Posted by notaryork on 6/24/05 2:46pm
Msg #47508

Casual Saturdays?

8:00 AM signing tomorrow, anyone agree on "Casual Attire"?

What does everyone normally wear to a signing?

I am considering revising my attire from a Dress Shirt, Tie, and Dress Pants to Slacks (Not Jeans), and a Collared Shirt.

I don't think most borrowers care what you wear, just as long as it's not shorts/sweats and a T-shirt!

Any thoughts????????

ps-it's summer

Reply by Sylvia_Fl on 6/24/05 2:48pm
Msg #47511

Slacks and a collared shirt should be fine

I usually wear a dress, or a skirt and jacket, or pants and a jacket.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/24/05 3:11pm
Msg #47523

***I usually wear a dress, or a skirt and jacket, or pants and a jacket.***

I just brought in my favorite business suit and one other favorite "uniform" from the cleaners for Sat/Mon's assignments. Otherwise...I think I'd just have to settle for a clean pair of pajamas (and be danged grateful for them...that is...if I could find them).

Reply by Charm_AL on 6/24/05 2:48pm
Msg #47512

Always....casual business no matter what the day
I know it's summer, and I wear a sweater because these people get their atmosphere's down to 40 degrees because it's 90 out there lol

Reply by Martha/AZ on 6/24/05 2:55pm
Msg #47514

Business attire here in Arizona (where it reaches 110 degrees + in the summer), slacks and collard shirt is the appropriate attire for men for most business conducted any day of the week. Womans attire is slacks/skirt and blouse (then swimsuit when you get home)!

Reply by notaryork on 6/24/05 3:00pm
Msg #47517

Is a POLO collared shirt pushing the envelope?

Polo and slacks is what I'm shootin' for!

Reply by Martha_AZ on 6/24/05 3:07pm
Msg #47521

Go for it! Just no tennis shoes or sandals.

Reply by Kathi/AZ on 6/24/05 4:06pm
Msg #47528

I wear capris, t-shirt type tops, and sandals all the time. No one has ever indicated I was underdressed!

Reply by PAW_Fl on 6/24/05 4:24pm
Msg #47533

I would consider that to be under dressed. If you worked in a law, real estate, title or accounting office on "casual Friday", would you were capris, t-shirt and sandals? You don't have to dress to the nines, but you certainly must present a professional business appearance. Slacks, blouse and closed toe shoes would be acceptable.

Most people would not mention your state of under dressed to you.

Reply by PAW_Fl on 6/24/05 6:36pm
Msg #47566

Oops... "were" should be "wear" (n/m)

Reply by Kim_NJ on 6/25/05 6:51am
Msg #47677

I work in a professional office, and yes, Capris and sandals are acceptable. A true t-shirt would be pushing it, but I have to assume she is talking more about a collarless shirt, but not a true T-shirt. I wear that sort of outfit on a regular basis. Generally what I wear to the office during the day is what I wear to signings in the evening.

Reply by CaliNotary on 6/24/05 11:08pm
Msg #47641

Are you kidding? A polo shirt is my normal weekday business casual attirre.

Reply by Rick_In_NY on 6/26/05 4:38pm
Msg #47985

I say, "Go for it!"

I started wearing Polo and IZOD shirts after so many straight days of 90 plus weather here in NYC. I have done some closings at law offices on Long Island and even the lawyers are wearing dockers and Polo shirts especially on Fridays in summer.

Truthfully, I really think as long as you show up on time, conduct the closing efficiently and are otherwise pleasant, nobody cares what you wear as long as you and your clothing are clean. They just want their $$$.

Reply by TitleGalCA on 6/24/05 4:41pm
Msg #47535

Most of SoCal is business casual, so for me it's nice slacks usually with a jacket that looks sharp but not overdone. I will wear high heeled sandals, if they have a dressy look to them, as it is accepted here.

Reply by Sara-NV on 6/24/05 4:53pm
Msg #47537

I usually adhere to the business casual look. However, do any of you find it extremely irritating dressing and presenting yourself as a professional, but have to walk in to some of the filthy homes? It never fails, every time I put on a pair of slacks that I've just taken out of the dry cleaning bag, some borrower's dog(s) ends of sniffing me and slobbering all over my pants! Getting up from the chair covered in dog or cat hair is another one that pushes me freaky button.

Reply by Shannon/Va on 6/24/05 4:53pm
Msg #47538

I am with Kathy. I am capri's every day and I work in a law office during the day. I wear nice shirst, not button ups, they are pull overs, but not tee shirts. I am most definately not a skirt person.
And I do slacks/pants in the winter with more business shirts.

Reply by missysocal on 6/24/05 4:59pm
Msg #47540

I think that So Cal is a lot more casual than other areas of the country. I am more dressed up than any notary that I have dealt with.
The last one that came for a refi (though nice and FAST), was wearing sweat type pants and socks with sandals.

I usually am in some sort of nice/casual wear with low heels.

Reply by Stephanie_CA on 6/24/05 5:08pm
Msg #47543

Nice pants, blouse, jacket of some sort - if it's to hot minus the jacket; or a skirt, blouse/sweater, always nylons and nice shoes.

Anytime I wear pants/slacks - that is casual for me.

Agreed that borrowers MAY not care - I think if we arrive professionally looking, we start out on the right foot and they know we are there for business reasons. period

Reply by SarahBeth_CA on 6/24/05 7:33pm
Msg #47582

I don't wear capris ever... I prefer the fact that on me a pair of black slacks and a thick soled shoe makes me look 3 inches taller than I am. At my hieght capris make me look like a troll. However for summer I'm gonna go get a couple summer dresses and some sandals.

Reply by Kathi/AZ on 6/24/05 9:51pm
Msg #47616

Paw,
Maybe capris and a top and a pair of sandals sound too casual to you, but I do accessorize and I think I am put together quite well.

I also work at a major university in Arizona as a Business Manager, and the clothes I wear to work are the same I wear to my closings.
You would be surprised what people wear to work. My capris, top (not a t-shirt, but cotton fabric) and sandals are quite dressy to some. I work with people that wear shorts, t-shirts, berks (with or without socks), stretch pants, logo t-shirts and cut-offs.

I dress professionaly for Arizona.
I hardly ever wear closed toe shoes in the summer, and never stockings!
Since I am 6 ft tall, I don't need shoes that add extra height.
And I agree with the statement someone made about entering "nasty" homes, I can still smell the home I was in this afternoon for a closing.....yuck.

Reply by PAW_Fl on 6/24/05 10:00pm
Msg #47618

First, I must apologize for sounding too arrogant in my post. I basically had a misconception of what Capris pants actually are (I thought they were like clam-diggers) and I thought you wore tee shirts. I know what I'm about to ask is difficult, but ... try to think like a man who's wardrobe consisted of white shirts, blue and gray suits and "power" ties for many years. (Before that, every thing was blue ... Navy blue! ) So, I have a heard time visualizing some clothing styles by name. Again, I apologize.

Reply by Nancy in Florida on 6/24/05 10:42pm
Msg #47634

I usually wear nice capri pants, slacks or a skirt with an nice top or blouse, no tee shirts, I usually wear a nice dress shoe or dressy sandals (hey it's Florida and sandals are the shoe of choice even in January.)

One other thing, one of the SS Co's I do a lot of work for has it in their Confirmation of Closing to dress business casual. So that is how I consider my attire, business casual. To me business casual is anything other than a suit or dress but no jeans or tee shirts.

Reply by Brijoe_WA on 6/25/05 3:01am
Msg #47675

guess I never realized how under dressed I was. I have never worn slacks or dress pants to a signings. Always been jeans and a polo for me....and in the summer like this, docker shorts polo and tennis shoes. I have never had a complaint and business is great for me. Im not going to change anytime soon.

Reply by Julie-MI on 6/25/05 11:48pm
Msg #47865

To Brijoe

If you came into MY home in jeans to do my closing, I would probably call the company after you left.

You never know when a survey is sent to the borrower AFTER the closing and the survey could ask about your attire.

You may have been okay for now wearing jeans, but I wouldn't push it.

No capri's for me, suits allow you to keep control. I am every bit as comfortable in a suit as I am regular clothes. In fact, if the schedulers only knew what I looked like when they called, with rollers in my hair, glasses falling off, hair not combed, sweaty from the gym, they would probably never even want me in their client's home!

Reply by HisHughness on 6/25/05 10:24am
Msg #47697

notarywork inquires:

***What does everyone normally wear to a signing?***

Went to the office of the attorney for my Beautiful & Talented Wife, now my Beautiful & Talented Estranged Wife and one glorious day to be my Beautiful & Talented Ex-Wife, last Wednesday. He was in shorts and a tee shirt.

This is Austin. For Austin, he was dressed like a banker. Most Austin lawyers would have shed the tee shirt -- and probably asked their female office help to do the same.

I wear slacks and a pullover shirt. Many of my clients specify business casual in their instructions. I have one which even defines business casual. I ignore that and wear what flies in Austin, except I do not wear the omnipresent jeans. Went to closings Friday in a collarless Hilfiger shirt. Did tuck it into my pants, though.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/25/05 11:37am
Msg #47715

Just got in from two at a Beneficial branch...they were in shorts/t-shirts.

I had on heels, navy blue suit and even pantyhose. I really don't care what the others wear...I like to maintain an image. It's just a personal part of my policy...not saying others should do likewise, that's just me. If I dress like I am in a business environment while at my signings, my business seems a lot more serious to me...I love being casual, but I could fall into the trap of flip flops so easy that I really watch myself...just like I always assume I should arrive ten minutes early to any job. My nature is to be very casual and tardy... I fight it with these little personal "rules" of mine. BTW, *my* business has no "Saturday" or casual days...every day is the same if there's a job on my calendar.

I will rip off the torture contraptions now and get last nights work done in blue scrubs...my home uniform.

Reply by HisHughness on 6/25/05 2:57pm
Msg #47757

Brenda gently chides the slackers amongst us:

***I had on heels, navy blue suit and even pantyhose. I really don't care what the others wear...I like to maintain an image.***

For you skeptics, believe her. Brenda's is so uptight about her apparel she wears a girdle under her swim suit. A two-piece swim suit, yet.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/25/05 3:08pm
Msg #47759

I am not chiding slackers, His-Royal-Frequent-Napping-Man. I

I just figure that there's a degree of respect delivered with less casual dress...both to my business and to the bwrs. They expect a representative from their lender or a title company. I am playing along.

If I let down my guard, the next thing you know I'll be removing my shoes and rummaging through bwr's refrigerators.

Hugh...I don't think younger ones like me know what a girdle is...perhaps you can enlighten us.

Reply by PAW_Fl on 6/25/05 5:45pm
Msg #47785

Brenda spake, "Hugh...I don't think younger ones like me know what a girdle is...perhaps you can enlighten us."

I'm not Hugh (thank goodness), but ...

The internet is a wonderful place to visit. You can find just about anything you want. Even a whole website devoted to the **girdle**.

For more information than you ever want to know, visit http://www.girdlezone.org/encyc01.htm.

Reply by HisHughness on 6/26/05 5:58pm
Msg #47996

PAW laid on us:

***The internet is a wonderful place to visit. You can find just about anything you want. Even a whole website devoted to the **girdle**. For more information than you ever want to know, visit http://www.girdlezone.org/encyc01.htm.***

I'm not sure exactly what it says about PAW that he's surfing the internet for sites about girdles, but I am sure I don't want to know anymore than I already do.

Reply by Dorothy/MI on 6/25/05 5:52pm
Msg #47787

Brenda, at least he didn't say corset!!!

As for me, in the winter time, it's usually skirt or in very cold weather slack suits and a silk blouse, heels if it's nice and flats if snowy or icy. Summer is much more relaxed. In Michigan I am in a number of homes that do not have any air conditioning so I usually dress in a skirt (or skorts), a jersey top and dress sandals. I have been in more homes than I care to remember when it was over 90 and they had all the doors and windows shut and NO fans even! One night went to a home that was that way. The woman was dressed in a long velvet dressing gown. I was dying. I was sweating (that day it was sweating not persperation) so badly that it was running into my eyes. I was constantly rubbing my face with a tissue. She finally looked at me and said "Oh, are you warm? I have a fan here somewhere." She got the fan and turned it on and directed it directly on me so I could finish the signing. Think I would have fainted from heat prostration if she hadn't gotten that fan going.

Reply by Rick_In_NY on 6/26/05 4:55pm
Msg #47990

Posted by Dorothy/MI : "Brenda, at least he didn't say corset!!!"

I'm thinking there are so many diverse styles you ladies described, it might be best to make a uniform combining a little of each.

How about the afore-mentioned "corset," along with stockings and the high heels ... yep, I'd like to see that. ;-)

Reply by Tina G - CA on 6/27/05 11:25am
Msg #48125

I did a signing not to long ago where the borrower had been in an accident. She had suffered some type of spinal injury and was prone to chills. She was in a small room in a hospital bed. I showed up to the signing in my nice linen suit. After ten minutes she asked her daughter to close the bedroom door because she was cold. The rest of the house was air conditioned. I ended up taking off my jacket and would have loved to have done the signing in my underwear. It was like a sauna. During the summer I do wear linen suits, capri's, etc. I have done signings in law offices, title companies and banks where I've been better dressed then them. I know I am presenting a professional appearance when I go to my signings.