Upvoted for your mention of dressing to signal your respect for others. It seems many geeks rarely think of this. To many geeks I have known, their down-dressing is about their comfort and desire to buck mainstream culture. That's fine, but it would be nice if they realized that dressing nice at work or out with friends can also mean you think those around you were worth some effort. After all, you don't have to look at yourself all day, but everybody else does.