DevOps Blog - Nicolas Paris

Software industry Dress Code - Maybe is time to change

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I remember the following joke in which you have to guess who the software developer and the commercial are. You can identify the Developer easily.

Dev and Commercials

In the open-space software industry, developers often prefer dressing in jeans and T-shirts. T-shirts featuring developer jokes or old manga are held as trophies. I'm sure you know someone like this. Some famous developers fit this description. I cannot discuss dress codes without mentioning the example of Mark Zuckerberg and his famous hoodie. I believe it's even worsening with the pandemic and remote work; the distinction between home and work attire has become smaller.

All this can be considere as a dress code, almost like a uniform.

I know some people who like to dress well and sharp. Personally, I appreciate nice suit pants and shirts. Perhaps it's time to step back and contemplate dressing ourselves better, with more mutual respect. You might argue that well-dressed clothes can be costly, I could say that is not totally true and developers can earn a good wage in some countries.

I'm not stating here whether sportswear at work is good or bad. I'm simply pointing out that if everyone is dressed similarly, it can be more challenging to stand out with a different style – the uniform effect, maybe. I would be pleased to see colleagues or renowned speakers dressing more professionally and sharply.