on What to Wear
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.-Mark Twain
Some occupations require a uniform - to identify an individual who performs some specific duty, whether a police officer, a nurse, a judge. Other professions have 'unwritten' rules about dress, lawyers wear suits, mechanics wear work-shirts, and for some reason... web developers wear jeans and old t-shirts. Since I've entered the workforce, I've been on both sides of policy, with the majority of my time spent in offices where anything goes.Whether or not to give in to the ultra casual atmosphere of the office is a question I face every morning. There seems to be an ingrained belief in the community that developers are free to dress as slovenly as they like, because, goddammit, they're developers! I'm usually in favor of people doing what makes them happy, but I struggle with trying to 'dress down' just to appear 'casual.'Maybe its because I went to a high school (for a little while) where I had to wear a uniform, or maybe its because growing up I saw my parents go to work wearing 'professional' looking clothes, but I'm still confused by what I see people wearing to offices. Sweatpants? Trackpants? NO pants?My scrutiny on this topic might be the result of living in the Washington DC area - arguably one of the most conservatively dressed cities in the world. If I lived in California, I'd probably file into work wearing shorts and flip-flops without giving it a second thought.
If everyone I saw on my way to my desk were all without pants, then sure, I'd happily strip down. The problem is that in many offices, one company isn't the sole tenant of a building - there are many other people around, who aren't developers, most of them outfitted in business threads, and they're all staring at the 'web kids' with a genuine what-the-fuck look on their face. This can really complicate elevator rides and trying to get tables at restaurants.I've heard it explained that dressing down is more 'comfortable', but is it? The only uncomfortable piece of clothing that exists (for men) is a necktie. Other than that, jeans, slacks, shirts with or without collars, all pretty much feel the same.I'm definitely not saying that I'm the most buttoned-down person in the world. In short sleeves I have exposed tattoos, so my appearance is always questionable to some people, but I do what I can to look professional when I'm in a situation that requires it.So there is the question - what is a situation that requires it? Is proximity to other more businessly-dressed people a case for primping? Or should one only spruce up when an important meeting is scheduled? Is just leaving the house a case for sporting your finest habiliments?