[rm_-rf_slash]

I think the problem is that most developers tend to be the nerdy types who didn't care much for fashion as a kid, or have the money in college to look good. Now they're in the workforce and they feel validated for dressing like shit: hoodies and pajamas are cute every once in a while but seriously, grow up and dress yourself like you're gonna get laid one of these days.

The way I see it, if you code, chances are you've got some coin. Find a look that matches your personality and stick to it. Plaid? Go for it. All black? Can't hurt. Vest and tie? Lookin' good. It doesn't have to be perfect, just wear what works. And for the love of God, even if you wear college clothes for the rest of your life, invest in a decent pair of shoes.

Ironically, the root of a lot of hacker culture is non-conformity. Jeans and a hoodie are a conformist statement if everyone else does it, whether you like it or not. And ask yourself why comfy clothing that can be slept in is promoted in work environments that prefer you to always be at the office.

My rule of thumb: dress the way you'd like to be seen by someone you want hiring or sleeping with you.

[cballard]

> Vest and tie? Lookin' good.

No, this really looks genuinely terrible. Never wear a tie without a jacket.

http://putthison.com/post/29635680290/q-and-answer-when-can-...

> The answer is pretty much “I work at a cell phone store.”

(vest without jacket is just as bad, except it's "I'm a waiter")

[peterwwillis]

There's plenty of ways to wear just a tie or a vest and make it look handsome. It just depends on whether it fits well and matches your outfit.

Yes, there is a tendency for it to look like service personnel, so you have to either make it look classier or more casual.

https://d29h7ql7qnxkqx.cloudfront.net/pix/blue_coffee2088/me... http://cdn12.lbstatic.nu/files/looks/large/2013/04/26/299690... http://image.tin247.com/vnmedia/101121161236-540-334.jpg http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI2N1g4NDM=/z/6scAAMXQ74JTWkrh/$_...

[dragonwriter]

> (vest without jacket is just as bad, except it's "I'm a waiter")

Pretty much only if it is a black vest with black pants and black tie and black or white shirt.

[cballard]

Think of it like this, an order of formality:

- Jacket - Tie - Vest

Each is a step up in formality, and should not be done without the previous, unless you're Nick Wooster, and you're not.

[tjr]

I've seen people wearing a tie with no jacket; they did not work at a cell phone store, nor did I think that they looked like they did. I've seen people wearing vests (with or without ties) without jackets; they were not waiters, nor did I think that they looked like they were.

I'm not sure if these alleged rules you speak of are codified somewhere, but given the context of the conversation (people around me are wearing hoodies and pajamas while I'm wearing a suit), I find it hard to imagine any combination of jackets, ties, and vests being truly inappropriate...

[dllthomas]

If you try something out, and think you look great, and find that others agree, then bin any given rule. But most people, most of the time, are most likely to look best following most rules.

Personally, I don't like the look or feel of a tie with no jacket, or a suit with no tie.

[rm_-rf_slash]

Exception: vest and tie with a stylish hat. Otherwise, yes, a suit is usually mandatory. I didn't expand on it for the sake of making my point. I'm glad some people on HN have fashion sense.

[dllthomas]

Jacket, not (necessarily) suit.

[logfromblammo]

The nerd clique has oft been ridiculed for its manner of dress, without regard to whether those garments are the very same as those worn by others.

This has, naturally, led to the group-wide conclusion that keeping up with fashion trends is a pointless practice.

Unfortunately, I don't have a pair of those sunglasses from "They Live" that I can put on to read the secret messages on clothing, like "ADORE ME" or "I AM IMPORTANT" or "FEAR ME" or "SUBMIT". I have a feeling that they are there, whether I can see them or not.

Whatever the message is on a suit, it makes the nerd caste uncomfortable. I don't know exactly why.

I'm just glad that I don't have to think very hard about my clothing. My closet has a "work" section, and a "non-work" section, and I can just grab the first things I see from the appropriate section, put it on, and be done. Waaaaay back in the back of the closet is my sole instance of all-purpose formal attire. That's what I wear for weddings and funerals, without having to think about it.

The author of the article mentioned just how much effort was spent researching and purchasing his two suits. But once it was done, he could, like me, dress on autopilot every workday for the entire rest of his life. How can I possibly fault him for that?

[rm_-rf_slash]

Barack Obama says the only fashion choice he makes every day is red tie or blue tie. Every choice comes with decision fatigue, and he's got a lot to make.

[logfromblammo]

I'm disappointed that the President of the United States--supposedly a pretty smart feller--doesn't just flip a coin for that. He could even keep four more colors in the closet if he would just roll a d6!~

I suspect that he makes a lot more fashion decisions than that implicitly, by delegating them to an employee. That's not exactly the same as having perfect indifference to all the various clothing options in your wardrobe.

[rm_-rf_slash]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a PR calculation made weeks in advance.

[zyxley]

Being conscious about your clothes really helps if you don't like dealing with fashion, paradoxically enough, since it means you can make your choices ahead of time. Try different things until you find one brand you really like, and then direct order different variations in that brand in the sizes that you already know fit you well.

To go a bit further, I have several completely identical pairs of wrinkle-free all-weather slacks in neutral colors that match with everything. They fit me well and look good on me - and now for most outfits I just don't have to think about what pants to wear.

Similarly, I've got a pair of waterproofed leather Oxfords that are nice enough for formal wear, low-key enough for casual wear, and sturdy (and grippy) enough for everything up to light hiking, so for most things I just can just wear the same pair of (very comfortably broken in) shoes.