The Programmer Dress Code
codethinked.com
codethinked.com
And while the article didn't exactly show the who's who of male models, at least it was remarkably free of the atrocious cheap short-sleeved/khaki cubicle combo.
(If only the Nehru jacket would make its comeback in the western world. I'd finally be able to dress like a Bond villain and get rid of annoying collars in one go.)
* - I am not one of these people. I work best recently bathed and shaved, in fresh clothes and with a clean workspace. Anything less drives me absolutely bonkers.
As a male? Not really. If you can put together a small, simple wardrobe of well-fitting clothes that go well with each other, you'll already be ahead of 90% of other guys, with no on-going time costs other than the normal bathing and shaving duties.
Well-fitting is the important part. Most guys don't wear clothes appropriate for their body type, at least here in the states.
The truth is, especially for guys who have a body shape that reflects their sedentary job, nothing makes you look better than a well-fitting suit and a properly knotted tie.
A service I'd pay for: I send you a photo of myself, my measurements and money. You make me look good.
I think this exists. I can't think of any names but I know I've heard of basically this concept.
That person will guide you throughout the day while you go out and buy the stuff society at large would like to see you wear. End the day with a visit to a, from them, suggested barber and you're set.
Also, there is sometimes a principal-agent problem; many personal shoppers work for the stores, and simply buy for you whatever the store is trying to get rid of.
I'm hoping to say "dear fashionoverflow, please pick my clothes for me, email me when you are done. thx." If you say "dear stackoverflow, please do my homework for me, thx", you'll just be flamed.
Stackoverflow is programmers helping programmers, what I want is fashionistas helping nerds.
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/FooterNavigation/personalshopper.js...
In particular, one important thing clothing does is guide the eye of the viewer. Why are graphic tees unprofessional? Because they are distracting to the viewer. Why are suits professional? Because the details--lapels, tie, collar, padded shoulders--naturally bring the eye to the wearer's head, making him the center of attention.
Presentation is important, and affects the perceived content of that which is being presented. It puzzles me that many good programmers understand this about everything except clothing. If one were making a web site, the importance of color coordination would be obvious. Why do programmers so often neglect it when dressing one's very person?
Surely that has to be the easiest way to guide the eye to the head.
1) You can do it yourself. Never pay for another hair cut.
2) You don't need shampoo or conditioner. Just use whatever you're already using on the rest of you.
3) Nothing needs to be done to make it presentable.
4) It's never itchy or hot or in the way or anything.
5) Works great if you're balding -- confident, like you've accepted the inevitable.
6) You look more like a Buddhist monk.
I'd wager that regular maintainence is the mental cost those guys are trying to avoid.
Washing and brushing one's hair does add time to daily tasks, but it is not a lot of time. Not compared to general time spent going to the bathroom, showering, eating. That time as a whole could be greatly reduced. By moving and concentrating vigorously, one can get through the shower in 120 seconds, through breakfast in 45. Hang out with ex-military types and you will see this behavior. (You will also see buzz cuts.) This sort of thing is pointedly not what hackers generally do.
We conserve mental effort. Not because we are lazy, but because we have only so much mental effort to use in a day, and we want to use all of it on very specific tasks. Concentration is currency. Remembering things has a cost. Routine, menial tasks are almost free. In fact, like play, they can have a slight negative cost. They allow the mind to wander. For many of us, shower time is often productive time. But even when it's not, we attempt to get through it, not with a minimum expendeture of time, but with a minimum of mental fuss. Not going fast, not going slow. Just getting through it and thinking about other things.
Hence, daily hair maintainence is not really costly. It's a routine. But remembering to schedule a haircut or assessing whether it's time to get out the razor is one more thing to think about. One more thing to remember.
One cannot attack complex problems without proactively and repeatedly clearing the mind of unnecessary details. Abstract and forget. This is a critical skill. Avoiding periodic hair maintenence is an extension of that. Perhaps a silly one, but an extension nonetheless.
For some, maintaining a hairstyle is a specifically chosen hobby, and that's fine. But for everyone else, forgetting about your long hair is a habit borne of simple good intellectual hygeine.
You make good points. And we've successfully moved from the mundane to the philosophical. But as far as maintaining a clear mind, I can weather a head-buzzing every few weeks without suffering any serious thought-train derailment. I even find it rather meditative. There's something purifying and exhilarating about shaving one's head -- it's like throwing away a lot of useless shit you've been accumulating, or putting one's mental baggage astern. My head feels lighter -- and it is!
But yes, as the other maintenance-free option is more and more turning into a skullet for me, I guess I'll have to go that way, too. There's a shaped Remington Hair clipper (looks like a curved electric comb) that worked well enough last time...
I still use shampoo & conditioner though, seems to be better for the scalp but I expect that it's partially down to habit.
It helps that the style suits me otherwise I wouldn't do it.
1) sunburn 2) hats can get itchy
but as your list is longer than mine, I'll concede.
On the other hand, our peers do care about our writing, so our writing is always stylish. The spectrum among hackers starts at cocktail party and runs through business casual and black tie clear into zoot suit. Not a slobby "i agree" in sight.
I've actually moved to wearing just striaght-up all black all the time. I'm a tall skinny young dude, so skinny jeans + band tshirt is even almost in style!
Half the reason that I've done this is because I can just reach in my drawer and put on anything, and it works. It may not be as optimal, but it's good enough.
Hmm, does this mean there's a marketing opportunity for hipster-oriented Emacs screencasts?
Seems to have a Puma sponsorship :)
(Now, was that where I got my Digital Equipment eye-shades with the flashing lights. Think so.)
"...he has an afro that would make Snoop Dog smile."
LMAO