Artist Uniforms

[ibradley]

I now work in a shop where the staff all wear uniforms... Not like a Taco Bell uniform or anything, but a shop t-shirt, black shorts and black shoes. Not bad really, but this is the first time, I've worked at a place with a uniform policy.

Has anyone ever been to a place like this? Whether or not you have, what are your thoughts on uniforms in a studio environment?

[Deb Yarian]

Do you work at a chain shop?

I have worked in shops that have dress codes. But none with uniforms.

Seems like a uniform attempts to remove any display of individuality.

No T-Shirts at one shop- only a shirt with a collar.

No facial piercings or hats at another.

At one time in San Diego , I remember seeing medical jackets. Barber type shirts.

I can understand a dress code--- not a uniform.

Although if you are an independent contractor I think the cost and upkeep of your uniform would be tax deductible.

Check with your union rep.

Just kidding

[Jake]

a uniform? as a customer I would walk out of a shop like that just as soon as I entered. I deal with enough attempts to increase conformity at work and I don't want that from a TATTOO STUDIO. I feel like a tattoo studio should embrace the weird (getting tattooed is strange no matter how you think of it) and not the false sense of "sameness"...

[Shannon Shirley]

for years i had a self imposed uniform, it worked well for me. growing up blue collar ,in the SF bay area, it always seemed normal to me. I quit the elevator trade in 89' and started tattooing for a living. I continued to wear Ben Davis work wear, you know ,striped shirt ,work pants. i would wear that stuff everyday, its easy. not trying to impress but looking professional. After a lot of years, that sort of wear seemed to catch on with the gangsters,thugs etc. so then i guess i looked like my customers. its strange to me, my grandfather worked at the Falstaff brewery south of market in the 50's. thats what he wore. I still wear "Bens" everyday, their my clothes.OK ,I worked for Gtc for quite a few years, speak some spanish, and still remember eating burritos next door at 3 years old. I still cant figure out why even people in the south ask me if im a "cholo". Damn it im a "huero".Hehe. I personally like uniforms. it unifies the staff,looks very PRO. OK ,you go to the hospital, nurses,doctors ,everybodys got cool t shirts on with cool artwork and nifty slogans. im sorry, not so professional. lets act like professionals, instead of the cool people. maybe the slingers will be intimidated.

[Shannon Shirley]

a uniform? as a customer I would walk out of a shop like that just as soon as I entered. I deal with enough attempts to increase conformity at work and I don't want that from a TATTOO STUDIO. I feel like a tattoo studio should embrace the weird (getting tattooed is strange no matter how you think of it) and not the false sense of "sameness"...

we are not the same, a tattoo shop should look PRO. it seperates us from the ink slingers.

[Valerie Vargas]

i have a uniform for work. it's whatever is clean in my house haha! i'm a slouchy person so most of my clothes are slouchy, i wish i could care more about the way i dress but i can't seem to. being comfortable is important to me, physically and psychologically, i simply feel like a dork if i try to match an outfit together. i live in jeans and plain tshirts.

on the shop uniform thing though, i couldnt imagine working in such an environment. to me it speaks of the shop's ethos.

at frith street the emphasis is on the tattoos that come out of our shop, not the way we appear to the client. we dont turn up smelling of booze or wear offensive slogans/tshirts, we're a tidy bunch, but we try to let our work speak for itself instead.

[Jake]

we are not the same, a tattoo shop should look PRO. it seperates us from the ink slingers.

The tattoos should separate you from the scratchers- not your clothing.

There are plenty of ways to appear professional without looking uniform. You KNOW IT when you walk into a legit studio, regardless of the wardrobe of the artists.

You can put a scratcher in a uniform but that doesn't make him PRO.

[Mel Noir]

To be totally honest, I always thought it was cheesy to wear a t shirt with your own tattoo studio's name on it. It's like bands who wear their own merch, I just think it's kind of lame (well, except those bands who are so broke they have no choice by the end of their tour, haha!).

A few of the tattoo artists I see regularly actually wear other studio's t shirts on them, and I always thought that was a really cool, and sort of humble thing to do. I'd much prefer that if you're going to be wearing any studio related shirt.

[David Flores]

What's next Time clocks, name tags, 30 pieces of flair. I guess if you wear the uniform you have a better chance of winning employee of the month but honestly its a tattoo shop give me a break. Everyone is an adult and can figure out what they want to wear without having it dictated to them. Plus it seems a little weird to tell someone who has chosen to cover their body with tattoos that their wardrobe is inappropriate

[RockelMan]

What's next Time clocks, name tags, 30 pieces of flair. I guess if you wear the uniform you have a better chance of winning employee of the month but honestly its a tattoo shop give me a break. Everyone is an adult and can figure out what they want to wear without having it dictated to them. Plus it seems a little weird to tell someone who has chosen to cover their body with tattoos that their wardrobe is inappropriate

HAHAHA 30 Pieces of flair. "uuuummmmmmm yaaaaaaaa I am going to havvvvve to umm ask you to come in saturday. . . yaaaaaaaa and then again on sundayyy ok that would be greeeaattt *takes sip from coffee mug*". oh office space you crack me up.

[mario desa]

FUCK THAT. that being said, i do think people should be presentable, clean and wearing clean clothes, decent shoes, etc. i heard a saying from rollo..."if you're gonna ask somebody for $100, you better look like $100". but as for official uniforms, FUCK THAT.

[Tight-Lines]

To be totally honest, I always thought it was cheesy to wear a t shirt with your own tattoo studio's name on it. It's like bands who wear their own merch, I just think it's kind of lame (well, except those bands who are so broke they have no choice by the end of their tour, haha!).

Metallica wore their own shirts during the good days.

They ruled.

As long as you dont smell like shit, have food on your shirt/beard or look like an ICP fan i think you can do as you please.

[Julio Avila]

Ugh

One of the reason some of us are tattooers is because we don't fit the 9-5, cubicle, tassel shoe mold. Anything that stifles individuality has always bugged me. As long as it's clean, it's wearable.

[The Hyena]

Being professional has fucking nothing to do with looking like you work at Starbucks. Just be clean and presentable. And work your ass off for the client. If you want to impose some tradition on your elf about the way you carry yourself at work, that's cool. Just don't expect everyone to do it, or even try to make them. You could all be wearing suits and still tattoo like shit.

[Stewart Robson]

To be totally honest, I always thought it was cheesy to wear a t shirt with your own tattoo studio's name on it. It's like bands who wear their own merch, I just think it's kind of lame.

Ha, I guess we are all cheesy at Frith Street Tattoo. Bummer.

We have about 4 different designs each year, in small runs. Most are never re-printed. Designed by people we respect. Why would I not wear them? I hardly ever wear the shirts I design, because they suck. I wear the other guys designs as well as shirts from other shops and tattooers we like. In the past we have had a limited run of 15 shirts printed just for the guys and girls at the shop and their friends.

I agree with pretty much everyone else. I didn't start tattooing to wear a uniform.

But if you enjoy wearing the same outfit to work every day, that's awesome. It worked for Seth Brundle!

[Mel Noir]

Well Stewart, I hope you weren't offended! Doubtful you care about my little opinions anyway if you have cool t shirts to wear, haha. Aerosmith wear their own t shirts too, and they rock- I just think it's kind of funny. I'm probably in the minority about that.

Not that any of that makes a difference if whoever you're looking at is actually putting out great work- like everyone else has said, that's what's important.

Y'know, I think the problem with uniforms and things like this is that they're usually one person's (usually the boss) idea of what's professional- everyone else working in that one place may have different opinions about what's professional, it's a pretty subjective thing. I think people are professional judging by what they do at work, not what they wear.

[xjamestravisx]

I think uniforms are pretty ridiculous. But Mario already said what I was thinking.

[Speakeasy TattooCo]

I did a guest spot in Canada a few years ago a when I got there they gave me some bullshit shirts with whack ass letters on it and said you need to sport it like everyone else, my exact words where "fuck that" I have not busted my ass in this industry for 10+ years for someone to tell me what to wear. If an employee of mine came in looking like warmed up garbage and smelling like shit then we have a problem, but a uniform, get real. Wear a suit, wear a black tshrit, shit wear a fucking toga, just do good work and wash you ass!

[Deb Yarian]

Actually the last place we worked had a time clock.From a business point of view he ran a very tight ship.

[KeithReed]

The tattoos should separate you from the scratchers- not your clothing.

You can put a scratcher in a uniform but that doesn't make him PRO.

This was my exact thought when I read that.

[JAllen]

we don't have a uniform but a few years back the owner got some really cool looking "barber shop" red and white striped shirts with the shops name embroidered on them for him and i. neither one of use wears them all the time but they are pretty cool shirts.

[dari]

"30 pieces of flare!!!!"

Blackheart's having a shop meeting tonight, I'm going to ask Scott to suggest a uniform. Maybe dirty jeans, long hair and beard, black band t-shirt, black vans, and maybe a denim vest with patches. There should also be a rule about how many patches one can sew on their vest each month.

[ShawnPorter]

"30 pieces of flare!!!!"

Blackheart's having a shop meeting tonight, I'm going to ask Scott to suggest a uniform. Maybe dirty jeans, long hair and beard, black band t-shirt, black vans, and maybe a denim vest with patches. There should also be a rule about how many patches one can sew on their vest each month.

"Per Scott, all artists must wear Squidpants. This is non-negotiable. Thank you"

[Stewart Robson]

THIS is a tattooers uniform!

Maybe it should be in the "Tattooers with little or no tattoos" thread too. :p

Awesome photo.

[jade1955]

And a uniform like that has the added benefit of not having to waste time thinking about what to wear to work each day.

No ironing required either.