There is a limit. I'm sure you have one too if you really think about it. Is it tattoos all over the face? What about sandals? Or shorts? Or going bare-feet around the office.
I don't know... It's about people giving me money for work. I don't feel like I can go to work dressed like any given Sunday.
And why not? As you said: they are giving us money... for work. Not for playing dressing up.
If they expect otherwise, they should be clear about it up front and give a good reason to give up on that freedom while we work for them.
To me (and of course, it's a personal opinion) it shows that someone cares. It's like when you do your resume, you want it clean and presentable, without typos, to show that you care.
We all like good user interfaces and experiences in our programs. To me, the look is like the presentation layer of our own UX. Is it required for our work? Most of the times it is not, because our work depends on the logic layers, but it doesn't hurt to have a nice presentation layer.
And I'm not telling about going to work in a D&G suit.
EDIT: and I'm not telling that I would discriminate or think right away that someone doesn't care! I don't do that. My attitude about good looking is mono-directional; from me towards others.
They care by solving problems.
They care by being there when the team needs them.
They care by being honest, authentic and candid.
They care by making things simpler and smoother for themselves and those around them.
They care by striving to avoid office politics and back stabbing.
They care by being the team mate we all wish we had and strive to be.
They care making our common working space a place we are all eager to come to in the morning.
And I would pick a reliable, self-aware, well-rounded, face tattooed, green haired and barefoot colleague that's comfortable in their own skin any day, over any well-dressed, high maintenance, drama king / queen.
What's interesting though, is that even knowing, and thinking that, I couldn't help but be spontaneously biased towards he or she who made the so-called effort of dressing to look the part. And that's a problem.
Also, I am nowhere near being that ideal team mate. More like a work in progress >.<'
Sandals/shorts/barefeet? It's winter here but in those brief moments of summer please do that. Wearing a three piece suit means you won't be able to work as hard during the heat wave.
I think the key thing is balance, not everyone is comfortable to wear a 3-piece suit but also few people are comfortable working with people who ave poor hygiene (e.g. dont shower after the lunchtime gym)
I think as long as someone is clean and presentable (context dependent) then there shouldnt be an issue.
Work is the key word here. Is you work is about dressing yourself up? Then why makes it about this?
Do what you are paid for, working.
