In a message dated 11/1/98 11:05:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> "they are wearing the uniform...kahki pants and blue shirts."

A game I play at public gatherings with one of my more studious and serious
friends is to try to figure out the occupation of people based on their
clothing. My finding is that we are more often wrong than right.

I tend to dress somewhere between a contractor and a relaxed architect. My
position would dictate a solid color shirt, tie, and sport jacket at minimum
for meetings... but then I have to be prepared to ride on a scaffolding or
climb over a parapet on quick notice. Several of my business friends dress
more formally, suit and tie. I have lost track of the clothes that I have
ruined for ripping them on a fence post or smearing them with urethane
caulking. I try to wear a nice down vest in winter, and the last one I ruined
with battery acid. I also need to be prepared to be inside or outside
regardless of the weather... those five hour commutes in a blizzard dictate
that I be prepared for an emergency breakdown. One side effect of my "uniform"
is that I am often identified as an undercover cop when wandering around NYC.
This has a benefit and may also derive from the mental attitude you develop
when you find yourself wandering through Harlem or the South Bronx in areas
where the buildings are in desperate need of repair. Showing up in a suit does
not always fit the urban environment.

][<en