Spot on. Luckily, most of us browsing HN probably don't have to deal with particularly draconian dress codes (and if you do, that sucks, but I hope you're suffi

Spot on. Luckily, most of us browsing HN probably don't have to deal with particularly draconian dress codes (and if you do, that sucks, but I hope you're sufficiently well compensated for it). I just find the "I can't be happy happy hacker unless I'm wearing a hoodie a flip flops" and "you're not a real geek unless you've got the most lustrous scraggly neckbeard" attitude kind of odd. I think some of that might be a backlash to working in a dress-code enforced environment for a period of time. I know when I left a job years ago to go independent/freelance, I spent a significant amount of time in sweatpants (on a good day) & hoodies. A few years later, I'm happy to put on an ironed shirt, dark jeans, and nice shoes to work at the office or to go meet a client. For me, there is something to the ritual of grooming & dress that gets me ready to take on the day like nothing else. I just wish it weren't so vilified amongst the hacker set. [Fun side-effects: people take you more seriously, women (and men) will smile at you, you'll be in a more powerful position when negotiating, service industry workers will (generally) be more accommodating, and you'll always be ready to meet people for dinner or drinks at the drop of a hat. Try it!]