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What do you wear to work?

Nathan Tamez on May 23, 2019

The company I worked for before starting university have a casual/smart casual dress code; shorts, jeans, hoodies, and t-shirts. that sort of thing...
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matteojoliveau profile image
Matteo Joliveau

No dress code, I wear the same I always wear.
Black jeans, black T-shirt with some kind of snarky quote, movie graphic or just a cool design, black sweater and black Converse.

I'm starting to see a pattern here...

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avasconcelos114 profile image
Andre Vasconcelos

I'm currently wearing:

  • Black converse shoes
  • Black jeans
  • Dark gray Github shirt

I think we may be spotting a trend here

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matteojoliveau profile image
Matteo Joliveau

Can we establish some kind of "developer alliance standard uniform"? 😂

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natonathan profile image
Nathan Tamez

I know, right. 😂

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Michael Tharrington

I'm working from home so I do tend to lean toward the casual side, BUT, I definitely make a point to get out of my PJs and into some normal clothes everyday... even if my normal clothes include cotton shorts with a draw string, haha! 😀

It's good to get into the mindset of work versus non-work and I can see how clothes might help some folks get into that mode. But, I'm so happy we don't have a dress code. I mean I'd be pretty bummed if I had to wear a suit while working from home. Kidding... 😝

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Nathan Tamez

I agree its essential switch your mindset to work from non-work, allows for complete focus and concentration. I tend to get distracted if I study or work from home, so take full use of my university's 24/7 library. Haha. Thanks for the input.

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Vincent Grovestine • Edited

The dress code at my workplace is basically "use your common sense"--aka just don't come to work naked (or smelly)!

T-shirt, jeans and sneakers comprise my day-to-day wear. I'll swap the t-shirt for a collared button-up shirt and sneakers for casual shoes if I have to meet with upper management or other important folk.

Generally, no one here bats an eye about what people choose to wear to work. Heck, I'm 40+ and the majority of my t-shirts are not just understated and plain, but full graphic tees from The Mountain and bygone Disney World vacations! :)

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natonathan profile image
Nathan Tamez

I think most tech companies understand that people perform better when comfortable. I should probably get some smart looking shoes if I want to work freelance, to be honest, currently wear vans. I was great reading your comment, thanks.

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velascarves6

As a Muslim, I love to wear an abaya. In Islamic culture, the abaya dress is regarded as one of the essential pieces of women's apparel. It is a lovely, beautiful Islamic outfit with the original essence of upholding Islam's dignity. Abaya is a loose-fitting robe worn over the body to conceal all the body except the face, hands, and feet. Women must wear this Islamic clothing when they leave their houses.

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Pandita

no dress code here! Right now it's summer sooo, I'm currently wearing a panda stamped t-shirt, light faded blue skinny jeans, opalite earrings with gold touches (they're my fave!) and and grey vans like shoes from steve madden that are super worn out cause they're mega comfy (which is what the sales lady told me, so I can recommend them).

When I'm cold I use a jacket that is a gift I received from the receptionists at my first internship :D

Coding comfy is really nice ~

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Nathan Tamez

I like being comfy when coding as well, but too comfy then I risk doing no work. Thanks for sharing

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Sumit Roy

There's no such dress code. Even the upper management wear t-shirt and jeans. It seems they are easily approachable since they are not looking too formal. That's very important for productivity I think.

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lbonanomi

Black carpenter jeans and black or gray "workwear" shirts.

I think this allows for a neater appearance than a tshirt without being in-your-face formal. The clothes are cheap, forgiving of wrinkles from sitting all day and don't show intraday stains so much.

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Nathan Tamez

I completely understand, a bit more of a professional look to industry outsiders.

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Aidan Walters-Williams

I'll quite often wear a button-up, jeans (usually skinny), and either trainers or boots. If I'm meeting with a client I'll usually throw on a business suit. Occasionally if it's hot I'll wear a t-shirt instead of the button-up.

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Gualtiero Frigerio

I've never been asked to wear a suite in my career, I wore them only during interviews. I've never worked for a bank or an insurance company though, sometimes if you consult for them you're asked to wear office attire.
I remember having to wear a lab coat back in the days when I worked for Nokia and Alcatel, I looked like a doctor :D

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natonathan profile image
Nathan Tamez

That’s cool, being the scientist part of computer science.

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Rey - MissCypher

Well, we've got no actual dress code aswell. When I started here I just got told to "keep my political view" to myself, so no merchandise of any political group. Besides that.. nothing. My best friend (also a colleague of mine) and I usually run around as we do outside of work. Black shoes, jeans and some Band-Merchandise (even some kinda special artworks like Rammstein, Slipknot or Chelsea Grin). We also have some co-workers, who wear actual suits, because they have to work with our companies' bosses sometimes, but most of us are just like I said before. Some non-politics shirt or hoodie, jeans or shorts and comfy shoes.

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Riccardo Bernardini

I am not really a programmer (I do research in DSP in university). Also in my place there is not a dress code, but I actually like to wear a tie and a jacket. The only exception is in deep summer when it is too hot for that.

I began wearing a tie more than 30 year ago, when i was 18 (really!) after watching "the blues brothers." I borrowed ties and jackets from my dad and... I liked as I looked.

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Nathan Tamez

Cool, Thanks for sharing. It doesn’t matter that your not a programmer.

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Attilio Urbani

Currently i work for a startup and we've no dress code. But i love to wear development, my current stack related, shirts and hoodies (js, nodejs, angular, ...) used to buy here redbubble.com.

In my past experiences i had to pay more attention to what i was wearing (more elegant pants, shoes, ..) because i worked as consultant and i had to work directly with customers too. I think wearing what you want it's another good point for startups :D

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Rémi Mercier

When I looked for my first dev job a few months ago, I wore mended gray jeans, a denim shirt (mended too) and a blue chinchilla with pink paint stains (my kids' fault 😁).

Mostly, nobody even bothered to look at my clothes twice. We were here to discuss my bringing value to the company. Not auditioning for a catwalk. And since I was still looking clean and dapper (yes, this is possible, even with a chinchilla), all went well.

Of course, I felt in a couple of interviews that my style wasn't really appreciated by people wearing this casual-yet-really-expensive look that you find in Paris (people are putting a LOT of effort in the effortless chic). But 🤷‍♂️ meh, I didn't care much for 'em.

I used to wear classy clothes for work for years! Double breast jackets, always new denims, tailor-made shirts... I felt at the time that it was bringing me a lot of control in my work environments. But in the end, this control was just an illusion.

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Ajay Karwal

When I go into the office I tend to wear jeans, smartish trainer and something on top appropriate to the season. Try and dress relatively smart-casual with nothing too in your face in terms of logos/designs.

I work 3 days from home and on those days I try and do the same. It's important to treat working from home the same as going into the office. Get dressed, do your hair and be at your desk on time.

I do admit there are days where I just stay in my PJ's for the majority of the day. Those day's are normally not too productive.

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Diego Perez

When I started I had to wear a suit... which was crazy because the only people that I saw everyday was a bunch of other suited-up programmers. After that: jeans and a t-shirt. Now I work from home, so comfortable clothes, but when I'm in the office I wear jeans and a smart shirt, as I have a lot of visibility to the business.

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James • Edited

Usually a t-shirt or button up, jeans, and trainers or boots.

In the hot months I'll just wear shorts and a t-shirt, sometimes I feel like jazzing it up a bit and I'll throw on a blazer.

We don't really have a dress code other than making sure all the bits are covered.

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Dave Cranwell • Edited

Jeans and t-shirt.

I've worked at one tech company in a department that was particularly desirable, doing crazy R&D projects, and we were required to dress more smartly. The CTO was also apparently quite unhappy about people dressing down more widely in the dept. I was once lightly reprimanded for attending a standup without shoes on.

I can see some reasoning in it, but it was never an official part of the dress code. As a result it felt awkward, elitist and made the whole company feel a tad fusty and out-moded. It ultimately formed a small part of my reasoning to leave.

Counterpoint: I still dress up to speak/present to the C-team. It just seems like a good idea. It's a bit contradictory given my previous points, but to an extent it puts me in the right frame of mind. And at appropriate times I also follow the Dress For The Job You Want ethos.

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Scot McSweeney-Roberts

The last place that I worked at that had a dress code dropped it, and that was 20 years ago. I thought the concept had more or less died out.

And that dress code was men should wear a shirt and tie. It really only applied to the sales team, though the head of IT applied it to the IT department as well (the day after he left was the day the men in the IT department stopped wearing ties - except for one guy who liked wearing them). Eventually even the sales team dropped it.

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PlayBossWar

What about dress codes in interviews.
The logic says that you should tell who you really are on your CV, but why should I wear my interview suit that I literally only wear for interviews because I feel forced to wear it? Is it just me or will they see me differently in my casual clothes?

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Nathan Englert

We also have a "use your common sense" dress code. Lots of jeans and t-shirts. When it is hot out, you'll see a bunch of people in shorts as well.

As for the interview, my recommendation is to dress a couple steps above the stated dress code. If everyone wears t-shirts, then maybe wear a collared shirt to the interview with some nice pants / jeans. If everyone wears collared shirts, maybe wear khakis and a button-up.. If it's business casual, maybe wear a tie.. you get the idea.

I have never worn a suit to an interview and that's never come into question. 😃👍

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Amara Graham

I always overdress for interviews or specifically ask what the dress code is (both for interviewees and the office).

We do not have a dress code at IBM, but different offices across the globe (even just within the US) have different office vibes.

My rule has always been no athleisure, no mid section showing, no PJs, no shorts. I would relax the no athleisure and shorts rules for myself if there was no air conditioning because that sounds awful!!!

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Peter Witham

I have found my self imposed dress code tends to work for me.

I make sure that I dress to present the image that I feel I should depending on the position and representing for the company I'm working for.

If I work somewhere that does not have a dress code then I go work casual as I never know who's going to walk into my office, from the CEO to team members.

I do keep a jacket around though so on those days that I have a nice pair of jeans on and a shirt, I can throw the jacket on to kick it up as needed.

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Jean-Michel Plourde

The company I do my internship at has no dress code. Most of the time, I'm wearing jeans/t-shirts and a hoodie because I'm always cold. It is pretty basic, but I'm limited in my choices since I'm 6'8". I can't easily find variety in clothes that fit me.

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Nathan Tamez

☹️ I guess work hard you could afford to have custom made clothes. but thanks for sharing.

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velascarves6 profile image
velascarves6

As Muslims, one of our traditions is to wear a modal hijab. There are many benefits to wearing a modal hijab, and many Muslim women find it the most comfortable material for their head covering. Not only is it soft and breathable, but it is also easy to tie.

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Lucas Theodore

I typically wear business casual attire to work, including a button-down shirt and chinos or slacks. I prefer comfortable, breathable fabrics since I have a desk job. On colder days, I add a sweater or blazer for warmth. My office has a relaxed dress code, so I occasionally wear jeans paired with a neat shirt. Footwear is usually loafers or oxfords. Accessories include a wristwatch and sometimes a tie if there’s a formal meeting.

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Sai Kiran

No dresscode, but I stick to same ol casual attire of jeans and graphic t-shirt

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umoraotmora • Edited

Dress codes can vary a lot depending on the company and industry. It's interesting how some companies embrace a casual or smart casual style while others have a more formal dress code, like suits. It can definitely feel a bit awkward when you're dressed differently for an interview than what you'll be wearing on a daily basis.
In my current job, we have to wear suits every day. If you're looking for some options, I came across a website called Gentleman's Guru that sells wedding tuxedos, and they have a range of choices. Here's the link to their website: gentlemansguru.com/product-categor.... Just scroll down a bit to find something suitable for work.

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simontace

We don't have a dress code at my company, but we have to dress up when we have a meeting. I usually wear jeans, a hoodie or jacket, and converse or airforces. I just have one suit, haha. I bought it just for meetings at gentlemansguru.com/product-categor.... Otherwise, I prefer to dress casually. I feel much more comfortable this way. On the other hand, my coworkers prefer to dress up every day because it is their fashion sense. In any case, the most important thing is not to show up naked, haha.

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HiJoe

Business casual, however they're becoming more lenient the longer I'm here.

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Yordi Verkroost

I can just wear anything I like, as long as it's socially acceptable of course.

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Larizza Tueros

I work in the IT Department of a healthcare company so... business attire it is. Yaaay T_T

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Jordon Replogle

Current: Jeans and Polo. Previously: slacks, button up shirt and tie, often with a sweater vest.

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Omri Gabay

I work for a Mortgage Banking company. Most engineers don't work in our HQ but I do, so I dress business (button down with slack and nice shoes) every day except Fridays.

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Ice or Fire

Jeans/shorts, t-shirt.

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Nathan Lowe

Extremely casual here as well. For me, In the summer it's usually shorts and a t-shirt, winter is Hoodie + jeans. In-between is shorts+Hoodie.

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Will Lawrence

jeans and T-shirt most days. If I am meeting with someone important than I will wear a nicer shirt and shoes, but I still wear jeans.

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Ian Turton

Dress code when we go to the office or meet clients is no shorts. The rest of the time we're remote so the rule is turn off your camera if you aren't dressed.

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Fernando

Usually a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Sometimes I also wear a light jacket, because of the AC.
Button-up or polo when visiting clients, or attending to a less causal event.