A short time ago Kelly Sutton wrote about developers clothing styles. The tl;dr summary is that developers tend to dress like crap, and should dress better.
Why?
Why should the dress code for the new century be driven by the fashions of the one before the last? Sure, there is no reason for developers to wear dirty, worn, or ill-fitting clothes, but why should we wear ties at work? Or expensive dress shoes that are slippery on hard floors?
Kelly makes a nod that developers (usually) strive to improve their development skills, and sometimes their personal health, so why not fashion?
Because fashion is not a merit-based activity with intrinsic value - work skills are, and personal health has direct value to us. But buying expensive clothes that often require toxic cleaning chemicals just to suit an externally-imposed standard? Not a very useful action, in my opinion.
Now, there may be merit to dressing up to fit in at your employer and climb the career ladder, but that is not necessary in companies run by fellow geeks.
So my fellow nerds, revel in your freedom to dress in comfortable, inexpensive clothes, and thumb your noses at the fashionistas that scoff!
Why?
Why should the dress code for the new century be driven by the fashions of the one before the last? Sure, there is no reason for developers to wear dirty, worn, or ill-fitting clothes, but why should we wear ties at work? Or expensive dress shoes that are slippery on hard floors?
Kelly makes a nod that developers (usually) strive to improve their development skills, and sometimes their personal health, so why not fashion?
Because fashion is not a merit-based activity with intrinsic value - work skills are, and personal health has direct value to us. But buying expensive clothes that often require toxic cleaning chemicals just to suit an externally-imposed standard? Not a very useful action, in my opinion.
Now, there may be merit to dressing up to fit in at your employer and climb the career ladder, but that is not necessary in companies run by fellow geeks.
So my fellow nerds, revel in your freedom to dress in comfortable, inexpensive clothes, and thumb your noses at the fashionistas that scoff!
