What not to wear: A Fashion Week look inside the MTA's uniform rules

You won’t find any transit workers on the catwalks at Fashion Week, but their mode of dress is actually a highly stylized affair.

Train crews and station employees have to follow rules governing their uniforms — everything from which button they can open to when to wear the “winter trooper” cap.

Some of the odder demands listed in NYC Transit memos include:

-- Yarmulkas must be made out of blue fabric, with the MTA logo facing forward.

-- No sandals, sneakers, shoes “with platform soles” or high heels.

-- Conductors can only remove their hats when “observing the platform” or “crossing between cars.”

-- Only the top button open on short-sleeve shirts.

-- Clip-on ties only.

Those caught breaking the rules are usually given a pass, but managers can technically send home workers without pay.

“No one wanted uniforms,” said Paul Piazza, a union representative for station agents. “It was much simpler years ago.”

Decades ago, workers could dress as they pleased as long as it looked neat.
In the 1990s, workers began trekking out to a warehouse in Queens to be fitted for uniforms.

Now, garments are ordered every three years online, with transit paying between $6.75 for a gray ascot to $55 for a polyester blazer.