My manager told me to "follow the dress code to the letter." So I did.
So this happened about a year ago at my old job, I was working at a mid-size logistics company, basically coordinating shipments and dealing with a lot of paperwork. Our office had a dress code policy that said, and I quote, "employees must wear formal shoes at all times on the office floor." That's it. Formal shoes. Nothing else was specified in that section, it was literally one sentence.
Now our manager, Karen (not her real name but honestly it fits), had this thing where she'd nitpick everyone's outfits if she was in a bad mood. One thursday she pulls me aside and goes "your shirt is too casual, you look unprofessional, read the dress code." I went home, actually read the whole thing, and realized - she was right. I should follow the dress code. To the letter.
Next monday I show up in a full tuxedo. White dress shirt, bow tie, the whole thing. Shiny oxford shoes, obviously. Technically every single item I wore was either explicitly required or not prohibited. Three coworkers asked if I had a job interview somewhere. I said no, I just take the dress code very seriously. Karen walks by, looks at me, opens her mouth, closes it, and just keeps walking. She never mentioned my outfits again.
The best part was our regional director was visiting that day for a routine check. He saw me, laughed, and said "finally someone around here looks sharp." Karen had to smile and nod. I wore the tuxedo two more times that month just to make sure the message landed. It did.