Dress codes exist in nearly every occupation. Corporate jobs have their employees decked out in suits and ties, some businesses opt for corporate casual and a handful let employees wear whatever they wish.
But other occupational uniforms make their employees stand out considerably from the rest.
Ned's Book Store, 135 E. Grand River Ave., has an employee dress day after day as a gorilla for promotion. Exotic dancers don seductive lingerie for their night's work while employees of Foot Locker stick out like a sore thumb in their black and white striped referee shirts.
Seventeen-year-old Colleen Guysky, on the other hand, works in a time warp. Guysky is a hostess at Johnny Rockets, 2950 Town Center Blvd., in the Eastwood Towne Center.
"All the waiters and waitresses dress in 1950s soda jerk outfits and hats," said Guysky of the nostalgic diner-style restaurant.
Employees at Johnny Rockets take on the role of bebop-era hamburger stand. Customers are treated to song and dance numbers from the era, during which the staff sings and dances to songs such as Aretha Franklin's "Respect."
"I was a little nervous about it at first," Guysky said about her retro work attire, "But other people who come in, like the customers, they really seem to enjoy it."
Compared to other after-school jobs, Guysky said her Johnny Rockets uniform is a complete change of pace.
"It's a lot more elaborate (than other uniforms)," she said. "It gives the feel of a 1950s hamburger shop."
Other jobs are not so elaborate in their dress code. Nutritional science senior Shannon Camp's job as a lifeguard at IM Sports-West requires her to essentially dress for a day at the beach.
"There's really no prep. You wake up, put on a bathing suit and go to work," Camp said. "All you really need is your whistle, your tube and your suit."
Camp said although some pools require their lifeguards to wear one-piece bathing suits, IM Sports-West allows its employees to define their own dress code at their discretion.
"It's nice considering we're outdoors," she said. "They keep the bikinis sports-like with no straps or anything. You basically get to lay out in the sun, so it's a good uniform for that."
Perhaps the ultimately distinctive work uniform is that of Chuck E. Cheese. The mouse, a trademark of its namesake restaurant, struts around the pizzeria and playplace to the enjoyment of the store's young clientele. The mouse itself is a person in a life-size foam and cloth costume, complete with the animal's familiar face and tail.
Waverly High School senior Terry Edwards, 17, dons the Chuck E. Cheese suit four to five times a week at the store's Lansing location, 5451 W. Saginaw Hwy.
"The suit itself isn't all that big. The helmet is the biggest thing," Edwards said. "It gets hot in there. You get really sweaty really quick."
Roaming the store in the mouse suit, Edwards said kids react to his dance and other show numbers in many ways. Some want to play, while others have a more devious agenda.
"Some of the parents think it's cute to see a kid (beat up) on Chuck E.," Edwards said, noting his co-workers often have to tame the more aggressive children.
"I expect that. You've got to show expressions, like you're sad, and walk away when kids hit you," he said.
Constantly surrounded by children, Edwards said leaving your attitude at the door is a must if you are scheduled to be the mouse for the day.
"Sometimes on a bad day, it gets to you to be Chuck E. If you're mad you still have to get into character," he said. "You have to sing and dance and put on shows. When you're in a bad mood, it's hard to be Chuck E."
