I'd Rather Drink Gasoline than Wear a Suit

I’m writing this article in my Aeron chair. Black. My MacBook Pro case mod. Black. My t-shirt. Black. Jeans? Faded blue.

That’s the uniform here, at least for me. Black t-shirt and jeans. Sure, I have to dress like a grownup when I visit certain clients. But I’m even working on amping my “cool factor” to 11 so that I can go to clients in my “uniform.” (11, by the way, is Steve Jobs cool.)

I’m not alone in my feeling about comfort and creativity. If you want to hire IT freaks and geeks, you’re gonna have to loosen the ties that bind. Albert led me to a developer site and an article called Take Off Your Suit Pants and Jacket — It’s Web 2.0!. Brendon Close writes:

It’s time to take off that uncomfortable suit and put on those comfy jeans you left at home during the dot-com crash. And while you’re at it, grow that tidy corporate haircut out, let your facial hair run wild, and visit your local tattoo parlor so you can show off some visible ink.

The word is out. IT rock geeks are back in demand and stereotypical “dot-com” culture (and smell) is back in vogue. Managers are again in a bidding war to compete with their rivals and new Web juggernauts like Google to retain their best employees by offering a laid-back environment to benefit staff moral, retention and productivity.

I dunno. I don’t think I’m any more creative in my jeans and t-shirt, but one of my life goals is no more sweaty waistbands, and I’ve achieved that. It’s a start.

How’s your dress policy coming along? Because some of your best hires would rather drink gasoline than wear 3-piece suits and cover their tatts. The best and brightest often aren’t the ones who comply. After all, look at Albert Einstein.

About the Author

Frank Roche

Frank started IFRACTAL over 7 years ago with Sarah Chambers. Together, they've created HR communications and HR software for some of the world's leading companies. Frank is also studying Flamenco guitar and origami.

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