That puts into words my vaguely-formed concept of why I defiantly wear dress pants and expensive shirts (+ suit and tie for interviews) even when working at a tech startup with 20-somethings in (carefully chosen) worn jeans and t-shirts.
If clothes don't matter, why am I being judged because I value aesthetics, not excluding the clothes I wear?
Because they do matter. The function of any level or style of dress at an interview is to mark you as part of the Right Group. This holds true even when the interviewers don't realize that they're unconsciously doing it.
Overdressing for an interview at some companies can put you in the Wrong Group just as surely as underdressing will at others.
You should always dress nicer for the interview than you expect to for the job. It has nothing to do with impressing the interviewer. I wore a tie to my interview because it made me feel important, which made me feel more confident, which made me come across as a more compelling candidate.
Use whatever tools you have to manipulate yourself into being the person (at least temporarily) who easily gets the job you want.