Why do traders wear colored jackets?
Exchange rules dictate that personnel on the trading floor must wear jackets and ties, but business attire is not tailored to the physical demands of the trading pit. So the trading jacket was developed as a lightweight, loose-fitting alternative in which a trader may move more freely. Some member brokerage firms have large floor staffs. In practice, all the staff from the same brokerage firm wears the same color jackets, which sometimes also bear the company name or logo, in much the same manner that sports teams wear uniforms. This helps the staff find each other on the crowded trading floor. The jackets also help for easy recognition during active trading. Independent traders often wear trading jackets in colors of their own choosing or they sometimes wear the same color of jacket as that of the member firm that clears their trades.
