<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV> <P>Hi,</P> <P>A hard one, huh?</P> <P>While I was working my hearing safety booth at the CA State convention, I saw Lorelle Nelson wearing a beautiful floor-length dress.  When I commented on how great she looked, she answered that that was one of her tuning dresses!  Lorelle lives in Las Vegas and I guess that that is perfect for her situation.</P> <P>When I moved into Santa Cruz county in N.Calif. about 25 years ago, I made the mistake of wearing a dress to apply for jobs.  As soon as I walked into a place, I identified myself as "not belonging here" and therefore not being reliable, I might move away again at any moment. As soon as I started wearing slacks, I got a job.</P> <P>It seems that the best we can do is go places in our area where women are working who are doing jobs that we would like to identify with, and see what they are wearing.  Look at your favorite customers' attire.  We want to make them feel comfortable when we are in their homes.  If they tell us about a store they love to shop in, go to that store and see what the salesclerks there are wearing (especially the department managers).</P> <P>If everybody is wearing dresses, then maybe we can notice the features of the dresses and try to make our pants outfits be at least of like quality, maybe similiar fabrics, colors, designs?</P> <P>Another approach would be to establish some kind of "uniform".  I've been wondering for years about a music print smock thingee or blazer jackt that could be worn with a nice pair of slacks.  It might be hokey, but wherever you go,  people would inquire about it and it would be a way to raise people's consciousness about your line of work. OR you could put it on for the job and remove it for the rest of your activities.</P> <P>Looking for more ideas!  Have to go to work now!</P> <P>Diane</P> <P> </P> <P> <BR><BR></P><BR><BR><BR>Diane Hofstetter </DIV>245-M Mount Hermon Rd.#343 <DIV></DIV>Scotts Valley, CA 95066 <DIV></DIV>ph 831-438-6222 <DIV></DIV>fax 831-430-9741 <DIV></DIV>dianepianotuner@hotmail.com <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV>>From: "Z! Reinhardt" <DISKLADAME@PROVIDE.NET> <DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org <DIV></DIV>>To: <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG> <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Appearance <DIV></DIV>>Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 12:22:33 -0400 <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Any sage advice for the women technicians? <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Skirts and working under (between the 3 legs of) a grand piano don't mix for modesty's sake. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Those floppy bow-ties of the corporate mid-80s are (thankfully) out. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Dressing "like a man" still doesn't cut it in the more conservative circles (although that is changing), yet is still generally preferable to a man dressing "like a woman." <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>What's a woman to do? She has to look professional and feminine, yet not afraid of the tools in her toolbox or what she might encounter upon opening up a piano. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>+ + + <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>About 13 years ago, I did a little impromptu "research" on this very subject. I called a number of the clothing catalogue companies and asked whoever answered the phone to imagine that they had made an appointment with a woman piano technician to come and work on their pianos. What did they envision her as wearing when she came to the door? <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>The responses varied tremendously. Some thought it was a crank call and hung up immediately. Some ran and got their supervisors, who in turn relished the challenge. Some gave it the ol' college try ... and wondered what inspired such a scenerio in the first place. The suggested clothing articles ranged from the jeans-&-t-shirt routines to simple shifts to chinos-&-blouse and all the way to full corporate drag (skirted business suit) complete with the floppy bow-tie. Unfortunately my sample size was not large enough to do a meaningful statistical analysis, to determine the most common assumption of how a woman technician would dress. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>We're back at Square One on this. What do you all think? <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Thanks for your responses. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Z! Reinhardt RPT <DIV></DIV>>Ann Arbor MI <DIV></DIV>>diskladame@provide.net <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> ----- Original Message ----- <DIV></DIV>> From: Billbrpt@AOL.COM <DIV></DIV>> To: pianotech@ptg.org <DIV></DIV>> Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 8:39 PM <DIV></DIV>> Subject: Re: Appearance <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> >><< <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> Clean, neat clothing which indicates that you are a professional and serious <DIV></DIV>> about your work may, in fact, allow you to get a better fee without too much <DIV></DIV>> complaint from your customers but in my opinion, dressing too formally and <DIV></DIV>> uncomfortably won't. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> Bill Bremmer RPT <DIV></DIV>> Madison, Wisconsin <DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>