<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.3314.2100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#b8b8b8> <DIV><FONT size=4>Diane,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>It's really great to know that we have creative = thinking people, like you, in our organization. Methinks a few of the male = members should take note and rethink their "casual" dress codes.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>Joe Garrett, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:dianepianotuner@hotmail.com" title=dianepianotuner@hotmail.com>Diane Hofstetter</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, August 25, 2001 = 12:41 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Appearance</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> <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></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>