Shined Shoes? Ironed Uniform?

CapnJim

CapnJim

Well-Known Member
Forgive me if it seems my posts have retreated into menutia, but I get more than my fill of contract talk, industry prediction, and technical blather, and it's all started to give me nerves. Anything for a quiet life, on with the little things...

Perhaps it's the military mind inherited from my father, but I take pride in having my face reflected in my oxfords, and razors on my sleeves and trousers. I've noticed, however, that my view is not even remotely shared by several of my coworkers. And quite frankly, they look more like busboys than Flight Deck Officers. Wrinkled, stained shirts, dingy shoes, unironed pants.

Now I don't drink the Kool-aid, and I'm not towin' anyone's line but my own. Moerover, I don't wear the hat and avoid the blazer, as is custom at my company. But I do feel like I busted my ass to earn this uniform, and I take pride in my appearance. How can we expect to get paid like professionals if we're not willing to look like professionals? How can we get the respect walking down aisles and concourses if we don't look like we deserve it?

What say you?
 
I might not be in for the spit shined shoes and creases you can paper cut yourself on, but I do have a simple philosophy: if I am intended to be viewed as a professional, I should look professional. Coming in to work (no matter what your job) in a wrinkled shirt, stains on your clothes and pants that looked like that got picked up off the floor is not a good first impression on your customers/passengers. Hell, I expect more than that out of the McDonald's employees.
 
same same. I skipped the blazer and hat, but I keep the rest shiny and sharp.

How do you like XJT so far?
 
Agree. Basic uniform maintenance, ie- look like a professional, is what it should be minumum. If one desires to be "inspection ready", more power to them, but I agree....if you want to be taken as a professional, then you need to look/act/etc.
 
I'm fairly anal about my uniform. I like my shoes to be shined, clean. Ironed pants and shirt, clean, starched and crisp. Of course, I iron everything. I hate wrinkles. That said, I guess my anal-ness carries over when I see my coworkers. It bothers me to see how terrible some look.

I really wish pilots took more pride in their appearance. I wonder how the "old dogs" did it back in the day. I'm sure they didn't look like punks or a wrinkled mess.
 
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I really wish pilots took more pride in their appearance. I wonder how the "old dogs" did it back in the day. I'm sure they didn't look like punks or a wrinkled mess.

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Matt,

Walk through Terminal E in Houston. I saw a CAL pilot the other day and could not stop lauging.

-Hat half off the head
-Beer gut the size of a small planet
-Pants that wouldn't even think about being pulled up
-Wrinkled, yellowed shirt
-Embroided wings that had faded to just an outline
-Tie that came down to about the 3rd button
-And sunglasses on in the terminal.

And we're the unprofessionals in the fake jets....
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ARRGHH!! This is what I get for talking smack about how 'squared away' I think I am:

Got to to to EWR tomorrow, so I'm ironing my shirt. SOMEONE (who will remain nameless, but who has never used any iron setting besides HIGH, regardless of how cute she is...) had burned some starch, or nylon, or SOMETHING all over the iron, and now it's a permanent blue/black part of my collar tip
banghead.gif


Then I pull my shoes out of the closet, and realize that I threw my boots in on top of them, so now there's a big scratch in the leather, and NO hope of buffing it out.

MOral? If yoiu think you're hot [censored], the universe will remind you otherwise.
 
Yeah ERFly, I've seen some "winners." My captain and I actually had a long discussion about this on our way to IND tonight. About uniforms, professionalism, what not.

I have two "role models" of sorts for the airlines. Both former TWA, in all their pictures in uniform they are very squared away. So I've based my opinions of pilots past more on them than some of the guys today.

In my old crashpad there was a B777 Captain staying there, and he (being former Marine) was ALWAYS squared away. I was impressed, and did my best to emulate him in uniform upkeep.
 
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...Walk through Terminal E in Houston. I saw a CAL pilot the other day and could not stop lauging.

-Hat half off the head
-Beer gut the size of a small planet
-Pants that wouldn't even think about being pulled up
-Wrinkled, yellowed shirt
-Embroided wings that had faded to just an outline
-Tie that came down to about the 3rd button
-And sunglasses on in the terminal.

And we're the unprofessionals in the fake jets....
banghead.gif


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Exactly! How shameful. What must the pax think???

I make every effort to be seen looking professional. People look at you more than some realize. Image is everything. (Esp if you are a chick. I am amazed at how many wear longer hair untied and all over their uniform coat. Tacky!) I also prefer the hat for image reasons. It just looks more becoming.
 
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I also prefer the hat for image reasons. It just looks more becoming.

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"Irish Spring: Manly, yes....but I like it too!"
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I too am the firm beleiver in a proper looking appearance. I don't do that hat, because I find a lot of guys making fun of guys passing by wearing the hat. I don't get it?
 
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In my old crashpad there was a B777 Captain staying there, and he (being former Marine) was ALWAYS squared away.

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And I would expect nothing less......
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Ok Mr. "0930 Shadow"!
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Gawhl dangit Daftarian! You're doing the A-10 static display, get yer hair cut and could ya just do a touchup shave around ten hundred? Just this once?
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Ok Mr. "0930 Shadow"!
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Gawhl dangit Daftarian! You're doing the A-10 static display, get yer hair cut and could ya just do a touchup shave around ten hundred? Just this once?
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Well, you do have me there......
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You remember how much of a clean-cut, squared away guy I was at Riddle?
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Doug, after reading you picking om MikeD, can you show up what Mike looks like when he was "shiny people" at Riddle?
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adreamer
 
What amazes me is that everybody complains about the hat, the uniform, forgets what the iron is, etc, etc.

In the same breath, they complain that nobody respects them, they want to be paid more and that they've become glorified bus drivers!

Dress the part, buddy!
 
We have 'image' beat into our heads in flight attendant school. We have makeup & hair checks, and can get disciplined for not looking right. The image regulations have been significantly relaxed over the past 30 years, but they're still there.

I actually have two write-ups in my file concerning image. Both have to do with cleavage. Both writeups by the same supervisor, I think she had a either a severe hatred of me and wanted to write me up for whatever she could, or she had a facination with my chest. In our regs, it said we could wear the (old) shirt with the two top buttons undone. I got written up for wearing it that way, because it showed too much. Baloney. I also got written up for wearing the old dress without a pin holding it together at the top. I was wearing it as issued & manufactured by the uniform company, fully within regulations. Again, baloney.

I gotta agree that you must dress how you want to be treated. I'm not talking being model-thin, or having desinger clothes or the latest haircut. I'm talking about being neat, having your hair combed, shirt tucked in, the basics. Looking neat and well-groomed doesn't take a great deal of effort, but the results are worth the effort it does take.
 
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Doug, after reading you picking om MikeD, can you show up what Mike looks like when he was "shiny people" at Riddle?
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adreamer

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LOL. I have the pics somewhere, but Doug can post them too if he has them.....of us in our circa 1989-1990 days at PRC......me with big hair, sideburns, t-shirt with ratty leather jacket and old-ass Air America hat....and 10 o'clock shadow.....

pilt extraordinaire
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In my old crashpad there was a B777 Captain staying there, and he (being former Marine) was ALWAYS squared away.

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And I would expect nothing less......
rawk.gif


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If anybody knows what would be the punishment if you werent squared away properly at Marine Boot Camp?
 
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