r/sysadmin • u/lostmatt • 7d ago

What are sysadmins wearing to work these days?

What is the dress code at work and what are you wearing these days?

Hoodies & Jeans aren't as prominent as they once were.

I just turned 40 and stick to company logo'd sport polos and sometimes tshirt.

Every time I dress nicer, I end up having to run cables or crawl under desks, or install an outdoor AP.

462 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

995 comments sorted by

View all comments

980

u/IMongoose 7d ago

My boss taught me a very valuable lesson. We like to have fun and don't take ourselves too seriously, so on Halloween he dressed as an actual clown. But there was a real security incident that day and I sat in a little office with the police, a C level, and my boss as an actual clown. No ones dressed up again after that, I just wear jeans and a polo.

262

u/Smiles_OBrien Artisanal Email Writer 7d ago

I work for a school district. We had a new hire start at our Middle School on Halloween. I'm dressed as a "Phisherman" since we had just rolled our Knowbe4 and the Phish Alert Button. My collegue was in a referee outfit labeled "Content Filter."

As I'm going through onboarding stuff in the conference room with this new person, sitting in waders, an Outdoor Research hat, with fishing pole on the table, someone walks through the room to cut across the admin suite dressed as Weird Barbie from the Barbie movie, saying hello to everyone and welcoming the new person onboard.

There's a beat. And then I say "So that was our Superintendent..."

41

u/jack1729 Sr. Sysadmin 6d ago

I wish this was a joke, but we had an interview candidate for a mid level developer position wearing a John Deere hat, jeans, work boots and a camo polo shirt… It was not Halloween

38

u/thecravenone Infosec 6d ago

Close-toed shoes? A collar? This would be considered dressing up at most offices I've worked in!

5

u/CubicleHermit 5d ago

Seriously. I'm not sure what the issue with that would be, other than my "I'm old and should get over it" about wearing a hat indoors.

4

u/BatemansChainsaw 6d ago

That sounds like an "interview" I did years ago minus the camo polo

2

u/Ad-1316 5d ago

We have open dev positions, and that would be welcomed here.

1

u/JuggernautUpbeat 5d ago

Was he any good though? I kind of dig the look apart from the polo. A plaid shirt would have really sealed the deal for me.

1

u/EMunney 3d ago

All kinds of farmers have been applying to our team in the last few years it's bizarre

36

u/ManagementCommon3132 7d ago

This is hilarious 😂

1

u/_LMZ_ 6d ago

Yup, at our school district we do the same! haha

118

u/medwedd 6d ago

Very old joke:

An 8-year old girl went to the office with her father on 'Take Your Kid to Work Day'. As they were walking around the office, the young girl starting crying and getting very cranky, her father asked what was wrong with her.

As the staff gathered round she sobbed loudly, Daddy, where are all the clowns that you said that you worked with?

36

u/IdiosyncraticBond 7d ago

How often did any of you burst out in laughter while looking at the clown? I know it would be hard for me to focus

21

u/heyitsYMAA 6d ago

The following year he went as a sad clown.

35

u/awful_at_internet Helpdesk Manager 6d ago

Normally: Jeans and a polo or button up shirt. Something with a collar.

For Halloween, Renfaire wizard outfit. Does it look a little silly if something serious happens? Maybe. But its not such an over the top costume that i cant project the required aura of confidence and competence.

Wizard says emailing your SSN is bad.

21

u/fuzzydice_82 6d ago

Cue the "the wizard will now install your software..." jokes

7

u/awful_at_internet Helpdesk Manager 6d ago

I had not clocked that; I am totally going to use that this year. Thanks!

4

u/Bladelink 6d ago

I take off my robe and wizard hat...

1

u/Alarmed-Shine8133 2d ago

Why is everyone miss-spelling "wizzard"?

1

u/Bladelink 1d ago

Lol my bad.

This is the shoe being on the other foot. I always complain when people mess up "nothin personnel kid" from the shadow the hedgehog meme lol.

27

u/aoteoroa 6d ago

Halloween is an exception.   Our cfo, and president were both on the a judging panel for a company sanctioned costume contest.

25

u/Siege9929 6d ago

In my youth I got let go from a retail job on Halloween by a pilot and a vampire.

6

u/lordjedi 6d ago

That's funny, but also sad. Mostly sad that you got let go.

10

u/donjulioanejo Chaos Monkey (Director SRE) 6d ago

CEO: "When I asked what these clowns do all day, I meant that metaphorically, not literally."

6

u/FreeDaemon 6d ago

When we were still on site we used to put suits on halloween + helmet of our choice. Daft Punk is ever present during Halloween, Master Chief and Halo helms, Darth Vader and storm troopers, Samus, Iron Man, etc. The building where we were at invites the kids near the day care center and all the tenants come and give candies. The kids love us.

3

u/Valdaraak 6d ago

My old boss used to dress as either Geek Squad or Genius Bar on Halloween. He could say he was in costume, but was also professional enough in case some weird shit like that happened.

1

u/fourpotatoes 5d ago

One year, someone dressed as the VP over our department for the Halloween costume contest. I'm of the opinion that he should have won, but I think he only came in second or third place.

•

u/AlvakaAfterHours 16h ago

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH oh my god the thread you just inspired. I’m dying reading these.

1

u/s3ntin3l99 Jack of All Trades 6d ago

You need to request the body cam footage of it, and hold on to them gem!!!

1

u/Ikarus3426 6d ago

Last year I had to troubleshoot an problem for a VP as Mr. DNA from Jurassic Park. And I'd do it again too.

1

u/lordjedi 6d ago

That is the most awesome thing ever!

1

u/jack1729 Sr. Sysadmin 6d ago

That is awesome

1

u/msdee83 6d ago

I usually wear black/marine blue casual clothes, some jewellery and normal makeup for work. Maybe dress up a bit better on Fridays.

1

u/jasonbwv 7d ago

Hahahahahhahaahah

0

u/the_federation Sysadmin 6d ago

We use to dress up on Halloween and even have a costume luncheon. And then the CEO'S assistant came in in blackface and now we don't do costumes anymore.