I call this "Wearing your uniform."
You need to look like you are a person who would be doing the job. You wouldn't hire a gardner with smooth hands, clean shoes, and no dirt under their nails would you?
Car mechanics, you can see it in their hands, and the way they act around cars.
Every profession has its tells, from what we wear, to our physical traits etc.
After a while, you know if someone adds up or not. But part of that is changing with the times. :)
Not an older person but I genuinely don't like wearing jeans and t shirts and I never have. t shirts make me feel like I'm trapped and jeans are stiff and unpleasant (and always feel shaped wrong.) Also wearing what are essentially corporate ads on my body just feels brain dead.
Shorts and a Hawaiian shirt are comfortable but I guess that's still not ok in the office even though everyone wants to pretend they don't care.
Whatever it's not like I'd accept a non-remote job these days anyway.
Khakis and outdoorsy button ups from the likes of Columbia, TNF, Patagonia, Uniqlo work. Also if a tshirt makes you feel trapped, it’s probably too small. There’s a W. Rast brand so soft and comfy I wear to bed.
not sure about shorts, but would a company that accepted tshirts and jeans really say no to hawaiian shirts and slacks?
from experience. depends.
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Don't understand what physical appearance has to do with tech.
Actual tech, nothing. Company politics and "being a culture fit", unfortunately in some companies it means a lot.
It has to do with the culture of the company you're working for.
Professional companies are stereotyped to suits and ties, and company attire is often part of company dress code.
Tech companies are stereotyped to kids and what they wear, and company dress code (if it exists) is often super-lax except for executives -- because the executives need to interact with Professional companies and look the part.
There's a lot of in-between, and it really depends on what company you work for and somewhat to what company you want to work for.
If you work on a team with a size >1 you are dealing with other apes and will have to deal with social signaling
That’s the exact thing that GP is trying to spell out.
They’re not saying that how you look impacts your real ability; or vice versa.
Ironically it DOES. Because part of your ability is your ability to convince others etc.
People think of ability as just technical, or just soft. It is mixing it all together that produces true strength.
If I wear a suit at the wrong time, it shows an inability to read the room, and in some firms may even have gotten my manager to ask if I was looking for a job!
So, understanding how to dress how you want to be seen is critical. I'm not saying it's high fashion time, but at least understand the audience, and the aura you want to put out.
https://folklore.org/Gobble_Gobble_Gobble.html?sort=date
That was an abusive interview even if the candidate wasn't the right fit.