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don’t be afraid to get dressed: in my early 20s, I dressed more in the Silicon Valley uniform (company t-shirt, hoodie, jeans) - because a friend told me not to “scare the engineers by reminding them you’re a woman” and because I looked even younger than I was, and felt nervous about being taken seriously after meeting, working with, and befriending some very “serious people,” I dress how I want — and love to help friends and founders glow up their style game own of my very favorite things about the tech ecosystem (and engineers in general) is its attitude of fundamental meritocracy. most people care about the quality and interestingness of your ideas and work rather than where you come from or what you look like. they have internet friends. they read your code and your writing style is self-expression, an equalizer, a remark on the culture you know, an inside joke, and a weapon for self-esteem. I love to “dress for the future I want,” eg techno-utopia. I also dress for the places and moments and communities I love, or love the idea of: the rebellion of the American west, the preppiness of New England boarding school, the crafted lines of French workwear, the femininity of a Mad Men dress, the unabashed fun of Japanese street, the “move 37” t-shirt you don’t need to be wealthy or conventionally attractive to have great style. you just need to have a point of view. great style gives the wearer confidence, the most attractive trait of all. be who you are! (written as a PSA, but also to the young woman eng manager who DM’d me, “I’m afraid people will think I’m dumb if I dress how I want”)