Decoding the dress code
Two style experts offer a crash course in corporate fashion.
By Kate Bonamici
January 20, 2006: 9:54 AM EST


NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - Company uniforms speak volumes about rank, culture and (let's be honest) style. So are you what you wear?

We enlisted uniform gurus Stan Herman and Peter Dervis for a crash course in corporate fashion. Herman has designed uniforms for the likes of FedEx and JetBlue. Dervis consults for film, TV and the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here's what they had to say about uniforms from Quad/Graphics, Bronson Heathcare, Marriott and Starbucks.

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A brief history of uniforms

1748: First recorded use of the word "uniform" to refer to clothing.

1829: London Police Department adopts blue uniforms. In 1840, New York follows suit.

1848: The dawn of dress khakis: A British army general outfits his Indian troops in "khak" (dust)-colored cloth.

1870s-80s: U.S. postal workers suit up for their routes.

1874: Bellevue Hospital is first in the U.S. to issue nurses' garb.

1916: The dress code goes corporate: UPS debuts iconic brown uniforms.

1933: United hires the first female stewardesses, kicking off 40 years of high style in the skies.

1970s: Vietnam war sparks transition from military-inspired looks to softer "career apparel."

2002: After a decade of "business casual," Lehman Brothers and other investment banks decree the return of the suit.

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Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.
© 2012 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy. Ad choices .