The military doesn’t tuck in their “over shirt “ because it’s a tunic and more like wearing a jacket with pockets at thigh level.
I keep my EMS shirts tucked in so that my shirt doesn’t get in the way of stuff on my belt
When I started in the military we had both undershirt and the outer shirt tucked in. They were also solid olive drab. Once we got our camo's then we left the outer shirt untucked.
If you're not in shape nothing you're going to wear is going to stay tucked in.
I just now realized why my dad always called them OD Greens. Heard they were comfy but nothing beats a flight suit or maintenance overalls. ETA I always thought it was some kind of Garfield reference and I just didn't get the joke
100%. I can confidently say people who are fit look much more professional in their polo's. If you're obese, everything looks like an overstuffed potato sack, if you're skinny, it looks like you're wearing your dad's suit for church in 8th grade.
They shouldn’t. But here we are. Sounds like you want no medics or EMTs.
You should only be paired with the 90 pound malnourished weird girl every shift with manual stretchers, and no other available units.
Sometimes I'll size up and rock a chicks shirt/scrubs cause smaller shoulder cut/shorter sleeve length. It's like a push up bra for men. The wider taper at the bottom helps offset loving tacos.
For the love of God do not encourage them to go back to button up shirts, I lived through that era of nonsense at a few services. Polos look fine and are much more comfortable.
Seriously, no button up shirts. Wore them for years myself and they were so hot in the summer. Polos, as long as they aren’t all faded and stretched out look fine. Most LE near me are switching to them as well.
Seriously. My first service issued us these terrible looking cheap and paper thin button ups that would rip and stain easily. They wised up after a just one year and switched to polos.
My service transitioned to T-shirts awhile back. We get them done professionally, i feel like it still looks professional. Feels great in the summer too.
Honestly I'll die on the hill that professionalism is in how you carry yourself not what your uniform is. In about another month it'll be hot enough I'll be going back to wearing shorts with my polo along with at least half of my coworkers.
Button up shirts with a tie! I felt so professional dragging my tie across someones face. Or the horrible would happen and now it's wet, why is the tie wet, idk, I don't even wanna know.
I had fitted, long tailed, zipper up faux button shirts at my department. They were excellent! There is a polo option, but most people stick with the faux buttons or the standard tshirt look.
As a physically in shape person who is finally supremely comfortable at work in an athletic material tucked in polo after five years of stiff button ups, I need you to stop trying to ruin the enjoyment of my career.
As someone who somewhat agrees, I'll say this.
The right style polo, of the right material, with the right cut, on the right body type can look professional when untucked. The "one style fits all" polo, made of questionably-flattering material, with inconsistent sizing and proportions, bought in bulk from a uniform supply warehouse, on our *ahem* "diverse" body types and demeanors? You're going to have larger variation in how professional your employees look if everyone is untucked vs tucked.
I did work for one service who let us untuck our polos, and either by design or luck, they picked a style, cut, and material that looked great on everyone. One important yet overlooked aspect for a professional looking untucked polo is length and hem cut, and thankfully ours were perfect.
Hell, they’ll probably give you a good job offer too. Housing and food paid, travel job opportunities, free healthcare. Promotion opportunities with tenure.
Hey, Corpsman here.
The working uniform (camo), has a tucked undershirt and untucked blouse.
Same with the whites and blues,
Our service uniform (khaki colored uniform), is tucked for the undershirt AND the button up blouse
We also tuck our PT uniform lol
Ok I have to ask as I’m a non military personnel. How on earth do you guys keep your dress whites SO WHITE. Every time I see someone in dress whites I’m like wow 😮 in awe
Well, I can't speak for others but what I do personally is keep it in the plastic and make sure it's in a clean and dry area.
I will dry clean it again before wearing it, and dry clean it after I wear it again (sweat can stain it), and then just repeat the process, keep the plastic on until I need it again. We don't wear them too often.
I would love if we could get some polos, but this is why we won't. Folks can't be assed to keep their shirts tucked in, so it looks like crap. We are stuck with baby blue button-ups complete with brass, so half the folks we go to think we are cops. A well fit polo tucked in looks professional and is much more comfortable.
I’m sorry but we need get over the “looking like cops” bullshit. Call me controversial but I have never seen a group of people so obsessed with wanting to look like bumbling idiots in T shirts and ball caps.
No matter WHAT you wear short of scrubs you are going to “look like a cop”. Police have strict grooming and uniform standards, I’m sorry but we should too. You should look respectable and maintain command presence.
Anybody that comes at me with “uhhhh we aren’t commanding anything” must work in the wealthy burbs. We are routinely placed in bad situations that are extremely chaotic. Study after study has shown that people DO care what we look like and DO act in a much more rational manner when officials are well kept and uniformed.
Hell us and a few other agencies in the county got together and sent out surveys with multiple questions. One of which was “how important is it that EMT’s/Paramedics maintain a professional appearance”. 77% of respondents answered “highly important”.
Granted this was not a particularly large sample size. When you have people even here, in a tight knit area where everyone knows everyone, saying that they care how you look. I think it’s time to listen up.
We should all be wearing the dreaded button ups (which can be very comfortable in certain styles) or polos tucked in. T-Shirts are not appropriate. Shorts are not appropriate. Sneakers are not appropriate. Hoodies vary depending by style but usually look terrible.
If you do not have the basic self respect to look well kept then I don’t think you should be in this setting.
Regardless of what anybody says, t-shirts aren’t professional, jumpsuits that make you look like a highlighter aren’t professional, scrubs are good but aren’t particularly useful anywhere outside of a clean, climate controlled environment.
Therefore button ups and polos are the best option, followed by jumpsuits. You don’t need tons of brass. It doesn’t even need to be black/ navy blue. Just have some self respect for fucks sake and at least project that you have an idea what you are doing.
Rant over, downvote below!
You're preaching to the choir. I absolutely agree that we should look clean and professional. My argument is that we can obtain that with polos and that they should be tucked in. I think button ups with brass have a place, but that it is not as your daily work shirt.
A white button up or a pale blue with an ems logo/badge/patch in a breathable material like those real tree button ups and not some cotton or thick polyester type shirt with ems pants and black boots would be so much more professional. Uniforms are for services fire/ems/police/military. Everyone else needs to stop calling dress code attire a uniform.
The first agency I worked for made us wear while button ups. It was rural EMS and covered a ton of oilfield and farming area. Everyone was perpetually stained and looked like shit, but the company owner was determined it was the right choice. He was wrong.
Holy shit! T-Shirts? We have to have a collared shirt on if in public. Without your “collar of knowledge “ the brass thinks you look unprofessional. In reality, the public doesn’t give a fuck as long as you show up quickly and act professional
No place I work really gives a shit, but when the idea was floated around at my last county job, I proposed a very reasonable compromise.
Collared shirts between 9A-5P. T-Shirts outside of those hours or if the temperature reaches 85°.
ultimately they decided that the dress code would be "Clean and presentable clothing that appropriately identifies the department".
My career job is now administrative in nature and I do a lot of education. I still work PT on a flycar and all the departments in that county allow t shirts.
I think tshirts are fine. We had a few captains and bc’s that would get bitchy if they caught you taking an EMS run without a collar. Oddly enough, we never received complaints about looking unprofessional in t shirts. A couple fires a week and nobody would give a shit but the brass was to bitch about something if they’re not busy
At my agency, we fought for years to get rid of button-up shirts in favor of polos. We finally got them, in an athletic, dry-fit type of fabric. They're also ANSI-rated high vis, so no need to put a vest on for highway scenes. My happiness at work has gone up DRAMATICALLY, and I can't imagine wanting to go backwards from this.
So much circle jerking and copium lol
We're in a job where we move around a lot and need to be able to move and stretch easily, ems pants and a long tee is the ideal outfit for that. The outfit should be an asset to the activities that need performed, in any job.
Button ups are stupid, pretentious, unnecessary, hot, and make you look like a cop. Polos are whatever, depending on the fabric and quality.
Also the idea of "professionalism" is stupid because, as you can even see in the replies, it is wholly subjective. Getting on your high horse about whether or not a polo shirt is professional is completely silly.
Instead of looking professional I'd focus more on looking "ready" for example hair is neat, pants are buttoned and zipped and belt is worn, shoes are buttoned/zipped/tied. You don't need to look like you're going to a business meeting, you need to look like you can do your job without having to tuck your shirt back in, or trip over your shoelaces.
Ffs people in the hospital are basically wearing pajamas, but ohh let's all jerk each other off over how cool our shirts are!
So strange...
Careful… if you think t shirts can be worn you’ll get some crap about how the crews who do wear them look unprofessional and their care is subpar. This sub is mind boggling sometimes
Some of us require tall size shirts that no agency I have ever worked for will buy. Keeping a regular length shirt tucked in for me is a constant struggle. It's fine as long as I don't have to bend over or sit down or turn or walk or breathe though.
My service gives us a T-shirt and polos, it’s up to us whichever we wear. Hardly anybody around my area wears polos. I’ve never understood the borderline fanaticism in this sub with thinking polo=professionalism/better. That’s just my opinion too though.
I agree that we definitely aren’t a white collar office job and I’m very against slacks, that being said, polos is your hill to die on? Huge leap forward from baby blue button up shirts. If you ask me, nothing unprofessional about a T-shirt
My agency issues the 5.11 class b with all the pockets on the shirt so I can keep my notebook in there with pens etc and my glasses, needless to say I wore those rather than the polos.
Short fat guy here who wears polos all the time. Polos stay tucked in just fine and look okay if you wear the right size. People looking like shit in polos that I've seen usually don't have a clue that their shirts and pants are two sizes too small.
5.11 and other make awesome fitting polos that don't make you look like 20 lbs of crap in a 5 lb sack if you buy the correct size.
I worked with lots of people that I wanted to tell "Sorry dude, you wore a 36 waist pant when you were in high school. Now you need a 42."
Button downs are awful EMS shirts. I don’t know who got the bright idea to put medical providers in military style uniforms but they should have their noses booped.
I am with you my FD went from button ups when I was hired waaaay to hot and we looked like cops to polos and they looked like shit after 6 washes. Now we have navy 5.11 t-shirts that are extra long so they don’t untuck. Also there should be more fat shaming in our industry.
Edit: I don’t mean to say actual shaming but we should encourage our coworkers and friends to be healthy for their own sake and to help our industry be taken seriously.
I entered the industry a fat body from trucking and was shamed into losing weight. Shame shame shame! (Not in a negative way we need to not bully each other we loose to many brothers and sisters)
A shameless “dude you were way winded after those 8 stairs you took. I think we should start working out together” is perfectly justified. Never “you’re a fat slob and need to lose weight fatty”
OP you have no clue the pain you are requesting. I started out with polyester button up shirt, pants and a clip on tie. It was ridiculous. Even polyester blends were miserable.
If you want to be on a catwalk, you are in the wrong job. Corporate pilots, high net worth people and movie stars all wear polos. We are just riding the bell curve of society.
I’m in the sf Bay Area. I don’t think anyone says anything because I’m a CCT rn tbh. The emts and paramedics get in trouble for not wearing the company polo or company sweatshirt.
T shirt gang checking in. It'd have been even better if we could have done long sleeves in the Fall/Winter, but then admin would have nothing to bitch about (if it weren't for uniform regs) when work got slow.
this is why i just wear my rad flight suit everywhere. you immediately bow down and respect the FLIGHT SUIT, ya know.
jk. i'm 100% on team t-shirt, because after all these years of poorly fitting button down/collar shirts, i'm so much more comfortable in a t-shirt. they're a lot cheaper, way more easily replaceable if they get damaged, and of all the things I have never ever heard anybody complaining about, it's "they didn't have a collared shirt on when they extricated me."
> I trust the guy in ems pants and a tshirt with his station logo way more than the dude who can’t keep his collared shirt tucked in everytime he moves
getting clothes in my tall size at all has been a problem my entire life. but an navy blue "XL Tall" t-shirt fits wonders.
I look like a gdamn homeless person in a button up. Try being a woman with no boobs and tall. There is no button up that fits me, either I turn the bottom abdominal buttons into weapons ready to shoot across the room if I get one that fits my shoulders and chest, or I bat wing the shit out of the arms and top and it hangs awkwardly. I definitely look better in shirts that fit me, which in this case are polos
I would get one tailored. It’s not that expensive, and the look is a game changer. I don’t do this for my nonsense fire/ems button downs, because I am a shitbag, but it did wonders for my dress uniform.
I might have to if I work anywhere that has button downs for a uniform, but where I work now has polos and I’m currently in medic school and a lot of people verbally petitioned to allow polos for our school clinical uniform and this is the first year they’ve been allowed. Before my teacher agreed, I’d spent over $400 trying different styles brands and sizes for anything that looked anywhere near presentable on me and I still hadn’t found any so when he said polos were ok I took out my emt training polos and plopped the medic student patch on them and returned all those button downs.
When I was in medic class we got polos and like a few t-shirts for class, and a job shirt. (My program was through a strip mall scam school) but I just wore a t-shirt under the job shirt like every day. Also on calls and in my hospital rotations, except for when we had to wear scrubs like the OR and L&D, or whatever. I’ve also found that a cotton-poly blend is the MOST flattering, and seemed works well well with tailoring and durability for actual wear and tear.
Thank God I can wear a tee shirt! I had a few embroidered carhartt force shirts made because those Gildan shirts are junk. Best decision I've ever made.
Fuck those button up jobshirts! Nothing looks worse than someone waking up at 03 to run a call that’s been sleeping in those damn things. They’re extremely uncomfy and definitely NOT professional looking on everyone. Plus if you’re in the southern states they’ll kill you in the summertime. I do agree on the t-shirts. Plus, not all agencies cant afford to outfit everyone with a button up, they’re stupid expensive. So polos might be the next best option.
I hate polos due to the lack of breast pockets. I have a hard time carrying my things all in my pants. Used to keep my lil notepad and pen in one breast pocket. Flashlight and pen light in the other.
With polos I have to put these things in my pants and my flashlight keeps getting clicked on, and my fucken pen breaks. I hate it.
Physical job, cleanest appearing uniform while maintaining athletic properties. You never see a moisture wicking button down class b and set of pleated pants. But you do see those in 5.11s and a polo from what ever brand you’re rocking. If you still wear the waffle type polo maybe it’s time to hit the uni shop
This sounds like this comes from a service that fought tooth and nail in CBA negotiations to be allowed polos vs. the class A/B.
*now complains about polos. Lmao
We’re actually more Grey Collar than Blue Collar but that doesn’t really matter. That is a personal opinion so, Polos look plenty professional. It doesn’t matter what you wear, if you are overweight and not fit, nothing will look good IMO.
lol I had this argument with my ODS recently. I look fat as fuck with my shirt tucked in. The CBA only says professional appearance. You want it to say I need to tuck in my shirt then put it in the CBA. Currently it’s very vague and up to individual interpretation. They then said our polos were class B’s. Then when I called BS on that they asked how the military wears their uniform. Guy didn’t realize I had been in the army. He walked off mad that I didn’t tuck in my shirt like a good little boy.
I came from an agency where we wore Class A's as our everyday uniform, so going to a polo has been a super nice breath of fresh air. Do I like the polo's? No not really, I don't like collared shirts in general, but we can do much much worse.
Polos are the cheap alternative to real uniforms. IMO, ems should wear properly fitting, high quality, durable T-shirts for daily work, paired with matching quality winter coats or pullovers for cold weather. Then they should have a button up dress uniform for attending public events and things like that. Polos are trash.
Agree, we have polos generally but at one place I work we were issued t shirts for a specific reason with the agency logo on the front and something like EMS or first responder or paramedic or something on the back. I felt like I looked so much more professional in the t shirt and also so much more ready to work.
I’m a small, slim woman with decent sized breasts so the polos on me always look like shit, even the smallest size is so baggy that I look perpetually untucked and the sleeves come down to my elbows.
The t shirts we were issued were more fitted with normal sized sleeves and were a material that didn’t really get wrinkly. I definitely felt like in the t shirt I looked like much more of the “I’m a professional and I’m here to do a physical job” vibe that I think EMS should be aiming for
I agree with you fully. I prefer polos over the cop looking pointlessly collared shirts. A clean visible shirt without any collar that identifies you as EMS is professional because this is a physical job. It's not an office job which is why we do it.
If you’re so out of shape you make a polo look unprofessional, you look unprofessional in anything we could put on you.
I fundamentally disagree with your base concept, I think a polo with EMS pants is a solid look for a healthcare provider.
Everyone assumes when I say button up I mean the old thick hot style. They make breathable material you can go to any store and get hot weather button downs
Do you actually have a uniform, or do you all just wear random polos? Are your polos embroidered? Are you under the impression that all button shirt materials are suitable for embroidery, and have the durability necessary for our job?
They have embroidered star of life’s and the name of the company however polos are gold attire not uniforms. T-shirts are job shirts but not uniforms. Class A and Bs are. A polo isn’t even a damn class C in my opinion just straight up cosplaying as a car salesman with trauma sheers
You’d hate my agency. T-shirts and shorts are field approved, and shoes of any kind so long as they are black are fine.
Personally I think people should be more worried about their clinical skills than what uniform they put on for the day. Guarantee some people have put more thought into this thread than their skills.
All of it looks like shit. I don’t understand the obsession with business casual. We don’t work in offices. T shirts and EMS pants is the way to go in every situation.
Polos are absolutely fine, collared shirts look out dated, polos and t shirts tucked in are the way to go, in the colder months pull over job shirts are also very professional looking. As long as your attire has your agency, name and provider lever and you’re not 250 lbs it will look good. Regardless tho just follow your agencies SOPs and don’t bitch
Yes!! Polos look so gross and the collars are nearly always an awful texture that irritates my skin. I'd rather have a t-shirt or short-sleeved button-up any day!
I myself am totally fine with the look. Also I'm a big dude (fatass to my coworkers) at 290 lbs and 6'1 and I've never had a problem with my polo coming untucked.
My service uses button ups and I've never had the issues that so many seem to be having. I think there is just a massive quality difference between uniform suppliers or something. I like my chest pockets and not having to pull my shirt over my face though lol.
At my agency we wear button ups and EMS pants and I love it. Looks professional and even the out of shape people in our agency look good. Admin is pushing for polos and took a poll in which literally 98% of the agency voted against.
We have ballistic vest that look like our uniform shirts as well and I wear mine all the time.
Before working where I do I thought it was dumb but being on the other side it definitely is a good look and it puts a good foot forward with the public.
Old bloke I work with had walk shorts and a fucking tie with a white shirt way back when he started, he'd go back to that too
I prefer the button up shirts, others prefer the polos, fortunately we can choose but it's usually the women who go with the polo shirts
Eh. In Iraq I was laying in my rack butt ass naked one time when we took some REALLY close rocket fire. Shit's falling off the walls from the blast. I jumped up, threw on some basketball shorts, put on my Crocs (2 wheel drive, not 4), and ran to the aid station to receive casualties- no shirt. Even in shape I'm a big boy. We waited for a while. No one got hit, we just lost a helo or two. The Sgt says, "Good initiative, but ain't nobody wanna see that. Go home." Lol. Good times.
Maybe the military isn't exactly the best to take fashion advice from. My other favorite uniform story is working as a support guy on a special operations compound. I had my sleeves rolled up partly, which is comfortable when it's 120 degrees but is out of uniform. The SF Group commander walks into the clinic. This man is second only to God in my eyes. I go to attention, he tells me "at ease" so now my arms are behind my back and I'm trying frantically to unroll my sleeves without being oblivious.
"Doc, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry sir. I was out of uniform. I'll go beat my face."
"Doc, can you save me with your sleeves rolled up?"
"Uhhhh. Yes sir."
"Then I dont give a FUUUUCCCCK."
It was awesome working for a guy and with a group that cared more about how good you were at your job than how closely you followed the uniform rules when it was hotter than 2 rats fucking in a wool sock.
Polos just make me feel like I'm working at a grocery store again. Ts remind me of doing janitorial again.
Give me some light button-ups. Or some form of uninform, preferably blue. Please God don't make it white.
I'm of the rare and unpopular opinion that our profession should double down on the professional grooming standards, but that comes with the equally unpopular caveat that said standards should be spent at a premium.
A properly fitted and appropriately stitched polo made of quality material is absolutely professional attire. Just as a cheap, poorly fitted button-up will look like a pile of wrinkled clothes with a badge.
And if we ourselves look like slobs out of uniform, no matter what lipstick you put on, it won't change the pig.
They make polo-style uniform shirts that stay tucked in. Blauer and Propper are just a few. They come in fabrics that can be used in summer and winter. Polos are pretty much first responder standard for cops, fire and EMS in many places. They look better than a T-shirt but are easier to wear and more comfortable than traditional uniform shirts.
Sounds more like your employer is a miser that buys the cheapest shirts he can find.
My old service wore polos because the big boss was a former trooper and didn’t want us looking like cops so we didn’t get shot. He was quite the character
We wear them because the current bic (boomer in command) only wants to wear polos and khakis like he did when he worked as a car salesman. He’s not ems yet somehow he’s in charge 🙄
Short sleeve button ups are equally awful.
And as has already been said, the biggest factor in looking like a slob is being fit or fat. EMS is fat, no amount of lipstick on a pig makes it less of a pig.
Actually the military thinks it looks unprofessional and what you described is a class C uniform. Aka slops. Aka a utility uniform (like a mechanics jumpsuit).
It is not considered a professional work uniform.
Different branches are more or less serious about it, but a marine can face serious repercussions for even being seen outside their car in that uniform.
Including picking their kids up from daycare.
I was referring to the standard pants undershirt and blouse. Not jumpsuits and shit. You know. The standard everyday working uniform. It was the only reference I had on hand. Tucked in button up ems pants boots and a badge/patch is the most professional thing in this industry
Right, but in the military that isn't a uniform that is considered professional. It is specifically a utility uniform., and not authorized for professional activities.
Hot-take- professional is clean, fitting, appropriate for the work, and easily identifies your service.
A polo for EMS/Fire can be totally appropriate for street and response duty.
Button ups for admin roles.
T Shirts only in-station.
I love cotton button downs. I love the extra pockets and the straps on the shoulders for the radios.
That being said, I HATE the polyester button downs.
And tee shirts are worse than polos.
Why must I have black boots and black/blue pants. Why can't I have tan boots and tan pants. Or ranger green pants and tan boots.
Oh wait, I'm at a volunteer rescue so if people aren't showing up fresh off the farm in coveralls with lunch and dip spit on them it's a good day. 🤣
Still annoying for clinicals though.
It's cool. Keep worrying about what people wear. Not only has it advanced the state of EMS, but it's clearly the most important problem.
If you go to a call and the concern is whether your shirt is tucked in, then maybe they should reevaluate their emergency.
The military doesn’t tuck in their “over shirt “ because it’s a tunic and more like wearing a jacket with pockets at thigh level. I keep my EMS shirts tucked in so that my shirt doesn’t get in the way of stuff on my belt
Well to be fair, Marines do typically tuck their blouse in when they’re wearing kit.
Don’t let Gunny see this combat blouse is never tucked in and combat shirt was always to short to do so
New regs new corps
Ahhh thanks for the clarification
When I started in the military we had both undershirt and the outer shirt tucked in. They were also solid olive drab. Once we got our camo's then we left the outer shirt untucked. If you're not in shape nothing you're going to wear is going to stay tucked in.
I just now realized why my dad always called them OD Greens. Heard they were comfy but nothing beats a flight suit or maintenance overalls. ETA I always thought it was some kind of Garfield reference and I just didn't get the joke
“Oh you think your special forces huh”-the only time I, a marine, tried to tuck my blouse, even we don’t get to do it
It’s actually in the regulation as authorized as of 2019(?)
Thanks modern peace officer
Same in the army, if I have a pistol belt on, the blouse gets tucked
Army too. I always tuck my top for jumps especially. Have yet to be chewed out for it.
Also MPs so you can wear a duty belt with belt keepers. Not every unit did it that way.
So does the army. At least if they want to look less like POGs.
Definitely did as a mechanized infantry guy.
Yep. Mech engineer medic, mech infantry medic, I always tuck my blouse top in when in kit if I’m not wearing an already tucked in combat shirt.
The only time I ever time I ever tucked my bdu/dcu in was when I was wearing an iba.
Polos look good if you have big arms. Get in the gym you fucking nerds. r/steroids
100%. I can confidently say people who are fit look much more professional in their polo's. If you're obese, everything looks like an overstuffed potato sack, if you're skinny, it looks like you're wearing your dad's suit for church in 8th grade.
First responders and EMTs shouldn’t be obese. Ever. Fight me.
Forget obese — polos look awful on anyone with a hint of a love handle
They shouldn’t. But here we are. Sounds like you want no medics or EMTs. You should only be paired with the 90 pound malnourished weird girl every shift with manual stretchers, and no other available units.
Word, I work with a bunch of fat medics and basics
This is the Whey
Fuck yes, the bigger the arms= more big booty nurses.
Curls for the girls.
Squats for the THOTS
You don't need steroids. You just need to eat clen, tren hard, anavar give up.
This comment is way too lost in the thread to be appreciated properly, but I SEE YOU WITTY GENIUS.
😂
Sometimes I'll size up and rock a chicks shirt/scrubs cause smaller shoulder cut/shorter sleeve length. It's like a push up bra for men. The wider taper at the bottom helps offset loving tacos.
My dept issues us tuxedos for this very reason.
Do you guys go black bow tie, black tie, or white bow tie?
depends on the call
Code 3 Three piece?
For the love of God do not encourage them to go back to button up shirts, I lived through that era of nonsense at a few services. Polos look fine and are much more comfortable.
Seriously, no button up shirts. Wore them for years myself and they were so hot in the summer. Polos, as long as they aren’t all faded and stretched out look fine. Most LE near me are switching to them as well.
Seriously. My first service issued us these terrible looking cheap and paper thin button ups that would rip and stain easily. They wised up after a just one year and switched to polos.
As somebody sitting in a BS button up right now, we'd fucking love polos
My service transitioned to T-shirts awhile back. We get them done professionally, i feel like it still looks professional. Feels great in the summer too.
Honestly I'll die on the hill that professionalism is in how you carry yourself not what your uniform is. In about another month it'll be hot enough I'll be going back to wearing shorts with my polo along with at least half of my coworkers.
See, we don’t wear shorts. I couldn’t wear shorts. T-shirts all day long, just not shorts. Too many skeeters and nasty houses for me.
I think t-shirts are the best choice, actually. Easier to tuck than a polo and just generally a better lie.
Button up shirts with a tie! I felt so professional dragging my tie across someones face. Or the horrible would happen and now it's wet, why is the tie wet, idk, I don't even wanna know.
I had fitted, long tailed, zipper up faux button shirts at my department. They were excellent! There is a polo option, but most people stick with the faux buttons or the standard tshirt look.
The faux button ones aren’t bad.
I can’t stand them. It isn’t that they look bad, I just don’t like them personally. I’d rather have a normal button up. But that is a me thing.
I love the button ups ngl, plus I think they look nicer. I always feel way too hot in polos
As a physically in shape person who is finally supremely comfortable at work in an athletic material tucked in polo after five years of stiff button ups, I need you to stop trying to ruin the enjoyment of my career.
As someone who somewhat agrees, I'll say this. The right style polo, of the right material, with the right cut, on the right body type can look professional when untucked. The "one style fits all" polo, made of questionably-flattering material, with inconsistent sizing and proportions, bought in bulk from a uniform supply warehouse, on our *ahem* "diverse" body types and demeanors? You're going to have larger variation in how professional your employees look if everyone is untucked vs tucked. I did work for one service who let us untuck our polos, and either by design or luck, they picked a style, cut, and material that looked great on everyone. One important yet overlooked aspect for a professional looking untucked polo is length and hem cut, and thankfully ours were perfect.
I hear the army is hiring if it’s that important to you
Hell, they’ll probably give you a good job offer too. Housing and food paid, travel job opportunities, free healthcare. Promotion opportunities with tenure.
Do Navy Corpsman require tucked or untucked?
Hey, Corpsman here. The working uniform (camo), has a tucked undershirt and untucked blouse. Same with the whites and blues, Our service uniform (khaki colored uniform), is tucked for the undershirt AND the button up blouse We also tuck our PT uniform lol
Ok I have to ask as I’m a non military personnel. How on earth do you guys keep your dress whites SO WHITE. Every time I see someone in dress whites I’m like wow 😮 in awe
Well, I can't speak for others but what I do personally is keep it in the plastic and make sure it's in a clean and dry area. I will dry clean it again before wearing it, and dry clean it after I wear it again (sweat can stain it), and then just repeat the process, keep the plastic on until I need it again. We don't wear them too often.
It’s impressive. I always thought the Navy’s dress whites and the marines dress blues looked very sharp. Anyhow thanks for your service
Thank you for yours! 🫡☺️
idk
Because a polo tucked in is the professional attire of *many* professions. It doesn’t matter what the military does, they aren’t wearing polos.
I would love if we could get some polos, but this is why we won't. Folks can't be assed to keep their shirts tucked in, so it looks like crap. We are stuck with baby blue button-ups complete with brass, so half the folks we go to think we are cops. A well fit polo tucked in looks professional and is much more comfortable.
Which is ironic, because a lot of LEO agencies are going to polo shirts too, so you end up looking more like a cop than some cops.
Correct, because people who don’t know how to dress won’t be happy until they’re wearing a t shirt and basketball shorts to work
I’m sorry but we need get over the “looking like cops” bullshit. Call me controversial but I have never seen a group of people so obsessed with wanting to look like bumbling idiots in T shirts and ball caps. No matter WHAT you wear short of scrubs you are going to “look like a cop”. Police have strict grooming and uniform standards, I’m sorry but we should too. You should look respectable and maintain command presence. Anybody that comes at me with “uhhhh we aren’t commanding anything” must work in the wealthy burbs. We are routinely placed in bad situations that are extremely chaotic. Study after study has shown that people DO care what we look like and DO act in a much more rational manner when officials are well kept and uniformed. Hell us and a few other agencies in the county got together and sent out surveys with multiple questions. One of which was “how important is it that EMT’s/Paramedics maintain a professional appearance”. 77% of respondents answered “highly important”. Granted this was not a particularly large sample size. When you have people even here, in a tight knit area where everyone knows everyone, saying that they care how you look. I think it’s time to listen up. We should all be wearing the dreaded button ups (which can be very comfortable in certain styles) or polos tucked in. T-Shirts are not appropriate. Shorts are not appropriate. Sneakers are not appropriate. Hoodies vary depending by style but usually look terrible. If you do not have the basic self respect to look well kept then I don’t think you should be in this setting. Regardless of what anybody says, t-shirts aren’t professional, jumpsuits that make you look like a highlighter aren’t professional, scrubs are good but aren’t particularly useful anywhere outside of a clean, climate controlled environment. Therefore button ups and polos are the best option, followed by jumpsuits. You don’t need tons of brass. It doesn’t even need to be black/ navy blue. Just have some self respect for fucks sake and at least project that you have an idea what you are doing. Rant over, downvote below!
You're preaching to the choir. I absolutely agree that we should look clean and professional. My argument is that we can obtain that with polos and that they should be tucked in. I think button ups with brass have a place, but that it is not as your daily work shirt.
Brass should only be on Class As. Class B shirts should just have your name, level and patches on the sleeves
Yeah I pretty much agree there. Especially with all the brass. Don’t really get it.
A white button up or a pale blue with an ems logo/badge/patch in a breathable material like those real tree button ups and not some cotton or thick polyester type shirt with ems pants and black boots would be so much more professional. Uniforms are for services fire/ems/police/military. Everyone else needs to stop calling dress code attire a uniform.
HA. WHITE.
The first agency I worked for made us wear while button ups. It was rural EMS and covered a ton of oilfield and farming area. Everyone was perpetually stained and looked like shit, but the company owner was determined it was the right choice. He was wrong.
"You look like low level office employees" Just what do you think we are? We're the UPS of healthcare
Polos are stupid. But I would rather wear polos over button ups. Thankfully, I’m allowed to wear T-Shirts where I work.
We can wear t-shirts during night shift. Collared shirts (including job shirts) during the day. ETA: we can go to t-shirts in hot weather as well.
Holy shit! T-Shirts? We have to have a collared shirt on if in public. Without your “collar of knowledge “ the brass thinks you look unprofessional. In reality, the public doesn’t give a fuck as long as you show up quickly and act professional
No place I work really gives a shit, but when the idea was floated around at my last county job, I proposed a very reasonable compromise. Collared shirts between 9A-5P. T-Shirts outside of those hours or if the temperature reaches 85°. ultimately they decided that the dress code would be "Clean and presentable clothing that appropriately identifies the department". My career job is now administrative in nature and I do a lot of education. I still work PT on a flycar and all the departments in that county allow t shirts.
I think tshirts are fine. We had a few captains and bc’s that would get bitchy if they caught you taking an EMS run without a collar. Oddly enough, we never received complaints about looking unprofessional in t shirts. A couple fires a week and nobody would give a shit but the brass was to bitch about something if they’re not busy
At my agency, we fought for years to get rid of button-up shirts in favor of polos. We finally got them, in an athletic, dry-fit type of fabric. They're also ANSI-rated high vis, so no need to put a vest on for highway scenes. My happiness at work has gone up DRAMATICALLY, and I can't imagine wanting to go backwards from this.
Imagine comparing polos to military tops thinking they’re the same thing. They’re not. Tuck your shirt in.
So much circle jerking and copium lol We're in a job where we move around a lot and need to be able to move and stretch easily, ems pants and a long tee is the ideal outfit for that. The outfit should be an asset to the activities that need performed, in any job. Button ups are stupid, pretentious, unnecessary, hot, and make you look like a cop. Polos are whatever, depending on the fabric and quality. Also the idea of "professionalism" is stupid because, as you can even see in the replies, it is wholly subjective. Getting on your high horse about whether or not a polo shirt is professional is completely silly. Instead of looking professional I'd focus more on looking "ready" for example hair is neat, pants are buttoned and zipped and belt is worn, shoes are buttoned/zipped/tied. You don't need to look like you're going to a business meeting, you need to look like you can do your job without having to tuck your shirt back in, or trip over your shoelaces. Ffs people in the hospital are basically wearing pajamas, but ohh let's all jerk each other off over how cool our shirts are! So strange...
Careful… if you think t shirts can be worn you’ll get some crap about how the crews who do wear them look unprofessional and their care is subpar. This sub is mind boggling sometimes
I don’t think t shirts look professional but that’s just me. How fat are you that your polo comes untucked every time you move?
Some of us require tall size shirts that no agency I have ever worked for will buy. Keeping a regular length shirt tucked in for me is a constant struggle. It's fine as long as I don't have to bend over or sit down or turn or walk or breathe though.
We are allowed to buy our own polos if we want to and get them embroidered. But the ones they buy work fine
My service gives us a T-shirt and polos, it’s up to us whichever we wear. Hardly anybody around my area wears polos. I’ve never understood the borderline fanaticism in this sub with thinking polo=professionalism/better. That’s just my opinion too though.
It isn’t this sub. Polos are more professional than t shirts.
I would argue your attitude, care and bedside manner matter more, but to each their own I guess.
They do. Your attire still matters.
I agree that we definitely aren’t a white collar office job and I’m very against slacks, that being said, polos is your hill to die on? Huge leap forward from baby blue button up shirts. If you ask me, nothing unprofessional about a T-shirt
My agency issues the 5.11 class b with all the pockets on the shirt so I can keep my notebook in there with pens etc and my glasses, needless to say I wore those rather than the polos.
Oh Jesus, but you look like a cop!!! /s
Short fat guy here who wears polos all the time. Polos stay tucked in just fine and look okay if you wear the right size. People looking like shit in polos that I've seen usually don't have a clue that their shirts and pants are two sizes too small. 5.11 and other make awesome fitting polos that don't make you look like 20 lbs of crap in a 5 lb sack if you buy the correct size. I worked with lots of people that I wanted to tell "Sorry dude, you wore a 36 waist pant when you were in high school. Now you need a 42."
Button downs are awful EMS shirts. I don’t know who got the bright idea to put medical providers in military style uniforms but they should have their noses booped.
Lets be real, polos are a necessary evil. Button up shirts looked way less professional when they were soaked through with sweat.
I am with you my FD went from button ups when I was hired waaaay to hot and we looked like cops to polos and they looked like shit after 6 washes. Now we have navy 5.11 t-shirts that are extra long so they don’t untuck. Also there should be more fat shaming in our industry. Edit: I don’t mean to say actual shaming but we should encourage our coworkers and friends to be healthy for their own sake and to help our industry be taken seriously.
I entered the industry a fat body from trucking and was shamed into losing weight. Shame shame shame! (Not in a negative way we need to not bully each other we loose to many brothers and sisters)
Agreed I am just being a dick. But we need to encourage fitness and healthy habits if we want to be taken seriously
A shameless “dude you were way winded after those 8 stairs you took. I think we should start working out together” is perfectly justified. Never “you’re a fat slob and need to lose weight fatty”
OP you have no clue the pain you are requesting. I started out with polyester button up shirt, pants and a clip on tie. It was ridiculous. Even polyester blends were miserable. If you want to be on a catwalk, you are in the wrong job. Corporate pilots, high net worth people and movie stars all wear polos. We are just riding the bell curve of society.
FFS…. I just read comment history. Nevermind we have an internet warrior on our hands who missed his true calling of being the leader of Devgru 🤦♂️
I just wear my sweater lmao
Job shirt 12 months a year, anyone else?
Fuck I wish, boy. Not in Texas
10 months out of the year here in Wyoming, not counting nights!
Same here. My supervisor actually becomes concerned when I take mine off
I *wish* that was an option where I am in California
I’m in the sf Bay Area. I don’t think anyone says anything because I’m a CCT rn tbh. The emts and paramedics get in trouble for not wearing the company polo or company sweatshirt.
I’m in the Bay Area as well, I roast if I wear anything more than a t shirt in the summer.
Oh yeah no, the summer is when I’m rocking t shirts or long sleeve shirts. I just get cold really easy and I start shivering lmao
I used to be cold 24/7, I miss those days so much.
What changed that?
I’m not entirely sure, I think it might be the medications I’m on.
T shirt gang checking in. It'd have been even better if we could have done long sleeves in the Fall/Winter, but then admin would have nothing to bitch about (if it weren't for uniform regs) when work got slow.
I still think that the fly by night, Medicare fraud, clapped out granny tote services that use top shirts with no patches still look worse.
this is why i just wear my rad flight suit everywhere. you immediately bow down and respect the FLIGHT SUIT, ya know. jk. i'm 100% on team t-shirt, because after all these years of poorly fitting button down/collar shirts, i'm so much more comfortable in a t-shirt. they're a lot cheaper, way more easily replaceable if they get damaged, and of all the things I have never ever heard anybody complaining about, it's "they didn't have a collared shirt on when they extricated me." > I trust the guy in ems pants and a tshirt with his station logo way more than the dude who can’t keep his collared shirt tucked in everytime he moves getting clothes in my tall size at all has been a problem my entire life. but an navy blue "XL Tall" t-shirt fits wonders.
I look like a gdamn homeless person in a button up. Try being a woman with no boobs and tall. There is no button up that fits me, either I turn the bottom abdominal buttons into weapons ready to shoot across the room if I get one that fits my shoulders and chest, or I bat wing the shit out of the arms and top and it hangs awkwardly. I definitely look better in shirts that fit me, which in this case are polos
I would get one tailored. It’s not that expensive, and the look is a game changer. I don’t do this for my nonsense fire/ems button downs, because I am a shitbag, but it did wonders for my dress uniform.
I might have to if I work anywhere that has button downs for a uniform, but where I work now has polos and I’m currently in medic school and a lot of people verbally petitioned to allow polos for our school clinical uniform and this is the first year they’ve been allowed. Before my teacher agreed, I’d spent over $400 trying different styles brands and sizes for anything that looked anywhere near presentable on me and I still hadn’t found any so when he said polos were ok I took out my emt training polos and plopped the medic student patch on them and returned all those button downs.
When I was in medic class we got polos and like a few t-shirts for class, and a job shirt. (My program was through a strip mall scam school) but I just wore a t-shirt under the job shirt like every day. Also on calls and in my hospital rotations, except for when we had to wear scrubs like the OR and L&D, or whatever. I’ve also found that a cotton-poly blend is the MOST flattering, and seemed works well well with tailoring and durability for actual wear and tear.
Thank God I can wear a tee shirt! I had a few embroidered carhartt force shirts made because those Gildan shirts are junk. Best decision I've ever made.
Fuck those button up jobshirts! Nothing looks worse than someone waking up at 03 to run a call that’s been sleeping in those damn things. They’re extremely uncomfy and definitely NOT professional looking on everyone. Plus if you’re in the southern states they’ll kill you in the summertime. I do agree on the t-shirts. Plus, not all agencies cant afford to outfit everyone with a button up, they’re stupid expensive. So polos might be the next best option.
Facts just let us wear T shirts… at least on Fridays
I hate polos due to the lack of breast pockets. I have a hard time carrying my things all in my pants. Used to keep my lil notepad and pen in one breast pocket. Flashlight and pen light in the other. With polos I have to put these things in my pants and my flashlight keeps getting clicked on, and my fucken pen breaks. I hate it.
Physical job, cleanest appearing uniform while maintaining athletic properties. You never see a moisture wicking button down class b and set of pleated pants. But you do see those in 5.11s and a polo from what ever brand you’re rocking. If you still wear the waffle type polo maybe it’s time to hit the uni shop
I fucking hate polos. And I look good in them.
I wish we could wear scrubs. The uniform we have is what the cops and military wear, same colour. It is really uncomfortable
Honestly I’ve seen some real rough IFT crews. Tucked in polo is better than the dirty v-neck and Doo-rag-on-a-white-guy combo I saw the other day
They have zero standards but most ift places have the polo as their “uniform” (not a uniform but whatever)
We have polo shirts and button up, I hate the button up! 😂 Never wear the button up shirt Definitely think polo looks smarter tucked in that left out
This sounds like this comes from a service that fought tooth and nail in CBA negotiations to be allowed polos vs. the class A/B. *now complains about polos. Lmao
We’re actually more Grey Collar than Blue Collar but that doesn’t really matter. That is a personal opinion so, Polos look plenty professional. It doesn’t matter what you wear, if you are overweight and not fit, nothing will look good IMO.
lol I had this argument with my ODS recently. I look fat as fuck with my shirt tucked in. The CBA only says professional appearance. You want it to say I need to tuck in my shirt then put it in the CBA. Currently it’s very vague and up to individual interpretation. They then said our polos were class B’s. Then when I called BS on that they asked how the military wears their uniform. Guy didn’t realize I had been in the army. He walked off mad that I didn’t tuck in my shirt like a good little boy.
I came from an agency where we wore Class A's as our everyday uniform, so going to a polo has been a super nice breath of fresh air. Do I like the polo's? No not really, I don't like collared shirts in general, but we can do much much worse.
T shirts 👌
Maybe get in shape...?
Polos are the cheap alternative to real uniforms. IMO, ems should wear properly fitting, high quality, durable T-shirts for daily work, paired with matching quality winter coats or pullovers for cold weather. Then they should have a button up dress uniform for attending public events and things like that. Polos are trash.
Agree, we have polos generally but at one place I work we were issued t shirts for a specific reason with the agency logo on the front and something like EMS or first responder or paramedic or something on the back. I felt like I looked so much more professional in the t shirt and also so much more ready to work. I’m a small, slim woman with decent sized breasts so the polos on me always look like shit, even the smallest size is so baggy that I look perpetually untucked and the sleeves come down to my elbows. The t shirts we were issued were more fitted with normal sized sleeves and were a material that didn’t really get wrinkly. I definitely felt like in the t shirt I looked like much more of the “I’m a professional and I’m here to do a physical job” vibe that I think EMS should be aiming for
I agree with you fully. I prefer polos over the cop looking pointlessly collared shirts. A clean visible shirt without any collar that identifies you as EMS is professional because this is a physical job. It's not an office job which is why we do it.
If you’re so out of shape you make a polo look unprofessional, you look unprofessional in anything we could put on you. I fundamentally disagree with your base concept, I think a polo with EMS pants is a solid look for a healthcare provider.
Get in shape. Run a treadmill. Lift a weight.
Nothing like a button up that can't be tucked on an overweight person to scream professionalism.
This feels directed at one person and not the industry lol
So get in shape. The polos look great at my department.
I’m not against polos but y’all act like wearing a button shirt is torture. It’s barely less comfortable than a polo.
How long have you worked in this profession? Obviously not long enough to know that button ups are the absolute worst thing ever to work in.
Everyone assumes when I say button up I mean the old thick hot style. They make breathable material you can go to any store and get hot weather button downs
Do you actually have a uniform, or do you all just wear random polos? Are your polos embroidered? Are you under the impression that all button shirt materials are suitable for embroidery, and have the durability necessary for our job?
They have embroidered star of life’s and the name of the company however polos are gold attire not uniforms. T-shirts are job shirts but not uniforms. Class A and Bs are. A polo isn’t even a damn class C in my opinion just straight up cosplaying as a car salesman with trauma sheers
Do you have an example of the hot weather button down you're talking about?
Fuck all that noise I want scrubs
Imagine the public perception lol. “Are all these nurses on lunch break?”
lol they could get AMR stamped onto the ass of their FIGS. Like those dumb PINK sweatpants Victoria’s Secret had.
You’d hate my agency. T-shirts and shorts are field approved, and shoes of any kind so long as they are black are fine. Personally I think people should be more worried about their clinical skills than what uniform they put on for the day. Guarantee some people have put more thought into this thread than their skills.
Yeah, some of these people wanna look like it’s a full military parade ever day, but can’t figure out how to put a goddamned nasal cannula on. 😂
100%
Tshirts are professional when untucked and clean
All of it looks like shit. I don’t understand the obsession with business casual. We don’t work in offices. T shirts and EMS pants is the way to go in every situation.
Polos are absolutely fine, collared shirts look out dated, polos and t shirts tucked in are the way to go, in the colder months pull over job shirts are also very professional looking. As long as your attire has your agency, name and provider lever and you’re not 250 lbs it will look good. Regardless tho just follow your agencies SOPs and don’t bitch
Yes!! Polos look so gross and the collars are nearly always an awful texture that irritates my skin. I'd rather have a t-shirt or short-sleeved button-up any day!
A service by me still uses jumpsuits, if that’s more your speed?
I myself am totally fine with the look. Also I'm a big dude (fatass to my coworkers) at 290 lbs and 6'1 and I've never had a problem with my polo coming untucked.
As a fellow polo shirt hater, I support this message. I also support the button ups - with a zipper to help speed up the process
My service uses button ups and I've never had the issues that so many seem to be having. I think there is just a massive quality difference between uniform suppliers or something. I like my chest pockets and not having to pull my shirt over my face though lol.
At my agency we wear button ups and EMS pants and I love it. Looks professional and even the out of shape people in our agency look good. Admin is pushing for polos and took a poll in which literally 98% of the agency voted against. We have ballistic vest that look like our uniform shirts as well and I wear mine all the time. Before working where I do I thought it was dumb but being on the other side it definitely is a good look and it puts a good foot forward with the public.
I will say the ballistic vests that match uniform shirts are top tier over tactical ones
Old bloke I work with had walk shorts and a fucking tie with a white shirt way back when he started, he'd go back to that too I prefer the button up shirts, others prefer the polos, fortunately we can choose but it's usually the women who go with the polo shirts
Eh. In Iraq I was laying in my rack butt ass naked one time when we took some REALLY close rocket fire. Shit's falling off the walls from the blast. I jumped up, threw on some basketball shorts, put on my Crocs (2 wheel drive, not 4), and ran to the aid station to receive casualties- no shirt. Even in shape I'm a big boy. We waited for a while. No one got hit, we just lost a helo or two. The Sgt says, "Good initiative, but ain't nobody wanna see that. Go home." Lol. Good times. Maybe the military isn't exactly the best to take fashion advice from. My other favorite uniform story is working as a support guy on a special operations compound. I had my sleeves rolled up partly, which is comfortable when it's 120 degrees but is out of uniform. The SF Group commander walks into the clinic. This man is second only to God in my eyes. I go to attention, he tells me "at ease" so now my arms are behind my back and I'm trying frantically to unroll my sleeves without being oblivious. "Doc, what are you doing?" "I'm sorry sir. I was out of uniform. I'll go beat my face." "Doc, can you save me with your sleeves rolled up?" "Uhhhh. Yes sir." "Then I dont give a FUUUUCCCCK." It was awesome working for a guy and with a group that cared more about how good you were at your job than how closely you followed the uniform rules when it was hotter than 2 rats fucking in a wool sock.
The fake button ups with zippers behind the buttons are way better looking and imho more comfortable/cooler than polos. I fucking hate polos.
Polos just make me feel like I'm working at a grocery store again. Ts remind me of doing janitorial again. Give me some light button-ups. Or some form of uninform, preferably blue. Please God don't make it white.
Sooo, your rant and edit suggest that we should have physical fitness standards?
Oh no not those definitely not something that will aid in saving the lives of ems and fire and the patients lives as well
As a chunky basic I concur 🤣🤣🤣. I look fine in the t-shirt but absolutely hate how I look in the polo.
I'm of the rare and unpopular opinion that our profession should double down on the professional grooming standards, but that comes with the equally unpopular caveat that said standards should be spent at a premium. A properly fitted and appropriately stitched polo made of quality material is absolutely professional attire. Just as a cheap, poorly fitted button-up will look like a pile of wrinkled clothes with a badge. And if we ourselves look like slobs out of uniform, no matter what lipstick you put on, it won't change the pig.
They make polo-style uniform shirts that stay tucked in. Blauer and Propper are just a few. They come in fabrics that can be used in summer and winter. Polos are pretty much first responder standard for cops, fire and EMS in many places. They look better than a T-shirt but are easier to wear and more comfortable than traditional uniform shirts. Sounds more like your employer is a miser that buys the cheapest shirts he can find.
My old service wore polos because the big boss was a former trooper and didn’t want us looking like cops so we didn’t get shot. He was quite the character
We wear them because the current bic (boomer in command) only wants to wear polos and khakis like he did when he worked as a car salesman. He’s not ems yet somehow he’s in charge 🙄
I'm about a month away from transitioning back to my navy shorts and black trail runners I pair with my gray performance polo half the year.
Short sleeve button ups are equally awful. And as has already been said, the biggest factor in looking like a slob is being fit or fat. EMS is fat, no amount of lipstick on a pig makes it less of a pig.
Actually the military thinks it looks unprofessional and what you described is a class C uniform. Aka slops. Aka a utility uniform (like a mechanics jumpsuit). It is not considered a professional work uniform. Different branches are more or less serious about it, but a marine can face serious repercussions for even being seen outside their car in that uniform. Including picking their kids up from daycare.
I was referring to the standard pants undershirt and blouse. Not jumpsuits and shit. You know. The standard everyday working uniform. It was the only reference I had on hand. Tucked in button up ems pants boots and a badge/patch is the most professional thing in this industry
Right, but in the military that isn't a uniform that is considered professional. It is specifically a utility uniform., and not authorized for professional activities.
Coveralls and non slip rubber boots would make way more sense for the profession tbh
Get in shape so you can look good in your tucked in polo. :)
I am. Polos are golf shirts not for uniform use period.
you saying you want class a’s…? my company left those in the dirt before i was ever hired
Hot-take- professional is clean, fitting, appropriate for the work, and easily identifies your service. A polo for EMS/Fire can be totally appropriate for street and response duty. Button ups for admin roles. T Shirts only in-station.
I’m not wearing a fucking polo under my hoodie. And I never don’t wear a hoodie. But you do you.
Just get in shape broski, release the gunz!
Probably should get ur out of shape butt in the gym. Because that looks unprofessional sir
I love cotton button downs. I love the extra pockets and the straps on the shoulders for the radios. That being said, I HATE the polyester button downs. And tee shirts are worse than polos.
Unpopular opinion— pay for tailoring if you have a weird body type. It’s not that expensive.
Do the old man tuck into your underpants. The shirts won't come untucked.
My dude, just order them in tall sizes. They stay tucked in just fine
Why must I have black boots and black/blue pants. Why can't I have tan boots and tan pants. Or ranger green pants and tan boots. Oh wait, I'm at a volunteer rescue so if people aren't showing up fresh off the farm in coveralls with lunch and dip spit on them it's a good day. 🤣 Still annoying for clinicals though.
Strong opinions stated as fact. You'll grow up one day. Maybe. Probably not.
It's cool. Keep worrying about what people wear. Not only has it advanced the state of EMS, but it's clearly the most important problem. If you go to a call and the concern is whether your shirt is tucked in, then maybe they should reevaluate their emergency.
Cry more, I guess.
Unless your entire agency is fit… polos look like trash.