Good question. I find them uncomfortable and expensive. Why do you need a separate wardrobe to go sit in an office?

probably a combination of control and to give the suit industry business

How else will they show status? Lower class black people already claimed the aesthetics of jewelry that looks good with masculine presentation, so they can't do that.

It helps make you feel important. Ultimately it’s peer pressure combined with boot licking competition.

Dress for the job you want etc etc.

Fair point. That also contributes.

Nah, am fat, colleagues are rather skinny (one of those colleagues is a woman, so I think we have pretty much every group discussed here covered) and we are all happy. We set the thermostat to 22°C, and while the AC doesn't quite reach it, it is still about 24°C in the room while it's 38°C outside today. And we're all happy in there, dreading to have to go out of the office.

It makes no sense to push for either half of workers to be uncomfortable. I’m more in favor of meeting the thermostat in the middle and relax clothing requirements so everyone can find the right compromise. It’s about workers vs. billionaires and the right to work in decent conditions.