During the course of one day, I might meet with a customer, use the forklift, drop off a bid, climb up a roof hatch ladder and attend an evening fundraising event. What does one wear to navigate a day like this? Steel toed high heels? There just isn’t a works-for-everything wardrobe for women in the HVACR field. No matter what I wear, I am literally NEVER wearing the right shoes.
I am an HVACR contractor and my role is mainly administrative and managerial. Rarely does my day require any tools or safety equipment, but yet I still struggle with finding appropriate clothing to get through a day. If I wear jeans and boots, I end up in a meeting with business suit-clad men and women feeling grossly underdressed. If I wear a suit, I end up getting laughed at by our technicians and getting grease on me from, well I’m still not sure where exactly or I would avoid it!
My solution to this clothing crisis? Most days, I end up wearing some amalgamation of business and business casual, but keep a stash of “work” clothes readily available for quick wardrobe changes, a la Superman/Clark Kent. I also keep a spare toothbrush, makeup and hair styling apparatus in my office if I have to get “spiffed up” for a business meeting or event. That way, I’m covered no matter where I end up in the course of a day. If you have suggestions/solutions for how you navigate from the office to the boiler room, I’d love to hear it! Share your #HVACGirlProblems on the Women in HVACR social media pages. We can swap tips and tricks and find some best practices.