Shop Attire

[violguy]

Common M..netters, here's your chance to pile-on: What are the physical,psychological,and/or moral reasons for choosing to wear : a white lab coat or a full-length apron?

TIA

Violguy

[Rue]

Er...where are we wearing such garments? The lab? The kitchen?

Or are we to assume you are referring to either:

A.) The front counter of a shop or...

B.) The backroom/workshop?

 

 

[Brad Dorsey]

20 minutes ago, violguy said:

…What are the physical…reasons for choosing to wear : a white lab coat or a full-length apron…[in the workshop]?…

To protect the clothes underneath.  But I don’t bother because my clothes are already pretty ragged.

I have seen workers in videos of Chinese violin workshops wearing cloth protectors over the sleeves of their shirts.  This seems like a good idea, because the cuffs of my sleeves seem to be the places where my clothes wear first.

[Rue]

BTW...and FWIW ...I generally wear:

1. In the dry lab (which is still in my basement) a sweatshirt that is easy to brush dust from.

2. In a wet lab I would wear a lab coat.

3. In the kitchen, no covering unless I am all dressed up (for an event), in which case I will wear a full apron.

4. In the workshop I will wear a cotton sweatshirt or t-shirt (and old slacks) that may be sacrified should they need to be. And - after having impaled, and pulled out, a very sharp carving knife from my leg ... I did buy a leather carver's apron.

5. At the barn, where I seem to sustain most of my injuries, I will wear nylon or cotton overalls - or leather chaps depending on the animal/chore. 

[jacobsaunders]

27 minutes ago, violguy said:

Common M..netters, here's your chance to pile-on: What are the physical,psychological,and/or moral reasons for choosing to wear : a white lab coat or a full-length apron?

TIA

Violguy

I’ve always wondered why so many American colleagues wear thick checkered lumberjack style shirts, perhaps I could ask a similar question

[Rue]

I thought flannel shirts are Welsh?

[James M. Jones]

34 minutes ago, Rue said:

I thought flannel shirts are Welsh?

Do you know ..Is the checkering welsh as well or perhaps Scottish influence… whatever it is it’s not American in the  aboriginal sense. A European import of some sort for sure . As for aprons and lab cotes…people generally ascribe some sort of base line qualities to a certain dress code almost to a fault …there is a story about a blacksmith, on the east coast , …of the United States…. New York area, the gentleman everyday ,would don a three piece suit for his morning commute, replete with handkerchief in his breast pocket, watch and chain in vest .then , upon arrival, would change into more suitable, everyday work attire , including a full length ox hide apron for protection. 

 

[Bill Yacey]

20 minutes ago, James M. Jones said:

Do you know ..Is the checkering welsh as well or perhaps Scottish influence… whatever it is it’s not American in the  aboriginal sense. A European import of some sort for sure . As for aprons and lab cotes…people generally ascribe some sort of base line qualities to a certain dress code almost to a fault …there is a story about a blacksmith, on the east coast , …of the United States…. New York area, the gentleman everyday ,would don a three piece suit for his morning commute, replete with handkerchief in his breast pocket, watch and chain in vest .then , upon arrival, would change into more suitable, everyday work attire , including a full length ox hide apron for protection. 

 

Mackinaw

[Rue]

29 minutes ago, James M. Jones said:

Do you know ..Is the checkering welsh as well or perhaps Scottish influence… whatever it is it’s not American in the  aboriginal sense. A European import of some sort for sure .  ...

 

I'm not sure.

And I'm not sure if the heavy-duty work wear type of plaid flannel didn’t evolve outside of Wales.

Hmm.

But! There's just something wonderful about plaid flannel shirts and jackets! 

I do know though...that at least in my neck of the woods, knitted sweaters don't function as well as lined woven outerwear (or bison coats ). I think it's related to the weather. 

We joke about the dry cold out here but it is totally different than a damp cold. I think it's the humidity that makes the difference to what outerwear is most comfortable to wear.

29 minutes ago, James M. Jones said:

...the gentleman everyday ,would don a three piece suit for his morning commute, replete with handkerchief in his breast pocket, watch and chain in vest .then , upon arrival, would change into more suitable, everyday work attire , including a full length ox hide apron for protection. 

 

You know, as much as I prefer the comfort of modern knits (and Spandex!) I also hate how sadly "too casual" we've become in our overall dressing. I like the more formal "uniforms" folks used to wear.

You'd think that the more formal look combined with modern fabrics would be ideal...but no!

[James M. Jones]

1 minute ago, Rue said:

I'm not sure.

And I'm not sure if the heavy-duty work wear type of plaid flannel didn’t evolve outside of Wales.

Hmm.

But! There's just something wonderful about plaid flannel shirts and jackets! 

I do know though...that at least in my neck of the woods, knitted sweaters don't function as well as lined woven outerwear (or bison coats ). I think it's related to the weather. 

We joke about the dry cold out here but it is totally different than a damp cold. I think it's the humidity that makes the difference to what outerwear is most comfortable to wear.

You know, as much as I prefer the comfort of modern knits (and Spandex!) I also hate how sadly "too casual" we've become in our overall dressing. I like the more formal "uniforms" folks used to wear.

You'd think that the more formal look combined with modern fabrics would be ideal...but no!

As a northern person , I can attest that a sub zero f dry cold isn’t as bad as a 33 f wet  cold .  I do love a knit sweater under a canvas Carhart  , the sweater doesn’t bind and lock like other fabrics and the canvas blocks out all the wind but still breathes a bit . 
  My eldest son has taken a interest in winter camping and mountain climbing… … so I’ve taken an interest in warm survival clothing and gear..lol  seriously he claimed Mt Grey a 14,000 footer in Colorado this past January… solo … he said it was all fun and games , until at the top of the tree line , he stepped off the snowshoe bed and went down five  feet in the powder and almost couldn’t climb out …    Curiously enough it seems the warmest materials come from … animals. Still today,  we can put a remote control go cart on Mars , but can’t make a material warmer than a sea otter does everyday . At approx one million hairs per square inch , they  win the award for worlds densest hair …..not exactly suitable for the production of millions of throw away light jackets to go from living room to car to store and back , but for days on end outdoors lifestyle natural materials still rule the day , much like violin making. 
so whatever one chooses… apron or lab cote use natural materials! Lol unless you like latex and poly … then use latex and polyester.. lol 

[James M. Jones]

30 minutes ago, Bill Yacey said:

Mackinaw

Cool history! Thanks.

[Rue]

37 minutes ago, Bill Yacey said:

Mackinaw

Interesting!

...but can't say I recall anyone ever saying "holy mackinaw!"

...musta been well before my time! 

[Brad Dorsey]

2 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:

I’ve always wondered why so many American colleagues wear thick checkered lumberjack style shirts, perhaps I could ask a similar question

I can't speak for the others, but I have a good excuse:  I cut down trees for firewood to heat my house.

[James M. Jones]

10 minutes ago, Brad Dorsey said:

I can't speak for the others, but I have a good excuse:  I cut down trees for firewood to heat my house.

And everyone knows checkerd shirts are good for cutting down trees  . Lol  … personally,  I buy ten logger cords and cut off a landing for my heat , so a simple tan carhart jacket  is ok . 

[nathan slobodkin]

1 hour ago, Brad Dorsey said:

I can't speak for the others, but I have a good excuse:  I cut down trees for firewood to heat my house.

And everyone knows that trees fear checked flannel above all else.

[FiddleDoug]

I prefer an apron, but more fingertip to knee length rather than full length.

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, FiddleDoug said:

I prefer an apron, but more fingertip to knee length rather than full length.

A mini?

[David Burgess]

17 hours ago, jacobsaunders said:

I’ve always wondered why so many American colleagues wear thick checkered lumberjack style shirts, perhaps I could ask a similar question

Aren't we somewhat like lumberjacks? Or maybe something like billetjacks or splinterjacks?

[FiddleDoug]

12 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

Aren't we somewhat like lumberjacks? Or maybe something like billetjacks or splinterjacks?

Some of us use power tools on violins! Like maybe a Sawzall, or something a bit quicker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2n1W5THyGQ

[FiddleDoug]

19 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

A mini?

Depends on the weather, or if I'm sitting on a metal stool.

[jacobsaunders]

25 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

Aren't we somewhat like lumberjacks? Or maybe something like billetjacks or splinterjacks?

Monty Python - Lumberjack Song - Bing video

[Rue]

Oh! Canadian content! 

[The Violin Beautiful]

What I think of as the traditional American shop attire (at least for the major shops) is a smock (commonly blue) over a white Oxford shirt with a tie. The lumberjack thing seems to me to be more emblematic of hipster culture than of the trade. There’s a cliche that anyone who works with hand tools, operates a small business, and likes to be called a “maker” will wear flannel, a custom leather apron, and have an impressive beard. Extra style points for forearm tattoos with a personal story and/or shaving the sides of your head.

I like an apron. Smocks just seem a little too awkward to me, and I don’t really need my sides and back covered while I work (unless I get off my bike and realize I’ve left my work clothes at home). I like flannel in the winter, but more for warmth than anything else. 

[MeyerFittings]

i put on Women's clothing and hang around in bars.

 

[Violadamore]

21 hours ago, violguy said:

Common M..netters, here's your chance to pile-on: What are the physical,psychological,and/or moral reasons for choosing to wear : a white lab coat or a full-length apron?

TIA

Violguy

IMHO, the white lab coat.  Physically, it protects you from a great many things, psychologically, it projects professionalism as well as blends in in milieus from the workshop to the executive suite (particularly with a badge and nametag added), and morally, it could conceal that you might be either expensively and ostentatiously overdressed, or wearing no more underneath than some celebrity on Facebook (I'll name no names.......).