I think rules are the same everywhere for management. The guy was going in for a CEO position one where he has to at least have the perception that he was in sy

I think rules are the same everywhere for management. The guy was going in for a CEO position one where he has to at least have the perception that he was in sync with the brand. Going even further, I think fitting in is appreciated everywhere, even in tech. A couple of examples: Look at the whole anti-brogrammer movement: There were people conflating being fit, wearing polo shirts and dressing preppy with being obnoxious, sexist assholes. I am fairly certain that there were examples of such people but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone who tries to be fit or dresses preppy is one. Personally, I don't like ironic graphic t-shirts and dressing in Cargo shorts and looking like a slob but that doesn't necessarily mean that I would go to a startup interview in a 3-piece suit. This is mainly because while I try to make an effort to dissociate the image you present with who you are, it doesn't necessarily mean that I should expect everyone around me to do that.