There was a dress code during the 1960's and on to the early 1970's. I wanted to tell my readers that all the women HAD to wear dresses and/or skirts and blouses to work almost everywhere in the U.S. Can you imagine? Women in dresses in a rocket assembly plant? There was an unwritten code that if you didn't wear a dress, you were a "loose" or ignorant woman. Everyone would have set you straight, though.
This led to some hilarious incidents at the "factory". I will tell you about it soon.
I have a dynamite video of the Apollo project in which all the men in the assembly areas and on the test stands wore yellow hard hats, white shirts and nice slacks.
Really, it looked like we all were going to a party! It was like this at every plant.
Never has parts of rockets and engine test stands been assembled and worked on with such satorial splendor. But I never saw anyone dirty.
The dust magically fell off everyone's clothes.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed reading your blog. Although coming from a different generation, I really like the 60's fashion: dresses, taylored clothes... I wish people dressed more like that nowdays:0)
Natallia
organicbynature.ca
Thank you so much, Natallia. Your comments are really appreciated.
ReplyDeleteSara Howard
This is a great post, Sara. I love that you wrote about the dress codes! Thank you for writing.
ReplyDeleteDavid Meerman Scott
Thanks, David for your compliment. Let me know if you want to know about anything else. :o)
ReplyDeleteSara
Lol, I love this piece. Strikes me that the dirt fell away because the clothes were made of classic 1960's "space age" fabrics. You know, the non-iron, drip-dry ones that took minimal maintenance but held in your sweat and made you smell like dockyard workers on a hot summer's day, even if you worked the typing pool. Boy, I bet THAT production line was an olfactory experience :)
ReplyDeleteHi, dogsounds!
ReplyDeleteThat was absolutely hilarious! LOL! Thanks for making my day! Everyone is too serious about a lot of my posts.
There really wasn't a production line but a hodge-podge of sections of assembling parts. You know, "parts is parts".
I remember the tremendous noise in the facility but not the smells. :o).
Sara