the.com/suit pressure
the invisible boss above your actual boss, wearing better shoes.
means the corporate demand to conform in appearance and behavior to signal seriousness, usually imposed by someone senior who confuses fabric with competence.
from emerged in office slang as businesses formalized dress codes in the 20th century, when a suit became shorthand for trustworthy, capable, promotable — regardless of what was actually happening underneath it.
peak era1980s wall street, power dressing as armor
reversaltech culture flipped it, hoodies signal genius now
coststudies link forced formality to lower creative output