The video-game industry has a dress code – driven by a lack of diversity

I wasn't expecting a young, vibrant creative world to have a uniform. But there is an insidious pressure to fit in, and it involves plaid and denim

Most professions have a uniform of some kind, whether it's the suit and tie of corporate culture, or the brand-asserting mono-wear of the world's major retail outlets. Sometimes, however, dress codes can be much more insidious. In the world of video games, a young creative industry that seeks to assert its rebelliousness and vibrancy, we aren't required to conform through necessity or tradition. But one thing I discovered very quickly when I started working here is that there is a uniform: it's just that this one is the result, not of workplace rules, but of a lack of diversity. And it can be just as excluding.

It was the night of my very first launch party. I'd just finished my internship at a video games TV channel and I was going through the familiar routine of choosing an outfit. In other words I was trying on everything in my own wardrobe as well as the wardrobes of all my flatmates. I eventually decided on something I'd been saving for a special occasion: a patterned mid-length dress with black panels down the side. I sent a photo of it to the colleague who'd invited me, but her replied surprised me: "It's lovely, but a bit too dressy for tonight." I wore it anyway.

Just another day at the 2K offices... pic.twitter.com/PZs1VRslI8