The geek in question: Jonathan Biderman

The job title: Program Manager, Infopath

My, you’re looking snappy today. What’s up? Do you have a job interview or something?
Thanks! But why does anyone need a reason to dress up, down or sideways? Since Microsoft doesn’t have a dress code I could just as readily choose to wear holey jeans and sandals as I could a tuxedo (…one of these days…)

Interviewing may be a typically assumed reason for dressing up at Microsoft, but I just wanted to start wearing the nice clothes that otherwise would be gathering dust in my closet. I decided that if I wear my numerous ties, I won’t actually have too many. That, and it certainly amuses my team.

Tell me about what you're wearing here.
Rather a Red Carpet question, don’t you think? Shoes by John Fluevog – definitely a bit shiny and funky, but that’s why I like Fluevogs (fluevog.com, and also down on Pine St @ 2nd Ave.) Pants by Kuhlman – shame I didn’t get the matching jacket (kuhlmancompany.com). Tie by [looks at label] Geoffrey Beene, apparently -- I definitely like the color orange. Also your average generic, white dress-shirt and a turquoise and black corduroy jacket by Black Rivet – a unique corduroy and an interesting cut.

How have your coworkers responded to your dapperness?
Befuddlement, often. Surprise, amusement, derisive laughter occasionally, and then some. They definitely like to talk and laugh about the shoes -- occasionally coming by just to see which ones I’m wearing any given day. And today there were some rather diametrically opposed opinions on these pants.

Frankly, my teammates (and other folks on my floor) have come to expect it and aren’t terribly surprised anymore, though I think they still enjoy the variety. They feel rather similarly about my culinary experiments, too -- garlic chocolate-chip cookies or basil crème brûlée, anyone?

If you’re wearing a tie, you must work in marketing. What do you do?
I’m a Program Manager in Office on InfoPath – an application for designing and filling out digital forms.  I work predominantly on user interface and user experience design and improvement.  My task is a fairly common, if challenging, one for all software designers: make the next version of our application prettier and easier to use than the current one. I’m working with a bunch of good people to get it there – some of them occasionally dress up, too.