Mason Uniforms

 
A friend who is a stonemason told me that his grandfather, who also worked in masonry, used to wear a shirt and tie, and black patent leather shoes to his jobs. While this might seem pretty odd in today’s work climate where safety and comfort take precedence, it was pretty normal before WWII for skilled tradesmen to be mindful of their dress. After all, one’s wardrobe helps form an impression and if someone appears to take pride in the way they dress, logic would follow that this level of pride would also apply to their craft.
Throughout much of the 20^th century, people dressed up to go to work no matter what their profession. When OSHA was created in 1970 and safety regulations were put into place in a number of industries, the accepted dress code started to change. Even before this time, people who worked in occupations that required physical labor made modifications to their uniforms. For instance, stonemasons wore bow ties because a long necktie could get stuck in cement.
With the exception of law firms and the financial industry, the standard shirt and tie for men, and the equivalent level of dress for women, is becoming rare. The industries that have maintained a more formal dress code believe it gives them a level of professionalism and if someone has a desk job or one where what they wear will not have a physical impact on their health of safety, fashion is more of a consideration.
But today, safety is a much bigger concern. Protective eyewear, headgear, reinforced gloves and steel toe boots have replaced patent leather shoes and clothe hats throughout the construction world.
Though the masons of years back, had quite the dapper appearance, seems both dress and attitude about it have dramatically changed.  I have to wonder if the new more casual wardrobe has affected work performance positively or not.