When I worked as a mainframe engineer at IBM last century, the dress code was strictly suit and tie, and I carried my tools in a toolcase disguised as a briefca

When I worked as a mainframe engineer at IBM last century, the dress code was strictly suit and tie, and I carried my tools in a toolcase disguised as a briefcase. It was quite the nightmare climbing inside a 3890 check sorter with suit and tie on. The machines were literally puiled high with oily paper dust due to the millions of checks that fired through them continuously and you aways emerged filthy and dusty. I constantly fielded questions from the computer operators as to why I had to wear a monkey suit when I was obviously more of a mechanic (sidenote: I married one so perhaps the suit had some sartorial impact after all). At that time there was apparently only one IBM office in the world where the dress code was relaxed which was Darwin Australia due to the extreme heat. The dress code there was dress shorts and long socks, something like a safari suit.