniform off hours, but I do appreciate the challenge of making this uniform work for me. So as my signing out message to the Man, I’d like to say thanks for limiting my sartorial expression, I’ll be exploring a less materialistic route to channel my individuality from now on.

 (Picture from windyskies.blogspot.com)