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Ask HN: Dress code? Do you dress up for work?
2 points by cpeterso on Oct 29, 2011 | hide | past | favorite | 4 comments
Tech companies, and startups in particular, are known for relaxed dress codes. I don't believe people's attire has much effect on their work performance, but I sometimes wonder how software engineers (as a profession or individuals) would be treated differently if they wore nicer work clothes (e.g. no hoodies or logo t-shirts).

Do you dress up for work? Does your office have an unspoken dress code, pressuring people to dress up or down?




Seen one company trying to enforce dress code. Not much has changed apart from people being angry at the person trying to introduce it. I guess people would have lower work performance if they were unhappy about something silly like that. That's also connected to spending money since not everyone might have enough non-tshirts to last a week...

On the other hand - I do like to wear "better" clothes. They definitely do work in places like banks, offices, etc. where you want to get something done efficiently. They will even get you a drink at the bar before a student in a hoodie sometimes. There's a stereotype of a professional and expensive look - play it right and you can get a slightly better treatment.

Additionally if you do feel that you make a better impression than people around you, your charisma will improve making the "better clothes" a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. This could work just as well for having the most geeky tshirt in an appropriate group.


> your charisma will improve making the "better clothes" a kind of self fulfilling prophecy.

The TV show "What Not To Wear" has some dramatic makeovers that greatly improve people's self-confidence.

I seem to remember an HN story about a fashion blog for geeks, but I can't find it now. If someone were to create one, a good name might be "DressCode". :)


I wear business casual almost all the time, and have done so for years. I feel most comfortable in a collared shirt and khakis, so that's what I wear almost all the time (including today, a Saturday when I haven't left my home office). I would look with equal disdain upon an office where I was expected to wear a T-shirt and shorts as I would upon an office where I was expected to wear a tie.


I typically wear a nice pair of jeans and a collard shirt. During the summer I have been known to wear a nice tee-shirt and shorts on friday.




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