Yes, it's a limousine service, and yes, it is supposed to be of a certain standard. But why the heck do we have to wear black suits in Florida? (See photo, above, taken last week at my favourite swimming beach. Does it look like a suit and tie kind of place?)
The Boss advertises - nay, makes a highlight of the fact - that his chauffeurs are uniformed. Even that's somewhat of a fib, because we don't all wear the same clothing. One of our drivers wears a full tux for every job, right down to the velvet bow tie. Another doesn't wear a suit so much as dark pants and sport jacket. And I'm given to mixing and matching my black suits with waistcoats and interesting ties. So despite the claim, we are not uniformly uniformed.
But we're sufficiently the same that we look indistinguishable from every other limo service around the place. The fact that we drivers are the only ones in the cars ever wearing a necktie (except for wedding parties) tells us something. It's FLORIDA fer crissakes, and IT'S HOT AND HUMID. Black suits are not natural to this environment. Would the manatee or the great blue heron wear a black suit? I think not.
If I was the boss, I'd settle on a more appropriate Florida-friendly uniform standard. How about comfortable chino-style pants in khaki, with a short-sleeved white shirt and a waistcoat in burgundy or other interesting colour to stand out in the crowd. Necktie optional. Looking neat and professional is a matter of the fit and cleanliness of the clothing, not the colour.
If clothes maketh the man, then a chauffeur's day is made by an interesting outfit. It seems so obvious to me.
5 comments:
Half-sleeved shirts can look really smart in the right colour combination: just look at a commercial airline pilot.
Do you have to provide your own uniforms, then?
Quite, Perakath, you've captured the mental picture.
We do supply our own uniforms. Our employment status is that of sub-contractors, a somewhat murky situation that has benefits and detractions.
why not try showing the boss a mock-up of your idea stressing, of course, that it's a daytime look. part of the pitch would be that it's a southern thing that speaks to the area, i.e, khaki slacks, white shirt, blue blazer...i can see the print ad now...southern living, florida style... or something like that. xoxoxo
Maybe his brain has been melted by the heat.
I think a comfortable yet still nicely dressed would be much more appealing as a customer. Sweaty drivers are creepy ;)
* laughing uproariously *
Sugar, I would give anything for you to be present when I show The Boss the mock-ups of the new Southern Daytime uniform. It would give you the biggest laughs of your life. (He would think I'd gone mad, and tell me so in a quite colourful manner.)
I, on the other hand, think your pitch idea fabulously creative. Someone will do this, because its time has come.
Sweaty drivers are indeed creepy, Girl. As are recently garlic-chicken-munching drivers, Camel plains smoking drivers, ear-wax sporting drivers, and beard-sporting drivers who have just finished a bowl of minestrone soup.
(Not sure what sent me off on that tangent!)
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