3 ms·

This works both ways. When I was at Apple, we had a consultant who insisted on coming into work dressed like a professional consultant. The rest of us were in

by kabdib 9y ago

This works both ways. When I was at Apple, we had a consultant who insisted on coming into work dressed like a professional consultant. The rest of us were in T-shirts, shorts and jeans, sandals or tennis shoes or hiking boots, a typical hacker crowd. She wasn't getting much traction. It was awkward to have a "suit" in meetings, even though we knew she was an excellent engineer. A couple of us suggested that it might help for her to dress down. Finally our director (a woman, if it matters) took her aside and had a chat. A few days later the consultant started coming into work in jeans / t-shirt and so forth, and her interactions with us went a lot better. The hacker in me wants to feel vindicated. But really it just shows how shallow we can be. In any event, I am never, ever going to wear a tie or a suit to work.

ghaff 9y ago
I speak at a lot of technical events even though I come from the product management/marketing side. The standard business casual--khakis and button-down oxford shirts--had felt comfortable to me forever. These days I feel I really should ratchet things down to a "tribal" T-shirt or at least a polo so I don't seem so generically corporate at many events. I almost never wear a tie these days though except for certain big stage events.
protomyth 9y ago
Yep, dress to the social norms. If your company and the onsite people differ then wear what everyone else is wearing and hang a suit up if you have to visit the brass. At one point in my life, a person showing up wearing a suit was a big warning (e.g. government worker). I then went to work at a place that took its dress code a bit seriously[1]. Although, if a person is with a consulting company that is in the business of pushing out IT employees expect them to all wear suits and convince your management that they are serious workers and you are sloppy workers. The management tribe likes suits. 1) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3015677#3015969 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3015677#3015969
- walrus01 9y ago
  > At one point in my life, a person showing up wearing a suit was a big warning (e.g. government worker) If you really want to freak people out, wear business casual, put on a BRAND NEW clean high-visibility safety vest and fresh, clean hard hat without any stickers and show up to a major high-rise construction site with a clipboard and DSLR camera. Have done this a few times (planning fiber construction/riser paths).
  - protomyth 9y ago
    I can see where that would be a "oh, great" moment. I was in a rural area. What a lot of people don't get about government site visits for grants is that there is a bit a pecking order. The upper officials get to go to "cool" places like Hawaii or New Orleans during Mardi Gras, or any number of interesting places during an event. Now, the screwups and very low level folks get to go to North Dakota. If you ever wonder why some folks in rural areas hate the government, then take a look at the kind of person DC sends our way.
cema 9y ago
I would be happy to wear a tie if I don't have to. I need to practice tying a tie to remember how to do it. Also, some time ago I learned how to tie a bow tie and it's a cool skill that I want to maintain.
sshine 9y ago
I got a FinTech job once and felt it was my moment of opportunity to wear my suites once in a while. There were no customers, though and everyone wore relaxed clothes, so it just turned funny. I was told they'd had a suit up Friday one time where one engineer had protested (in jest) and had worn a Goofy costume underneath his tuxedo. I like to suit up sometimes because it makes me feel good, but acknowledge that we're social animals who mostly want to fit in. Dress clothes and peer pressure suck. Nice clothes don't.
thinkMOAR 9y ago
Also not on xmas celebrations office parties? Once a year i typically wear a suit to work, the day of the xmas drinks/snacks. Just so other people i do own clothes that don't have a hoodie. :D
stephengillie 9y ago
I've received significant social friction just trying to wear wool pants and a button shirt with a collar, to an office job. Seattle is an incredibly casual city/region. Coworkers at a major ISP ridiculed me so hard I had to go home and change into a t-shirt and jeans. After taking a contract at another very large company, I was again ridiculed for my outfit. I'm not even wearing a tie - just the coat and pants seem to offend people.
- walrus01 9y ago
  > Seattle Things are so casual here that I know an engineer who never wears socks, and wears Birkenstocks through the winter. > Major ISP The people with 'enable' on the core routers for the largest ASNs in the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland region are also the ones most likely to show up to work in an old ratty NANOG t-shirt and cargo shorts. If they're not working 100% remote.
hkmurakami 9y ago
Yes every industry has a uniform. SV just had a particular one that's different from many other places but it's still a uniform. It's a way to show that you "get it" and are part of the same tribe.

by kabdib 9y ago

ghaff 9y ago

I speak at a lot of technical events even though I come from the product management/marketing side. The standard business casual--khakis and button-down oxford shirts--had felt comfortable to me forever. These days I feel I really should ratchet things down to a "tribal" T-shirt or at least a polo so I don't seem so generically corporate at many events. I almost never wear a tie these days though except for certain big stage events.

protomyth 9y ago

Yep, dress to the social norms. If your company and the onsite people differ then wear what everyone else is wearing and hang a suit up if you have to visit the brass. At one point in my life, a person showing up wearing a suit was a big warning (e.g. government worker). I then went to work at a place that took its dress code a bit seriously[1]. Although, if a person is with a consulting company that is in the business of pushing out IT employees expect them to all wear suits and convince your management that they are serious workers and you are sloppy workers. The management tribe likes suits. 1) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3015677#3015969 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3015677#3015969

walrus01 9y ago
> At one point in my life, a person showing up wearing a suit was a big warning (e.g. government worker) If you really want to freak people out, wear business casual, put on a BRAND NEW clean high-visibility safety vest and fresh, clean hard hat without any stickers and show up to a major high-rise construction site with a clipboard and DSLR camera. Have done this a few times (planning fiber construction/riser paths).
- protomyth 9y ago
  I can see where that would be a "oh, great" moment. I was in a rural area. What a lot of people don't get about government site visits for grants is that there is a bit a pecking order. The upper officials get to go to "cool" places like Hawaii or New Orleans during Mardi Gras, or any number of interesting places during an event. Now, the screwups and very low level folks get to go to North Dakota. If you ever wonder why some folks in rural areas hate the government, then take a look at the kind of person DC sends our way.

cema 9y ago

I would be happy to wear a tie if I don't have to. I need to practice tying a tie to remember how to do it. Also, some time ago I learned how to tie a bow tie and it's a cool skill that I want to maintain.

sshine 9y ago

I got a FinTech job once and felt it was my moment of opportunity to wear my suites once in a while. There were no customers, though and everyone wore relaxed clothes, so it just turned funny. I was told they'd had a suit up Friday one time where one engineer had protested (in jest) and had worn a Goofy costume underneath his tuxedo. I like to suit up sometimes because it makes me feel good, but acknowledge that we're social animals who mostly want to fit in. Dress clothes and peer pressure suck. Nice clothes don't.

thinkMOAR 9y ago

Also not on xmas celebrations office parties? Once a year i typically wear a suit to work, the day of the xmas drinks/snacks. Just so other people i do own clothes that don't have a hoodie. :D

stephengillie 9y ago

I've received significant social friction just trying to wear wool pants and a button shirt with a collar, to an office job. Seattle is an incredibly casual city/region. Coworkers at a major ISP ridiculed me so hard I had to go home and change into a t-shirt and jeans. After taking a contract at another very large company, I was again ridiculed for my outfit. I'm not even wearing a tie - just the coat and pants seem to offend people.

walrus01 9y ago
> Seattle Things are so casual here that I know an engineer who never wears socks, and wears Birkenstocks through the winter. > Major ISP The people with 'enable' on the core routers for the largest ASNs in the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland region are also the ones most likely to show up to work in an old ratty NANOG t-shirt and cargo shorts. If they're not working 100% remote.

hkmurakami 9y ago

Yes every industry has a uniform. SV just had a particular one that's different from many other places but it's still a uniform. It's a way to show that you "get it" and are part of the same tribe.