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People Are Sharing The Hidden Dress Codes Folks Use To Identify Themselves (20 Posts)

11. 

“When I was a teenager a lot of the working-class, multi-generation in the area kids from the very rural West Virginian area I moved to wore these, to my teenage eyes, very funny looking polka dot caps with downward pointing brims. At the time I just assumed they got them at this store that still had a lot of 70s deadstock and it was a trend because they were cheap and it was the 90s and we were irony poisoned. It was pretty widespread across a few counties though. They were mostly worn by the kids who already had decided they were not going to college, whether by their own choice, or their own circumstances. They were welders’ caps. Welder is an aspirational job in the area, if you plan to stay there after graduation. They were signifying they planned to stay and work in the same field their dads did. It didn’t even occur to me what it was all about until some high school reunion.” — PrincessDianaFPlus

12. 

“There is a code when it comes to livestock and equestrians that are often not well-known. It’s most common with horses, but I have seen them used for other animals such as goats who are used to carry supplies when hiking on very rough terrain. These colors can often be universal and can be represented by a ribbon on the tail, or a collar/halter of the same color. Red means the horse/animal has a tendency to kick/bite. Yellow (and sometimes blue) means that they are a stallion/intact male (which are known to be moody or aggressive). Green means the horse/animal is inexperienced. White means the horse/animal is for sale. Pink is sometimes used if the female horse/animal is generally moody or in heat.” — SillyBlackSheep

13. 

“I grew up spending a lot of time in the Great Lakes and overall sailing culture. The height of manliness is a pink “Mt. Gay” baseball cap. No, I’m not joking. The caps are given out at major sailing races, since Mt. Gay rum has a sponsorship. The caps are originally red but if you’ve used and had one for a long time, it fades to pink. You want one.” — SchnarchendeSchwein

14. 

“Small stainless steel or iron pinky ring on your dominant hand is an engineer, specifically an engineer whose pledged an ethics oath. Not exactly a secret, but not well known either.” — UltimateAnswer42

15. 

“The style of kippah/yarmulke Jewish men wear can tell you how religious they are, where their family’s from, their political views, which sect they are/which rabbi they follow, etc.” — punkterminator

16. 

“Socks with sandals means you’ve pretty much given up.” — Westnile84

17. 

“Military uniforms tell you a lot about the person wearing them beyond their name and rank. You can tell what campaigns they’ve been involved in, what professional military education courses they’ve completed, their proficiency with weapons, their occupational specialty and their level of proficiency, how many years they’ve served, and (at least in the USAF), their MAJCOM, wing, and possibly squadron of assignment. Another little secret of the military dress code has to do with hats. A person in uniform wearing a hat indoors indicates that they are armed. The weapon may be concealed or carried openly, but it is a fast way to determine who in a room has weapons.” — GGayleGold

18. 

“Horseback riders know that real riding boots have the zippers on the back or outside.” — fourteendogs

19. 

“Oftentimes student nurses will wear one color of scrubs to stand out from professionals during clinicals. My color was hazel grey.” — BlackRoseBundle

20. 

“Dirndl, traditional German dress. If you tie your bow (from the apron) on the right it means you are single, middle = married and left is widowed…I believe. It has been a number of years since I was told about it and I might have it backwards!” — Serious_5755

Lead image: Pixabay

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Patricia Grisafi

Patricia Grisafi, PhD, is a freelance writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Bitch, Bustle, Broadly, The Establishment, and elsewhere. She is passionate about pit bull rescue, cursed objects, and designer sunglasses.