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Old gas stations

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16,814
Location
New York City
Men & Women in Uniform!
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Elizabeth, what's with the belt across his chest?
From your experience with gas stations was this common to wear
what looks like a dress shirt & tie
underneath the coveralls?

No wonder the dude looks unhappy!


Btw: I have coveralls with that material which is super comfortable
when doing chores.

Lizzie will have a more expansive and accurate answer, but here goes mine. The Belt across the chest just looks to me like support for a pretty heavy change dispenser.

As to the tie thing, I pumped gas in the late '70s and T-shirts and jeans were fine at most stations, except (memory a bit fuzzy on this point), Hess stations still had white overalls - not sure about a tie underneath.

That said, from pictorial history (fortunately, I'm not that old), it seems that from post WWII to the late '60s, a reasonable number (but not all) stations - especially many of the national / large regional brands - had their attendants wear ties and, if wearing overalls, to wear them as in your picture.

It was, IMHO, a cultural thing as you'll see taxi drivers, delivery men, etc. also wearing ties in the same time period. Sure, corporations and the Boys for Marketing had an agenda behind it, but still, wearing ties was quite common in the culture even for those not in office jobs.
 
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2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
Lizzie will have a more expansive and accurate answer, but here goes mine. The Belt across the chest just took to me like support for a pretty heavy chain dispenser.

As to the tie thing, I pumped gas in the late '70s and T-shirts and jeans were fine at most stations, except (memory a bit fuzzy on this point), Hess stations still had white overalls - not sure about a tie underneath.

That said, from pictorial history (fortunately, I'm not that old), it seems that from post WWII to the late '60s, a reasonable number (but not all) stations - especially many of the national / large regional brands - had their attendants wear ties and, if wearing overalls, to wear them as in your picture.

It was, IMHO, a cultural thing as you'll see taxi drivers, delivery men, etc. also wearing ties in the same time period. Sure, corporations and the Boys for Marketing had an agenda behind it, but still, wearing ties was quite common in the culture even for those not in office jobs.

Great answer for a young "whipper-snapper"! ;)
 
Messages
16,814
Location
New York City
Great answer for a young "whipper-snapper"! ;)

Being born in '64 - and since everything and every person didn't truly change culturally overnight in the late '60s (or ever in my house) - I saw a lot of the pre- and post-'60s cultural contrast, but to really comment on the pre, I have to pull on sources and not just memory.

The embarrassing thing is that Lizzie and I are the same age, but she has fifty times my knowledge.
 
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LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
32,962
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Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Papa.jpg



The only time I ever saw my grandfather wearing a tie, he was laid out in a coffin.

That Sam Browne belt the Esso attendant is wearing is obvious military or police surplus -- after thousands of them ended up on the surplus market in the wake of WWI, these were often worn by gas station attendants, hot dog salesmen, and ice cream truck operators in the Era to create a snappy "military" appearance, even if they had no practical function. This fellow, at least, has found a function for his.
 

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
"Why Be Half Safe?"

Sounds like a LeviStrauss & Co. slogan.

My 1933 denims made in USA besides
belt loops also include copper buttons for suspenders,
a back-strap buckle belt around the waist, copper rivets
on the rear pockets and one in the crotch area.

Best thing is that they sit on the waist and not low in the
hips like other jeans which I'm not too fond of.

Some would call my jeans style..."grandfather jeans".
No kidding!
 
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