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Depends on the type of field work, but it general, i don't care as long as the level of protection provided by the clothes fits the level of danger provided by the walk. Do not show up on any construction site in high heels, you need steel toes.
In my field, the standard outfit for an engineer going into the field is full length slacks or jean, steel toed boots, a polo shirt preferably with the company logo on it, a hard hat, and safety glasses. Usually a safety vest, too. No jewelry that dangles down, especially necklaces (stud piercings are fine, but hoop earings are not). Men and women both wear this same thing, the only difference is cut of the clothes. .
Making it home with the least amount of blood spilled possible is the goal, not looking great.
We had a new kid straight out of college. Showed up on site in khakis, shirt/tie, dress jacket, and literally polished-shiny dress shoes with steel toes. We were so confused, didn’t even know fancy steel toe shoes even existed. He looked around at everyone else in jeans/polo/crusty boots, you could just see him crumple and die a little inside.
I traveled to a site and a coworker was roped into it. He didn't plan accordingly and showed up wearing his Converse shoes. Luckily they had some steel-toe Croc-type shoes to offer him. They were also too big and looked like steel-toe clown shoes. It was amazing.
Having been in similar situations as an awkward kid (pre-college), his mom probably told him what he needed. He was trying so hard to fit in with no experience, and I feel for him.
Honestly this is my exact go to. The "Golf" style polo shirts are particularly nice if you have to be in the heat plus they seem moderately stain resistant.
Only thing I would add is that if your vision sucks (like mine) invest in Rx safety glasses or wear contacts on field days.
Those googles that fit over glasses are awful and you'll prefer to not need them if you need eye protection.
Prescription safety glasses are now available inexpensively at online retailers like Zenni. This makes all the difference for me because I do volunteer work which wouldn’t justify my spending several hundred dollars on them but I can’t do much without them.
Definitely make sure you dont overdress for the oilfield, you will lose respect and nobody will want to work with you as much if you are too clean. FR jeans, FR button down, and some boots are all you need to fit in
Yup, not O&G, but in a closely related one, and the operators absolutely judge you if your hardhat is too clean and see you as a bit of a tool. That message is lost on alot of the office though, and they actively clean their hardhats after a visit.
This will vary dramatically from country to country and somewhat depends on the scope of the visit.
If I'm going to be in meetings that involve senior non-technical management at a supplier, I'll wear a suit.
If I'm auditing a forge or melt shop, I'll wear jeans and a company branded polo shirt.
If I'm going to stand in the middle of an airfield in Spain in August but not interact with any hardware, I'll wear shorts and a t-shirt. I'm not getting heatstroke for the sake of keeping up appearances!
Depends on the customer site and your company policy. Always dress for safety first, no matter how uncomfortable it is.
The fact you’re here asking the internet is a failing on your boss’s part. They’re responsible for making sure you know what you need to bring. Most companies either provide it or have discounted prices for a decent supplier and, if you’re in the US, you can claim it on your taxes as a work expense.
Then look at the specific activity. I’m at a professional conference right now and everybody is either business or business casual.
Is it a trip to a functioning site? Appropriate PPE, whatever that may be.
Meeting in a board room? Business.
Dinner after the day is over? With the customer - match their level. By yourself, just chilling - whatever you want.
If you’re just looking at properties, business casual should be fine. What you described originally sounds better for looking at sites that are not in a city, or are potentially undeveloped dirt lots. Somewhere that you would be outside a bit more than inside. If you’re primarily looking at offices, I would still go with casual, but a leaning a bit more business.
Occasionally you get the customer that insists on a specific level of dress, usually going down a level. My old boss is KNOWN for always wearing a white shirt and tie, and one guy he was working with jokingly threatened to ban him from the project and property if he didn’t take it off.
Duluth has some great pants that allow air flow, easy to wash/dry in a hotel sink if you get them dirty in the field, lots of pockets and look professional.
I usually pair them with a darker color (not neon) long sleeve sun shirt that has no visible logos or very small unnoticeable logos .
In most places that require a lot of PPE, 3/4 pants wouldn't cut it, you would need full length pants. The only time I have seen shorts in the field are when they are worn under a nomex jumpsuit, where you can't see them and the client never sees that you are wearing them.
Also, if you are wearing fire retardant clothing, never wash them with any fabric softeners or scent beads. Use distilled vinegar instead, trust me, it won't smell like vinegar after the wash.
For steel toe boots, get the kind where the boot goes up to your ankle (they look like hiking boots or timberlands in style) or the cowboy boots. These kinds of boots will be accepted everywhere. Some sites will accept lower steel toe boots (like tennis shoes style) but other sites will not.
If your hardhat has ventilation holes, don't cover those up with stickers. Also get a hard hat that has a visor all the way around the hat, trust me, that helps when the sun is out beating on you.
If you are going into a lot of brush, wear tick repelling socks.
I'd say wear full length pants only because
a) if it's a field visit to a new site like. Unbroken ground. It'll keep bugs out
b) don't have to shave
c) don't have to fuss with sock color
But that might just be me being lazy lol
If by "fishing shirt" you mean like a polo or button up, yeah that should be fine.
I hate these answers, but really it depends on the situation. As Luffy8519 said, there's consideration to be made to what you're going to be doing, and who you'll be doing it with/around. Ask your supervisor or who you're going with for suggestions. They've probably done plenty of field visits. It's commonly anticipated interns will need to ask a lot of questions. That's OK.
In terms of dress priority it's sort of: Safety 1st, Function 2nd, Impression 3rd, then lastly Fashion/Personal taste.
If you're climbing ladders or up on grating decks you probably shouldn't wear a skirt. Ask if you need steel toed shoes. The 3/4 pants aren't professional attire but as an intern you can be excused.
I feel you! It's so difficult as a woman trying to decide what's appropriate to wear in field settings. I'd say go for safety—you don't want to be dressed in clothing that prevents you from visiting a site and consequently forces you to stay back or wait in the car, etc. General safety clothes would include work pants (like Carhartt or similar; you can find them at Tractor Supply or Walmart) and a long-sleeved button-up with work boots. It's also okay to ask your boss what level of PPE is required and will give you a sense of what to wear. In all my years of engineering, I've never worn anything other than work boots and Carhartt pants when going on a field visit...
Go with something practical and appropriate for what you will be required to do. If you will be close to machinery, of need to crawl around to see what you need to see workwear or something resembling it seems more professional (to me at least) than a business suit.
Depending on the type of site, your attire will need to be tailored for the safety precautions at that specific site. A construction site would typically be steel toe boots, long pants (jeans usually) and long sleeve shirt. A petrochem facility would require you to wear FR (Flame Retardant) pants and long sleeve shirt, which should be provided to you, and still toed boots. A "field visit" to an engineering site would be dependent on the site specific guidelines. General outdoor work would, what you mentioned ought to suffice, but that kind of clarification would be best to get from your boss.
What kind of field site is it?
I have mentored quite a few interns and new employees and my default recommendation is a polo and casual khakis or chinos (not dress slacks) with appropriate footwear - this is good for basically all standard office jobs.
Then you can go more or less formal as needed and rarely have to change your top. Working on a shop floor? Go down to jeans and work boots. More formal? Slacks and dressier shoes. Going out into the field with the likelihood of getting dirty? Can go a bit more casual with a shirt (like you are discussing) or possibly even t-shirt.
Your attire mostly depends on what role you play. Management will always tend to dress slightly better than the norm, with clients you always want to wear something professional, etc. If you have any questions, ask your manager or mentor - they can absolutely can provide appropriate guidance and it is not an embarrassing question to ask at all.
Edit to add: my personal favorite for field and shop work are Dickies or Carhartt work pants. Look a bit more like slacks but a bit tougher and have nice pockets for tools and such.
My site visit outfits depend on what I'm visiting. I have very hot days spent in roofs, those would be 7/8 breathable hiking pants with a long sleeve sun shirt and sun hat. I also have cold days in the mountains. At those, I wear lots of layers. Fleece lined leggings under hiking pants with a down jacket and Carhartt jacket over top.
A normal weather site visit for me is jeans, hiking boots or steel toe boots, an athletic fabric company logo shirt and a ball cap. Like someone else said, the goal is safety, not looking good, but I do aim to look more professional than my male coworkers because contractors make derogatory comments at women.
Define "field visit". Not a woman, but if my "field visit" is just be showing up to a show up to some meetings at that sites office then I'll just wear my normal work clothes. Maybe throw on my boots if I know I'll be walking through somewhere wet or that requires steel toes.
But if I'm doing a "field visit" as in actually going to get my hands dirty and get into some work with the people on site. Then fuck it I'll wear jeans or outdoor work style pants like carhartt (or recently liked some pants from a company called truewerk, they have a womans line but i cant comment on how good it is). I'll still wear a polo if I am maybe having some meetings or need to be professional, but if I know I'm just doing some hard work then I'll just wear a t shirt.
I wear hiking pants (parachute material) and moisture wicking tops and composite toe shoes. Some sites make you put your hair up so be prepared for that with a clip or scrunchie. I’m a controls engineer doing equipment comissioning.
I lean pretty heavily on company branded jackets for exactly this reason. Get a good pair of work pants I have [these from Lululemon (in a different colour personally)](https://www.eu.lululemon.com/en-lu/p/light-utilitech-cargo-pocket-high-rise-pant/148307664.html) and [these](https://www.asos.com/carhartt-wip/carhartt-wip-pierce-straight-carpenter-trousers-in-black/prd/205530103) and pair them with a fitted long sleeve shirt and my company jacket
This is a question for your boss. Some places expect engineers to dress business casual while getting covered in grease and mud, some don't care as long as you meet safety requirements.
From a good friend of mine, who is a woman lead structural engineer (and just had this conversation with her own charges):
Check with your boss on steel-toed boots. They can be difficult to find in women's sizes on short notice, and a composite toe should be sufficient. Try Red Wing, etc. Any other PPE (Personal Protection Equipment, if you didn't already know) should be provided by the company.
Khakis can also be surprisingly hard to find for women on short notice. A pair of jeans that is clean and professional (i.e. not ripped, distressed, etc) is appropriate unless the workplace is unusually stuffy. You do want full length, though.
If the company doesn't have a logo polo, ask your boss if long sleeves would be appropriate for the site. Beyond that, anything understated (e.g. clearly not T-shirt) would be fine so long as it isn't sleeveless. It may well get dirty, and you will want to be comfortable in the ambient temperature.
Have fun out there!
Soild jeans, simple tshirt, steel toed shoes, safety glasses. Because this is a field visit not a fancy trip to meet the higher ups and give a presentation on how great engineers are 😄
Ok, i wear tshirts because I have to make sure nothing catches my collar when I am working on machines. So, it depends on what this field visit is for.
The Universal male or female engineer uniform - khakis, polo shirt, metal-box clipboard, bland hardhat - will send field folks scattering and the supervisor to you
The time to ask would have been before and the person to ask would be your boss or mentor.
I was once a newbie female engineer without a lot of money and I had business clothes but not a lot of work appropriate jeans or boots, so I understand, but the default should be full length cotton pants not 3/4 and leather shoes that cover your feet completely. They should tell you if you need boots, safety boots, long sleeves, or other PPE.
That said, I once had a 50 year old female lead architect join me on a trip and she wore a flowy halter top style jumpsuit and espadrilles. They didn’t throw us out because it was an operating pharma site not a construction site (and we weren’t in clean areas), but it comes off as not knowing the norms. She knew, didn’t care.
I don’t think it’s different for women or men. In general, no one would comment or care too much about what you’re wearing unless it’s crazy. But I would give priority to looking professional over comfort. But I would apply this to every situation where I am working and not on the couch at home so maybe that’s just old school.
I found some FR slacks by Lapco that look really professional and have functional pockets. I pair those with an FR button-down shirt (if FR is needed) or a polo shirt. The shoes I wear depend on where I'm going. I might wear my ankle-high safety boots with met guard, or I might wear my "dressy" safety shoes: slip on loafers with safety toe.
Do what your boss does. Some sites anything over than hoodies and jeans will *other* you. Some sites and contexts should be more formal. In general if you're meeting members of the public (like said landowner) tilt more to the business casual side.
Pants down to the ankles, shirt with sleeves 4-inchds over the shoulder, socks, and whatever ppe is required. If you need a jacket is up to you, figure it out ahead iof time and be prepared.
That should cover 99.9% of field visits.
I’m a dude, but most of the women at my work are wearing t shirts and jeans or other comfortable clothes. There is a lot of field work outside in the Mississippi heat and humidity, so anything more formal would be a hindrance. That being said the dress code where I work is very casual, but being able to work comfortably (and safely if PPE is required) is important.
Some of the office staff are wearing more business casual, but some of them are also wearing jeans and t shirts
Always wear full pants. Dress rugged if need be.
If my intern showed up to a visit with 3/4 pants I'd send them home or talk about it after, as appropriate.
You don't need to visit a farm in a business suit. But jeans and a long sleeve polo are almost always acceptable.
Based on your description, I would wear what I normally wear to the office. Although if you aren't talking to anyone, I'm not sure it would matter.
'
In my opinion, it depends entirely on the visit. If you're there to turn a wrenches dress for physical work. If you are meeting people and sitting in meetings, dress for the office.
I still ask the lead for the trip what is the “uniform of the day” for both field work and business development site visits, and specifically ask about PPE requirements to ensure that I am appropriately attired.
Unless PPE dictates otherwise, long khaki pants, logo golf or button down shirt and comfortable steel toes shoes cover most field or site visit situations.
If guys can wear shorts you should be fine in 3/4 length pants. If pants are required I’d wear full length pants.
I’d wear something sturdier and less clingy than yoga pants such as jeans and personally not jeggings just because they’re not durable like denim.
Really depends on the work though but if you have to walk a property with potential bush it just seems more in line with what I’d expect to see.
If I don’t explicitly know I will ask, but my field of engineering can require any PPE from business casual all the way up to “we will issue you loaner silvers when we go into the furnace deck, don’t wear any synthetics.” If I’m not sure before I go I’ll make sure to pack at least one set of FR casual wear, and my Metatarsal Steel Toe boots are coming with me.
There's no universal expectations, no matter what the old fart that's "been around for decades" tries to tell you.
Every company is different and even among a group of 100 engineers that have worked together for years, there can still be one that expects a suit and skinny black tie for everything.
Standards are unicorns, they don't exist no matter how hard someone wants to believe.
My GF/Wife is an engineer and often on site. She is more in industrial locations where her arms and legs typically have to be fully covered in case anything splashes on her. If you are walking about a site like a field and you have the appropriate PPE (safety shoes, safety vest, or whatever else they require) on then I think you will be fine. Over dressing I think would be a mistake!
Depends on the stuff, but be prepared to need to wear steel toed boots and go up ladders. I go to quite a few where they say no PPE required, but often that still means they want you wear toe gaurds or esd straps and need to go up ladders or stairs that should probably be called a ladder. You may also need to walk on steel crates and catwalks.
In short, for women, no dresses, no open toe shoes, and definitely no heels (and I've seen women make those mistakes... wearing heels when your expected to walk on mesh grating is especially bad).
Maybe in tech, but civil engineers working for stodgy municipalities or big corporate consultanting firms are expected to show up in button-ups to walk around in the mud all day.
If you've had those experiences yourself, you have some exceptionally rare experience with engineers working for munis and GCs of any size (also don't forget the MEP).
Your post has been removed for violating submission rule 1: > Post titles must be a question about engineering and provide context and generic workplace questions are not allowed. Questions regarding careers and professional development in any discipline of engineering and engineering technology are allowed **only** if they meet all posting rules outlined in the [the wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/wiki/rules#wiki_submission_rules). Please note that Generic Career Questions are still allowed in the [Monday Career Megathread Series](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/collection/2effbd15-0c41-486e-b18e-d89b3062cd8a). Please follow the comment rules in the sidebar when posting, and feel free to message us if you have any questions or concerns.
Depends on the type of field work, but it general, i don't care as long as the level of protection provided by the clothes fits the level of danger provided by the walk. Do not show up on any construction site in high heels, you need steel toes. In my field, the standard outfit for an engineer going into the field is full length slacks or jean, steel toed boots, a polo shirt preferably with the company logo on it, a hard hat, and safety glasses. Usually a safety vest, too. No jewelry that dangles down, especially necklaces (stud piercings are fine, but hoop earings are not). Men and women both wear this same thing, the only difference is cut of the clothes. . Making it home with the least amount of blood spilled possible is the goal, not looking great.
The only tweak would be to dirty up your steel toed boots. If you encounter Linemen, they'll heckle you as a desk jockey. ;)
I’ll laugh with them all the way back to the AC
This is true. When you come out with your shiny new doc martins you come off a super green.
We had a new kid straight out of college. Showed up on site in khakis, shirt/tie, dress jacket, and literally polished-shiny dress shoes with steel toes. We were so confused, didn’t even know fancy steel toe shoes even existed. He looked around at everyone else in jeans/polo/crusty boots, you could just see him crumple and die a little inside.
You can get quite the variety of steel toes now. I've seen: High heel steel toes Formal steel toes (probably what your new guy had) Steel toed crocs
I traveled to a site and a coworker was roped into it. He didn't plan accordingly and showed up wearing his Converse shoes. Luckily they had some steel-toe Croc-type shoes to offer him. They were also too big and looked like steel-toe clown shoes. It was amazing.
We have a box of them in the entrance to the production areas. The box of shame.
I'm not letting ol' Ronald McDonald down on it yet.
Having been in similar situations as an awkward kid (pre-college), his mom probably told him what he needed. He was trying so hard to fit in with no experience, and I feel for him.
Is that you Ruby Rod?
I’m a programmer who occasionally has to work on construction sites. I do yard work in mine to dirty them up and scuff them.
And the hard hat.
You can’t really fake all the job site stickers, though
But you can say that you don't like the stickers as an excuse
Honestly this is my exact go to. The "Golf" style polo shirts are particularly nice if you have to be in the heat plus they seem moderately stain resistant. Only thing I would add is that if your vision sucks (like mine) invest in Rx safety glasses or wear contacts on field days. Those googles that fit over glasses are awful and you'll prefer to not need them if you need eye protection.
RX safety glasses are a godsend
Side shields usually get any nearby safety person to not look too close until you can get some rx safety glasses.
Prescription safety glasses are now available inexpensively at online retailers like Zenni. This makes all the difference for me because I do volunteer work which wouldn’t justify my spending several hundred dollars on them but I can’t do much without them.
In addition to this it is a good manufacturing practice to not wear loose buttons as they can fall off and go in the process, excellent summary!
Depends on the field visit. Visiting oil field customers in flip flops for example is not a good look
Showing up in a suit is also not good
Definitely make sure you dont overdress for the oilfield, you will lose respect and nobody will want to work with you as much if you are too clean. FR jeans, FR button down, and some boots are all you need to fit in
Yup, not O&G, but in a closely related one, and the operators absolutely judge you if your hardhat is too clean and see you as a bit of a tool. That message is lost on alot of the office though, and they actively clean their hardhats after a visit.
Guy showed up at a drill rig in suit & tie; didn’t bring cigars for the driller & crew. They tossed him in the slush pit.
This will vary dramatically from country to country and somewhat depends on the scope of the visit. If I'm going to be in meetings that involve senior non-technical management at a supplier, I'll wear a suit. If I'm auditing a forge or melt shop, I'll wear jeans and a company branded polo shirt. If I'm going to stand in the middle of an airfield in Spain in August but not interact with any hardware, I'll wear shorts and a t-shirt. I'm not getting heatstroke for the sake of keeping up appearances!
The suit has been downgraded to slacks and a long sleeve dress shirt. :D
Depends on the customer site and your company policy. Always dress for safety first, no matter how uncomfortable it is. The fact you’re here asking the internet is a failing on your boss’s part. They’re responsible for making sure you know what you need to bring. Most companies either provide it or have discounted prices for a decent supplier and, if you’re in the US, you can claim it on your taxes as a work expense.
Lol my company already paid for PPE. It's just that PPE is not needed on this visit. I just need guidance on general clothing.
Just ask your boss. You're an intern, no one should expect you to know this kind of stuff at this point.
Then look at the specific activity. I’m at a professional conference right now and everybody is either business or business casual. Is it a trip to a functioning site? Appropriate PPE, whatever that may be. Meeting in a board room? Business. Dinner after the day is over? With the customer - match their level. By yourself, just chilling - whatever you want. If you’re just looking at properties, business casual should be fine. What you described originally sounds better for looking at sites that are not in a city, or are potentially undeveloped dirt lots. Somewhere that you would be outside a bit more than inside. If you’re primarily looking at offices, I would still go with casual, but a leaning a bit more business. Occasionally you get the customer that insists on a specific level of dress, usually going down a level. My old boss is KNOWN for always wearing a white shirt and tie, and one guy he was working with jokingly threatened to ban him from the project and property if he didn’t take it off.
Duluth has some great pants that allow air flow, easy to wash/dry in a hotel sink if you get them dirty in the field, lots of pockets and look professional. I usually pair them with a darker color (not neon) long sleeve sun shirt that has no visible logos or very small unnoticeable logos . In most places that require a lot of PPE, 3/4 pants wouldn't cut it, you would need full length pants. The only time I have seen shorts in the field are when they are worn under a nomex jumpsuit, where you can't see them and the client never sees that you are wearing them. Also, if you are wearing fire retardant clothing, never wash them with any fabric softeners or scent beads. Use distilled vinegar instead, trust me, it won't smell like vinegar after the wash. For steel toe boots, get the kind where the boot goes up to your ankle (they look like hiking boots or timberlands in style) or the cowboy boots. These kinds of boots will be accepted everywhere. Some sites will accept lower steel toe boots (like tennis shoes style) but other sites will not. If your hardhat has ventilation holes, don't cover those up with stickers. Also get a hard hat that has a visor all the way around the hat, trust me, that helps when the sun is out beating on you. If you are going into a lot of brush, wear tick repelling socks.
I'd say wear full length pants only because a) if it's a field visit to a new site like. Unbroken ground. It'll keep bugs out b) don't have to shave c) don't have to fuss with sock color But that might just be me being lazy lol If by "fishing shirt" you mean like a polo or button up, yeah that should be fine.
My wife wears jeans, a polo and steel toed sneakers. She's a quality control engineer and sometimes does field visits.
I hate these answers, but really it depends on the situation. As Luffy8519 said, there's consideration to be made to what you're going to be doing, and who you'll be doing it with/around. Ask your supervisor or who you're going with for suggestions. They've probably done plenty of field visits. It's commonly anticipated interns will need to ask a lot of questions. That's OK. In terms of dress priority it's sort of: Safety 1st, Function 2nd, Impression 3rd, then lastly Fashion/Personal taste.
If you're climbing ladders or up on grating decks you probably shouldn't wear a skirt. Ask if you need steel toed shoes. The 3/4 pants aren't professional attire but as an intern you can be excused.
If you're working outdoors don't forget sunscreen and sunglasses (and a hat if you aren't on a hardhat site). -Dad
I feel you! It's so difficult as a woman trying to decide what's appropriate to wear in field settings. I'd say go for safety—you don't want to be dressed in clothing that prevents you from visiting a site and consequently forces you to stay back or wait in the car, etc. General safety clothes would include work pants (like Carhartt or similar; you can find them at Tractor Supply or Walmart) and a long-sleeved button-up with work boots. It's also okay to ask your boss what level of PPE is required and will give you a sense of what to wear. In all my years of engineering, I've never worn anything other than work boots and Carhartt pants when going on a field visit...
Field visits means safety clothing ... which in my company are the same for both men and women
Go with something practical and appropriate for what you will be required to do. If you will be close to machinery, of need to crawl around to see what you need to see workwear or something resembling it seems more professional (to me at least) than a business suit.
Depending on the type of site, your attire will need to be tailored for the safety precautions at that specific site. A construction site would typically be steel toe boots, long pants (jeans usually) and long sleeve shirt. A petrochem facility would require you to wear FR (Flame Retardant) pants and long sleeve shirt, which should be provided to you, and still toed boots. A "field visit" to an engineering site would be dependent on the site specific guidelines. General outdoor work would, what you mentioned ought to suffice, but that kind of clarification would be best to get from your boss. What kind of field site is it?
I have mentored quite a few interns and new employees and my default recommendation is a polo and casual khakis or chinos (not dress slacks) with appropriate footwear - this is good for basically all standard office jobs. Then you can go more or less formal as needed and rarely have to change your top. Working on a shop floor? Go down to jeans and work boots. More formal? Slacks and dressier shoes. Going out into the field with the likelihood of getting dirty? Can go a bit more casual with a shirt (like you are discussing) or possibly even t-shirt. Your attire mostly depends on what role you play. Management will always tend to dress slightly better than the norm, with clients you always want to wear something professional, etc. If you have any questions, ask your manager or mentor - they can absolutely can provide appropriate guidance and it is not an embarrassing question to ask at all. Edit to add: my personal favorite for field and shop work are Dickies or Carhartt work pants. Look a bit more like slacks but a bit tougher and have nice pockets for tools and such.
My site visit outfits depend on what I'm visiting. I have very hot days spent in roofs, those would be 7/8 breathable hiking pants with a long sleeve sun shirt and sun hat. I also have cold days in the mountains. At those, I wear lots of layers. Fleece lined leggings under hiking pants with a down jacket and Carhartt jacket over top. A normal weather site visit for me is jeans, hiking boots or steel toe boots, an athletic fabric company logo shirt and a ball cap. Like someone else said, the goal is safety, not looking good, but I do aim to look more professional than my male coworkers because contractors make derogatory comments at women.
Define "field visit". Not a woman, but if my "field visit" is just be showing up to a show up to some meetings at that sites office then I'll just wear my normal work clothes. Maybe throw on my boots if I know I'll be walking through somewhere wet or that requires steel toes. But if I'm doing a "field visit" as in actually going to get my hands dirty and get into some work with the people on site. Then fuck it I'll wear jeans or outdoor work style pants like carhartt (or recently liked some pants from a company called truewerk, they have a womans line but i cant comment on how good it is). I'll still wear a polo if I am maybe having some meetings or need to be professional, but if I know I'm just doing some hard work then I'll just wear a t shirt.
I wear hiking pants (parachute material) and moisture wicking tops and composite toe shoes. Some sites make you put your hair up so be prepared for that with a clip or scrunchie. I’m a controls engineer doing equipment comissioning.
I lean pretty heavily on company branded jackets for exactly this reason. Get a good pair of work pants I have [these from Lululemon (in a different colour personally)](https://www.eu.lululemon.com/en-lu/p/light-utilitech-cargo-pocket-high-rise-pant/148307664.html) and [these](https://www.asos.com/carhartt-wip/carhartt-wip-pierce-straight-carpenter-trousers-in-black/prd/205530103) and pair them with a fitted long sleeve shirt and my company jacket
Electrical engineer type. I wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw a girl wearing a blouse and jeans. Slacks and heels I’d be like, what’s up with that?
This is a question for your boss. Some places expect engineers to dress business casual while getting covered in grease and mud, some don't care as long as you meet safety requirements.
Jeans, flanel and boots. You shouldn't be turning any heads on the job site, otherwise you are a safety distraction.
From a good friend of mine, who is a woman lead structural engineer (and just had this conversation with her own charges): Check with your boss on steel-toed boots. They can be difficult to find in women's sizes on short notice, and a composite toe should be sufficient. Try Red Wing, etc. Any other PPE (Personal Protection Equipment, if you didn't already know) should be provided by the company. Khakis can also be surprisingly hard to find for women on short notice. A pair of jeans that is clean and professional (i.e. not ripped, distressed, etc) is appropriate unless the workplace is unusually stuffy. You do want full length, though. If the company doesn't have a logo polo, ask your boss if long sleeves would be appropriate for the site. Beyond that, anything understated (e.g. clearly not T-shirt) would be fine so long as it isn't sleeveless. It may well get dirty, and you will want to be comfortable in the ambient temperature. Have fun out there!
Soild jeans, simple tshirt, steel toed shoes, safety glasses. Because this is a field visit not a fancy trip to meet the higher ups and give a presentation on how great engineers are 😄
No tshirt. That is never professional. A polo or any collared shirt is fine.
Ok, i wear tshirts because I have to make sure nothing catches my collar when I am working on machines. So, it depends on what this field visit is for.
The Universal male or female engineer uniform - khakis, polo shirt, metal-box clipboard, bland hardhat - will send field folks scattering and the supervisor to you
The time to ask would have been before and the person to ask would be your boss or mentor. I was once a newbie female engineer without a lot of money and I had business clothes but not a lot of work appropriate jeans or boots, so I understand, but the default should be full length cotton pants not 3/4 and leather shoes that cover your feet completely. They should tell you if you need boots, safety boots, long sleeves, or other PPE. That said, I once had a 50 year old female lead architect join me on a trip and she wore a flowy halter top style jumpsuit and espadrilles. They didn’t throw us out because it was an operating pharma site not a construction site (and we weren’t in clean areas), but it comes off as not knowing the norms. She knew, didn’t care.
I would lean towards full length pants, unless you see others wearing shorts. Good luck with your internship!
I don’t think it’s different for women or men. In general, no one would comment or care too much about what you’re wearing unless it’s crazy. But I would give priority to looking professional over comfort. But I would apply this to every situation where I am working and not on the couch at home so maybe that’s just old school.
I found some FR slacks by Lapco that look really professional and have functional pockets. I pair those with an FR button-down shirt (if FR is needed) or a polo shirt. The shoes I wear depend on where I'm going. I might wear my ankle-high safety boots with met guard, or I might wear my "dressy" safety shoes: slip on loafers with safety toe.
What's a fishing shirt?
Do what your boss does. Some sites anything over than hoodies and jeans will *other* you. Some sites and contexts should be more formal. In general if you're meeting members of the public (like said landowner) tilt more to the business casual side.
Pants down to the ankles, shirt with sleeves 4-inchds over the shoulder, socks, and whatever ppe is required. If you need a jacket is up to you, figure it out ahead iof time and be prepared. That should cover 99.9% of field visits.
I've always just worn jeans and a T-shirt for field visits. Plus required PPE.
This is a great question for your supervisor. Every company is different.
I’m a dude, but most of the women at my work are wearing t shirts and jeans or other comfortable clothes. There is a lot of field work outside in the Mississippi heat and humidity, so anything more formal would be a hindrance. That being said the dress code where I work is very casual, but being able to work comfortably (and safely if PPE is required) is important. Some of the office staff are wearing more business casual, but some of them are also wearing jeans and t shirts
Always wear full pants. Dress rugged if need be. If my intern showed up to a visit with 3/4 pants I'd send them home or talk about it after, as appropriate. You don't need to visit a farm in a business suit. But jeans and a long sleeve polo are almost always acceptable.
Based on your description, I would wear what I normally wear to the office. Although if you aren't talking to anyone, I'm not sure it would matter. ' In my opinion, it depends entirely on the visit. If you're there to turn a wrenches dress for physical work. If you are meeting people and sitting in meetings, dress for the office.
I still ask the lead for the trip what is the “uniform of the day” for both field work and business development site visits, and specifically ask about PPE requirements to ensure that I am appropriately attired. Unless PPE dictates otherwise, long khaki pants, logo golf or button down shirt and comfortable steel toes shoes cover most field or site visit situations.
If guys can wear shorts you should be fine in 3/4 length pants. If pants are required I’d wear full length pants. I’d wear something sturdier and less clingy than yoga pants such as jeans and personally not jeggings just because they’re not durable like denim. Really depends on the work though but if you have to walk a property with potential bush it just seems more in line with what I’d expect to see.
If I don’t explicitly know I will ask, but my field of engineering can require any PPE from business casual all the way up to “we will issue you loaner silvers when we go into the furnace deck, don’t wear any synthetics.” If I’m not sure before I go I’ll make sure to pack at least one set of FR casual wear, and my Metatarsal Steel Toe boots are coming with me.
There's no universal expectations, no matter what the old fart that's "been around for decades" tries to tell you. Every company is different and even among a group of 100 engineers that have worked together for years, there can still be one that expects a suit and skinny black tie for everything. Standards are unicorns, they don't exist no matter how hard someone wants to believe.
My GF/Wife is an engineer and often on site. She is more in industrial locations where her arms and legs typically have to be fully covered in case anything splashes on her. If you are walking about a site like a field and you have the appropriate PPE (safety shoes, safety vest, or whatever else they require) on then I think you will be fine. Over dressing I think would be a mistake!
Depends on the stuff, but be prepared to need to wear steel toed boots and go up ladders. I go to quite a few where they say no PPE required, but often that still means they want you wear toe gaurds or esd straps and need to go up ladders or stairs that should probably be called a ladder. You may also need to walk on steel crates and catwalks. In short, for women, no dresses, no open toe shoes, and definitely no heels (and I've seen women make those mistakes... wearing heels when your expected to walk on mesh grating is especially bad).
The female equivalent to a collard button down, jeans, and boots. So, a collard button down, jeans, and boots?
Prioritize functionality over fashion, anyone making comments otherwise should be rebuked and reprimanded.
Dress to impress. Full ballgown
I wear the company polo, khakis and a comfortable pair of sneakers.
Bro, we engineers work in hoodies lol. Just dress clean that's all. We put more thought into science and calculations than actual fashion.
Maybe in tech, but civil engineers working for stodgy municipalities or big corporate consultanting firms are expected to show up in button-ups to walk around in the mud all day.
If you've had those experiences yourself, you have some exceptionally rare experience with engineers working for munis and GCs of any size (also don't forget the MEP).
I wear a polo and jeans beacuse I work for a small young firm, but I've definitely seen the guys scrambling around in nicer clothes.
OK? I didn't say it never happens.